Slightly overcast with a cool breeze made for an excellent day for a field trip. On Monday, April 19th, 15 chaperones took 102 excited, rambunctious, and energetic seventh graders to visit and discover the wonders of our environment at the Jacksonville Zoo. The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is home to over 1,400 species of animals and 6,000 species of plants from around the world. Students got a chance to witness the marvel of nature. They roamed the land of Africa along with crocodiles, cheetahs, lions, elephants, giraffes, and apes. They took a walkabout through the Australian Adventure exhibit. Animals in this attraction included red kangaroos, wallabies, a cassowary, and the ever-popular and colorful lorikeets.. They even experienced the tranquility of Monsoon Asian garden and the mighty komodo dragons. Above all they witnessed the latest and most popular exhibit “The Tuxedo Coast,” where they watched penguins from South America swim and play in their new home built to reflect their natural habitat. As one student said, this trip was “Fun-ducational!” A big thanks to all the chaperones who volunteered to spend the day with us and to Ms. Padilla, Mr. Oden, and Mrs. Runyon for organizing the event.
