Treating Tackapausha with care

With temperatures rising into the 80s and the sun shining bright, June 1 was a good day to learn outside, while also getting some respite in the air conditioning.

Seventh-graders from Seaford Middle School spent the morning at the Tackapausha Museum and Preserve, just a short bus ride away. This was the second year the school has hosted the trip, which was partially funded by the Seaford Wellness Council.

Students were split into multiple groups, and rotated through various activities. They were treated to a live animal presentation in the theater, got to see the various animal displays throughout the museum, and spent time in nature by cleaning up the preserve.

“The kids really enjoy themselves,” said science teacher Roseann Zeblisky. “It’s a great way of introducing Tackapausha to a lot of the kids.”

She explained that the museum and preserve is a hidden gem in Seaford that many students don’t know about or haven’t visited before. She hopes that once they realize they have a vibrant park like this in their own community, they will gain an appreciation for nature and take care of it.

That was the purpose of the cleanup, she said. Each group worked a different area of the park, picking up litter such as loose papers, plastic bottles and cigarette butts. The students were provided with gloves and garbage bags.

Matt Dupkin said the most interesting item he found while cleaning up around the pond was firecrackers. “Animals can eat the garbage, and they could get sick and they could die,” he said about the importance of cleaning up the preserve.

Seventh-grader Antonia Grimaldi said that she hopes her classmates will learn to keep the Earth clean. “I’m learning about nature,” she said, “and not to litter because it could harm the environment.”

She added that she found a lot of wrappers and water bottles while cleaning up. “It’s disgusting to put that in nature,” she said. “You should throw out your own trash and not leave it around for other people to pick up.”

In seventh grade, students study life science, so Zeblisky said the trip to Tackapausha makes sense. They can learn about animals and plants in a way they can’t in the classroom.

The live animal presentation focused on endangered species. Students also learned about the harmful effects of pesticides and chemicals on tree and plants.

The science teachers said they are glad they have made the trip to Tackapausha an annual excursion. “We’ve never taken advantage of it,” teacher Kevin Mullany said, “but now we do it every year. It’s a great resource.”