Waste Management Wetlands

Today Kayleigh's class had a field trip to the wetlands sanctuary. It is conveniently located between the Shell refinery and the Highway and the water treatment plant. And yet, amidst all that sewage, and petrolleum and concrete, there is a beautiful little spot of nature. You see it when you come southbound 680 over the Benicia Bridge, but you just think it is a marsh.. and don't really know the beauty that is there. The kids toured the water treatment plant and learned how water and waste in the water is recycled and put back out into the delta. The went on a walk and looked at the bird sanctuary. We did PH tests and other chemestry experiments on the water, and then went and dipped nets in the water to collect samples of fish and other critters living in the water. It was a fun experience. I had been to the Dow Wetlands in pittsburg... but this was better. They have people from the Alexander Lyndsay Jr. Museum there to do all the classes with the kids.

This place is great. They take in injured animals that are indigenous to the area, and heal them and if possible, return them to the wild after they heal. It is a great education resource for your kids. Another cool place to check out if you live in the area and have never been. They have lots of animals there that the kids can see and observe. The saddest one is a mountain lion that had been declawed and chained to a tree. They rescued her, and now she is there in the museum in a glass cage. I wish they had a large habitat for her. But she seems happy there.

I gotta say, even with my new "Go Green" attitude about recycling... I never knew for sure what happened to the water and other "stuff" once you flushed the toilet. Well... now I know... and I may never drink tap water again...