APES students take annual field trip watch elephant seals

Students taking AP Environmental Science, commonly known as APES, went on a field trip to the Año Nuevo State Reserve to watch elephant seals on March 14 and 15.

“I like going on this field trip, because I think we need to get the classroom outdoors [in an environmental science class],” science teacher Kristen Thomson said. “It also tells a success story about how we’ve had animals on the brink of extinction come back.”

Science teachers Lisa Cochrum and Jill McCrystal and  history teacher Matt Torrens accompanied students on March 14, while principal Paul Robinson and assistant principals Kerry Mohnike and Kevin Mount boarded the bus on March 15. 

 There, they split up into groups of 10 to 15 people to embark on a guided tour that allowed them to be within 25 feet of the seals. 

“My favorite part of the trip was when we saw all of the weaners [elephant seal pups] on the shore,” junior Katie Truong said. “Their movements were really silly, for they would either wiggle and roll in the sand or just lay there motionless.”

In addition to photographing and watching 200-300 lb. seal weaners sleep and play on the beach, students and teachers also learned about the history of Año Nuevo.

“We learned that [the elephant seals] were wiped out by hunters and only by chance did a small portion of the population remain undetected at Año Nuevo,” junior Jennie Werner said. “This shocked me and made me aware how lucky we were to get to visit them at their only home.”

Additionally, Robinson had the opportunity to take the trip for the first time.

“It was really neat to see and to learn about them,”  Robinson said.  “To see them up close, and have a guide to answer all of my questions was a great experience.”