This week, we also learned about the Belle Isle Marsh, which is located right here in East Boston! It’s Boston’s last remaining salt water marsh, home to many birds, fish, and other wildlife, and needs to be protected against continuing developments along the shore. We learned about different animals that call Belle Isle Marsh home, such as the coyote, long eared and short eared owls, snowy owl, sparrow, hummingbird, and crane. The unique characteristics of a saltwater marsh make Belle Isle extremely valuable- in addition to serving as a home for these animals, the marsh helps reduce the impact of storms, mediates temperature when it is very warm, and creates oxygen for the air.
In order to communicate the need to protect Belle Isle, students wrote letters to local, state, and national government representatives such as Mayor Marty Walsh and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, explaining what the marsh meant to them. At the end of class, some shared their letters to the class, showing impressive public speaking skills! We hope that the kids will take a closer look at the marvelous marsh right in their backyard next time they have the chance to visit, and realize their potential for influencing local legislation.
climatenature.org 