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Delving Into The Unknown

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By MICHELE SAGER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 11, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Beneath the limbs of towering trees and sandy footprints of the forest floor, a dark world awaited the students.

Some questioned what they would find in these deep crevices of the Earth. Did animals roam down there? Was it cold or hot? Is this where Harry Potter lived?

Thirty-seven Hunter's Green Elementary School fourth-graders strapped on helmets and headlamps last week and went below the Earth's surface for a spelunking field trip in the Withlacoochee State Forest.

Spelunking, also known as caving, is the recreational sport of exploring caves. The trip was part of a school study of Florida's environment and water issues. Students examined local ecosystems and the effect humans have on the environment.

Teacher Diana Favata decided to take a field trip to Withlacoochee partly because of a Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test question.

"There was a question on the test that mentioned limestone caves and most of the students had no concept what that might be," she said. "I want them to have an experience. I want them to know how a cave looks, feels and smells."

The trip was funded with part of a $3,000 grant the school received from the Southwest Florida Water Management District to enhance environmental curriculum.

The students trekked a mile into the forest to Dames Cave along the Citrus Tract near the Citrus-Hernando county line. Students climbed through a tangle of massive oak tree roots to make their way to the cave floor about 20 feet below the surface.

Professor and naturalist Pete Rossi led the students on an underground tour, pointing out past plant life now imprinted in the cave walls. Students were awed as he explained that the caves were once the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.

Fourth-grader Jeanne Nivens ran her fingertips across the limestone walls.

"Wow, I expected the walls to be really hard, but limestone feels like chalk and is kind of crumbly," she said.

The students ventured farther into the cave to a pocket deemed "the room," where no sunlight enters. Teachers had the students turn off their headlamps for a moment so they could experience total darkness.

When the students left the cave, they grabbed their clipboards and strolled through the forest, mapping ecosystems, including both living and nonliving items.

Field trip chaperone and parent Mary Spence said the outing was a great lesson for the students.

"You can't get this experience from a book or video," she said. "They get to hold things and touch things. This is something they won't forget."

Rossi encouraged the students to savor the sounds of the forest. Students were treated to the buzzes of swirling insects, whooping sounds of birds and rustling of nearby brush.

"Just take this time to stop, look around and listen to nature," he told the students.

"We often worry about the latest video game or television show. But when you really listen, nature can surprise you."

Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.

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