Brooklyn Cantu, 12, points towards whooping cranes before sharing the binoculars with Kailey Garcia 11. As they and the other members of the Grant Middle School Environmental Science Club tour Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Tuesday. Eighteen students from Corpus Christi spent the last day of 2019 learning first hand about the wetlands and the wildlife.

TIVOLI – Cool temperatures and gray skies Tuesday made for a day of fun, food and learning.

The Science and Spanish Clubs Network Inc. hosted its 11th annual Early Bird New Year and an 82nd birthday at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Eighteen Corpus Christi students from Grant Middle School’s Environmental Science Club rang in the new year with games, food and hiking at the refuge.

Zachary Piotrowski, visitor services specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service leads the group of Grant Middle School Environmental Science Club student to Herron Flats. As they tour Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Tuesday. Eighteen students sixth to eighth graders from Corpus Christi spent the last day of 2019 learning first hand about the wetlands and the wildlife.

The event was made possible in part by a donation from Inteplast Group.

Yolanda Aviles, CCISD instructor and science club sponsor, said she has organized a New Year’s Eve field trip for more than 15 years. She said field trips offer the students different learning opportunities. “They become more observant with each experience,” said Aviles.

According to a Coastal Management Program progress report, Science and Spanish Clubs Network Inc. serves more than 400 students. The program’s mission is “to develop the next generation of leaders in stewardship of the Greater Gulf of Mexico ecosystem,” said Richard Gonzales, the organization’s founder and CEO.

Article originally published in the Victoria Advocate

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/local/students-ring-in-2020-while-learning-about-whooping-cranes/article_b1d6c858-2c20-11ea-9316-4b5c1bdd7458.html