ENV 312 Field Trip:  Day 3  (Click on thumbnails for larger view.)
Sunday was very rainy even though the weather forecast had promised a sunny day. Our last visits were to Cedar Point Tideland Trail, an old millpond, and the bottomland hardwood swamp along the Neuse River at Kinston. Curt said this swamp is a great example of a swamp forest with many of the native species of gum, maple, and cypress.
When it was time to return to Durham, it took two hours of driving in the rain to get us back to the Duke campus.
I had a very good time on the field trip. I used all my five senses to learn about North Carolina's wetlands.  I saw what a pocosin looks like, not from a PowerPoint picture but in person.
I heard the sound of the wind blowing through pine trees.
I touched the very sharp smooth cord grass and found it hurt.
I smelled the sweet forest soil and Atlantic white cedar leaves, which smelled like Christmas.
And I tasted glasswort, which was crisp and salty.
I now believe that during my life I have been to many wetlands but did not realize they were actually wetlands.
This class made me understand more about the variety of wetlands, why they are important, and how we can appropriately manage them. Learning about wetlands first-hand is better than looking at pictures.
We also learned more about our classmates and TAs who sit in the same room with us twice each week, and we finally had a chance to talk. Personally, I gained some American cultural experience. For example, I learned that peanut butter and jam should go in the same sandwich, not in separate ones, so it tastes better. I feel lucky for these opportunities and look forward to my next wetland visits.                                                                Thidavisuth Chunkrua MEM 2007
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