To get a group of friends to go explore a state park together is not uncommon, but to get a school club to travel 33 miles to go on a field trip together is. On Saturday, Nov. 12, the Environmental Club visited Blue Springs State Park. The goal of the trip was to get out and experience nature in a way they have not done before.

The trip was planned by club officials Lauren Leverett and Jessicka Birr at the beginning of the school year. However, the trip was not official until the week before the event took place. The club decided to go to Blue Springs because of the park’s location and wildlife.

“Blue Springs is probably the closest area where you can witness manatees and gars in the wild and swim with them,” Birr said. “The park is environmentally friendly and we wanted the club members to experience that.”

Six people attended the trip, arriving at 9 a.m. and leaving at noon. Every member was responsible for their own ride, but the club offered to carpool those without one.

Members got to experience hiking, bird watching and swimming with the gars (native fishes) while learning about the environment surrounding them and the wildlife that came with it. During the trip, members of the club learned more about Florida’s ecosystem.

“We wanted our members to be a part of Florida’s environment and find out what it has to offer environmentally,” Leverett said. “It’s cool to get out and experience new things like finding out what it’s like to hike a Florida trail or seeing new kinds of birds and plants.”

Because of the member’s positive reactions, the club is planning on doing more educational field trips in the future. The club is expecting to go to Silver Springs State Park next to learn about the Rhesus monkey and explore its habitat.