It’s fitting then that the capstone “experience” and milestone for our second graders is to participate in a total immersion, experiential field study of a local barrier island. Students will travel to Seabrook Island, south of Charleston to enjoy a campus that includes nearly one mile of beach, 100 acres of salt marsh, 200 acres of undisturbed maritime forest, freshwater ponds, and a freshwater swamp. Barrier Island facilities include classrooms, numerous outdoor teaching sites, an arts and crafts building, a climate controlled gymnasium, a low ropes course, a beach front recreation hall,a lighted outdoor recreation field, a health center, full service dining hall and climate controlled beach front cabins with bathrooms. Since 1980, the Barrier Island Environmental Education Program has provided public and private school students in Kindergarten through 12th grades a unique opportunity to learn about and experience nature in a way that is hands-on, memorable and a whole lot of fun. This learning opportunity gives students the chance to discover the scientific world with all of their senses in an open and encouraging environment designed to see, smell, touch, hear and, yes, even taste lessons in biology, ecology, conservation, astronomy, botany and much more. The kids love it, and very often have their eyes opened to a world they have never experienced or understood before.