On Tuesday all of the 3rd graders went on a field trip to War Eagle Caverns. It was our first time to go and I think we will go back! The kids loved it and so did I. It was a full day packed with different activities. We got to go in a cave and see bats, it was awesome! The kids had their flashlights and cameras, they were so into it! I loved seeing them get excited! We also got to pan for gems. Each student had a bag with sand, rocks, and gems in it. They put their sand in water and shook it until all they had left were gems and rocks. The best part about the gem panning was the students got to pick out and keep whatever they found. They loved that! They were so excited and were telling me what gem or rock they had! I was so proud to see that they remembered the difference between rocks and minerals, I taught that back in November. After gem panning they got to go to the gift shop. I had the students write about their favorite part of the field trip and so many of them wrote about the gift shop! I thought the bats would have been at the top of their list. We then had lunch at the picnic tables and went on a treasure hunt in the woods. We were to follow the wooden signs with black bats painted on them, to find the treasure. Each sign had information about the area we were at in the woods. The students got to balance on a log, dig for fossils, and look at animal tracks. The treasure at the end of the trail was a wooden coin that entitled them to a free tour! After the treasure hunt, we headed back to school. The kids were so exhausted that some of them fell asleep on the ride back. It was a great day for the students.
Entrance to the Cavern
View of Beaver Lake
Getting ready to go into the cavern
The ceiling in the cavern
The first bat we saw of the day, it was asleep. So cute! The students were so excited about the bats, they were taking pictures and shining their flashlights on them. Most of the bats that we saw were brown female bats. They were all hanging upside down sleeping. Bats eat up to 3,000 mosquitos a night! Thank goodness we have bats for that!
This bat had one of her wings extended, we did see some flying and it was a little creepy. Our guide told us to not move and what do I do when I see one flying....duck down! At least I didn't scream.
This was a view from the top of the trail. We had a great day at War Eagle Caverns, can't wait to go back next year!
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