A Self Guided Hike on the West Beach Succession Trail

BEACH COMMUNTIY

Though attractive to summertime sunbathers and swimmers, the beach is a hostile environment for plants. Occasionally marram grass and a few annual plants grow in the middle beach above the constant action of the waves. It’s the washed up remains of insects, fish, and birds on the lower beach that provides most of the food for the animals in this community. Ring-billed and Herring Gulls feast on washed up salmon while raccoons and skunks wander to discover if the lake has provided another night time meal.

During spring migration, sandpipers probe the sands for prey while a lucky observer may see thousands of merganser ducks floating a few hundred feet from the beach. Great Blue Herons come to look for fish to feed to their young chicks and gracefully fly away if your group is too noisy.

Quick Activity - Allow the student to sit on the beach without talking. While they are sitting in this community they should observe or make a prediction about: (1) the temperature extremes from summer to winter; (2) the strength of the wind during a storm; (3) the temperature of the ground on a hot summer day; and (4) the amount of moisture in the soil during the summer. Have them remember or record these conditions so they can compare them to other communities they will see today.

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