Bald Head Island Conservancy
Barrier Island Botanists Bring Hands-On Learning to Sixth Graders
Barrier Island Botanists Bring Hands-On Learning to Sixth Graders
During the fall of each year, the Bald Head Island Conservancy holds its annual Barrier Island Botanists (BIB) program in coordination with Brunswick County Public Schools.This field trip brings every sixth grader in Brunswick County to learn about the ecosystems of the island. BIB began in 2018 and 2019 from a Duke Energy grant, paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and the program was brought back in 2022. Since the pandemic, BIB has been made possible by a donation from Jim, Devon and Sinclair Brown! Annually, the BIB program brings over 1000 students to discover and learn about the natural wonders of Bald Head Island.
A typical day of BIB consists of around 60-70 students traveling to Bald Head Island and joining BHIC staff in activities at our three island ecosystems. The field trip focuses on botany to align with North Carolina’s educational environmental science standards for the sixth grade. BIB takes place near the marina with three different stations: the coastal dune station at Access 5, the saltmarsh station at Marina Park, and the maritime forest station near the Old Baldy lighthouse. At each station, students learn about the plants on the island, including their role in maintaining dune structures, how marsh grasses survive in brackish water, and the impact of live oak trees in stabilizing the interior of the island.
Our field trip strives to bring students out to get hands-on experiences that solidify a relationship with nature. All students are welcome on our field trip and we continue to update our resources to provide students with the best personalized learning experience for them we can offer. We adapt our curriculum based on each school’s needs such as those of Exceptional Children’s (EC) classes, mobility limitations, and non-english speaking students. We are currently working to translate our paper and lessons into Spanish so students can follow along without language barriers.
This year, instead of using the traditional BIB booklet, we created our own worksheet that showcases the best parts of each station. The new worksheet allows students to focus on central ecological themes without distractions and draw observations made in the field. Teachers commented that, “we like the new one pager instead of the booklet” and “the new papers are great! much better and easier to collect”.
We also provide an anonymous survey to teachers and chaperones on our trip. They can document their feelings on the educational content and its efficacy in matching curriculum standards. Feedback from teachers has been extremely positive with many praises for the hands-on activities we provide. One teacher wrote, “students got the opportunity to learn by hands-on experience. Many have never been able to learn by seeing, feeling, being in the experience. The kids really loved it all”. Another teacher commented, “the entire staff was kind, patient and well informed. They answered any and all questions that were asked. My students were active and engaged the entire trip. This will be a memory they never forget! Thank you :)”.
In 2024, 90% of students from all 6 schools that attended were considered economically disadvantaged by the state. During the field trips, many students comment that they had never been on a boat, in the salt marsh, or been on the beach before. The wonder and enthusiasm exhibited by these students is important to us at BHIC as we feel we are inspiring the next generation of natural scientists. This field trip is such a joy for our BHIC education department, and we look forward to working with these students every year. We are already planning our materials for our spring group’s arrival! We are especially excited to offer our worksheets to students in English and Spanish in 2026!
BIB students on the ferry
Our field trip strives to bring students out to get hands-on experiences that solidify a relationship with nature. All students are welcome on our field trip and we continue to update our resources to provide students with the best personalized learning experience for them we can offer. We adapt our curriculum based on each school’s needs such as those of Exceptional Children’s (EC) classes, mobility limitations, and non-english speaking students. We are currently working to translate our paper and lessons into Spanish so students can follow along without language barriers.
BIB students learning on the beach with Ali
We also provide an anonymous survey to teachers and chaperones on our trip. They can document their feelings on the educational content and its efficacy in matching curriculum standards. Feedback from teachers has been extremely positive with many praises for the hands-on activities we provide. One teacher wrote, “students got the opportunity to learn by hands-on experience. Many have never been able to learn by seeing, feeling, being in the experience. The kids really loved it all”. Another teacher commented, “the entire staff was kind, patient and well informed. They answered any and all questions that were asked. My students were active and engaged the entire trip. This will be a memory they never forget! Thank you :)”.
In 2024, 90% of students from all 6 schools that attended were considered economically disadvantaged by the state. During the field trips, many students comment that they had never been on a boat, in the salt marsh, or been on the beach before. The wonder and enthusiasm exhibited by these students is important to us at BHIC as we feel we are inspiring the next generation of natural scientists. This field trip is such a joy for our BHIC education department, and we look forward to working with these students every year. We are already planning our materials for our spring group’s arrival! We are especially excited to offer our worksheets to students in English and Spanish in 2026!
Heather Bariso, Coastal Educator II
