The Great Outdoors turned out to be a great classroom for 25 seventh grade Gulf Stream School students who accompanied their teachers on a three day Everglades adventure. The outdoor classroom provided lessons in many subjects and inspired poems and essays.
Gulf Stream School seventh grade students beneath the cypress trees at Clyde Butcher’s studio. Photos by teachers Bryan Cook and Megan Bogert
Everglades
This place
smiles at you
with a brown, transparent smile
and white, misshapen eyes.
This place
is accepting
of others;
it helps you forget
all the bad times,
and gives you new,
better memories.
This place
is more than
just a habitat.
It’s a wake-up call
for what we could be losing.
— Maddy Uible
Jupiter
Airboat ride
When the driver moved the boat, he glided over lily pads like he was flying. The noise when he went full speed was amazing; he moved the boat so swiftly, and it made a deep, loud hum.
— Ingrid Marinak
Delray Beach
So much for the eyes to see
Smells of dirty water surround the air
The chilly nights and cool breeze
Made us so cold that we went stiff
Frozen with excitement
and the wonders
Of all there is in the living Everglades.
— Quinn Fender
Village of Golf
Everglades poem
Sole crunching white oyster shells
We walk toward the murky water
The cool day revives our burning muscles and aching bones
The kayak is our home for hours and time slips away into
The tender green colors on the trees and the almost lack brackish water from the mangrove leaves.
There is a salty smell to the air
Not knowing what is beneath us, creepy feeling washes over me
Until I listen to the peaceful noise of my oar lightly stroking the water
White majestic birds fly above us.
Like giant squawking parrots in our kayaks we slice through the tranquility of the Everglades.
— Kaitlyn Hart
Delray Beach
Kayak Trip
We paddled those waterways for hours,
We got wet from the splashes of our mates,
We felt the sun on our faces,
We felt mosquitoes on our arms and legs.
It felt so real.
— Kyle Sipp
Ocean Ridge
Sweatshirts are wet from splashing,
My cold feet are numb,
Soothing orange sunset blanketing,
The cold December night.
— Isabel Pearce
Gulf Stream
The water is like a thin sheet of shimmering glass
And underwater is a whole different
World of wildlife with
Predator and prey.
— Connor Hopkins
Delray Beach
The mangroves seem to walk out into the water.
The saw grass sways in the blowing wind.
The water is still as glass,
The wind flows through the air.
As night comes the crickets chirp,
Then sunset happens.
— Garrett Sargeant
Gulf Stream
The sky’s blue, turning grey, taking cover
Water murky, muddy footprints left behind.
Trees wholesome, whines our trespass.
— Roman Pugliese
The sun was departing and night was approaching
We were wet and cold, our shoulders aching from paddling
But we were having fun
It was an adventure
We have never done something like this before
And will never forget it
— Ingrid Marinak
Delray Beach
The Everglades
Everything is better on a kayak,
Especially watching the sun setting
In the Everglades.
It was a great experience to see this
Beautiful once in a life time opportunity.
Surrounded by people we’ve known forever,
We all had a great time paddling and seeing this beautiful scene.
— Kiara Warren
Boca Raton
Billy Swamp Safari
There were so many different bugs and birds flying around me with all different colors mixed into them. I was so jittery but happy to be in such a wonderful place.
— Kaleb Fernandez
Gulf Stream
Gopher turtles amble along slow as molasses
While a lone cougar paces back and forth,
Looking ready to pounce.
Intruders intimidating the parrots,
By trying to make them speak,
While baby gators bask in the sun.
— Kiara Warren
Boca Raton
Trip to Clyde Butcher’s studio
These glades hold frightening possibilities of a threatening alligator. This threat is soothed by the pleasant sounds, smells and lights of nature.
— Ryan de Haseth
Ocean Ridge
As the day fades and night approaches,
the sky shifts into an amazing watercolor portrait.
With rippling shades of vibrant oranges and hot pinks,
the sky electrifies.
The clouds dance like an assembly of graceful ballerinas,
escorting the sun down to rest for the night.
In this moment of awe,
the true complexity of the sky is revealed.
As if a new dimension has been formed, the sky unweaves,
displaying the beauty that is hidden throughout the day.
And before you can comprehend the sheer power of the sight,
the sun has set.
The sky once again returns to its usual state,
and all you can see for miles is an empty, star-filled sea of black.
— Isabel Long
Lantana
Day Two
It was only about 9:15 [p.m.], but it felt so late. I fell asleep during the movie. Sullivan had to wake me up and I walked barefoot back to my room.
— Helen Huisinga
Gulf Stream
Wildlife
As this beautiful summer day slips away with the sun beating down on me.
I soon catch another large, brightly colored fish and that is enough for me.
I go up on the bank and call it a day.
It can’t get any better for me,
Cause I am the alligator.
— Kaleb Fernandez
Gulf Stream
Final Thoughts
If my parents ever ask me where we should go for a trip, I am going to say let’s go to the Everglades.
— Kaleb Fernandez
Gulf Stream
The Everglades,
For it will not last forever.
If you listen you can hear
Glades smoldering, pleading,
Dying breath, begging us to reflect.
— Roman Pugliese
Gulf Stream
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