The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency developed this Web site to introduce kids of various
ages to the ecology of estuaries. Teachers also can use this resource
in the classroom to enhance their lesson plans and activities. Overall,
the site is designed to illustrate the many different types of estuaries
and the complexity of challenges facing them today. The Web site
is part of a broader effort by the National
Estuary Program to educate the general public about estuaries
and to restore and protect these sensitive ecosystems.
This Web site provides a wealth of introductory information about
estuaries. It offers interactive games and activities as well as
hands-on tours of specific estuaries around the country. A glossary
page defines technical terms used throughout the site. Resources
also are provided for teachers and students interested in learning
more about related organizations, publications, and Web sites.
Although many of the plants and animals you see on this Web site
look like photographs, they are actually taken from a dramatic original
illustration by naturalist and painter John Dawson. The painting
includes more than 100 different plants and animals that live in
estuaries. It also shows several different types of estuariesfrom
the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest to the warm beaches of
the Gulf Coast. EPA incorporated the painting into a poster entitled,
Estuaries: Scenes of Transition, complete with a key of scientific
names for many of the plants and animals found in the painting.
You can meet the artist and view photos
of the painting being created or learn more about how
to obtain a copy of the poster.
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