- Your first cay walk
1/2 hr +
•
FROM PROJECT REEF ED
© Great Barrier Root Marino Park Authority
Concepts/topics
Aim
Area
• To develop skills and confidence in knowing your way around the cay
Perimeter
• To become aware of some features of the cay environment.
Vegetation
Direction
You will need
Distribution
• Hat, sunscreen
Windward
• Suitable footwear and clothing for walking on the beach
Leeward
• Camera (optional)
Skills
• Binoculars (optional)
Observing
• Magnetic compass (optional)
Using equipment
• Outline map of reef and island (optional)
Attitudes
Confidence
Appreciation
of natural
environment
Enjoyment of
outdoor
experience
(c) How tar up the beach do you think the water comes at high tide? Can you
see
tide lines?
(d) Where did the sand on this beach come from?
(e) Is
there any rock on the beach? Where?
(f) Where is the wind coming from? Can you notice different wind effects
on
different sides of the island?
(g) Which is the leeward and which is the windward side of the
island?
(h) What kinds
of living or dead animals or plants can you spot on the beach
as you go along?
(i) Does vegetation on the windward side of the island seem different from
that on the leeward side? How?
(j) How many different kinds of birds
can
you see? What are they doing?
(k) What signs are there on the cay of human activities, past or present?
(I) Can you see any tracks leading into the cay from the beach?
3. When you get back, have a group discussion about what you've seen.
(a) Decide which looked like interesting spots to go back to next time.
(b) On a piece of paper on the wall at base camp, start a list of birds which
your group has seen.
Don't
worry about names, brief descriptions will do!
You could add to the list throughout the trip.
(c) Decide: Is the cay as you expected?
What to do
1. Walk around the edge of the cay, noting the time you leave and return.
2. As you walk around the cay, think about the following questions and make
observations.
(a) Where are the directions north, south, east and west?
(b) How far out is the edge of the reef from here? (Look for waves breaking.)
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