Reflections on the Teche

At one of my schools, I coordinate a leadership organization called “Paw Pride.”  Students are nominated by their teachers to be in this group.  Throughout the year, we participate in service-oriented projects.

Yesterday we took an end-of-the-year field trip to Avery Island, home of Tabasco sauce.  I love field trips.  Yes, they exhaust me, but the kids are so excited and can’t wait to learn and play.  This group worked hard and raised enough money for this treat.  Avery Island is in our own backyard.  We should know and learn about the products of our own area.

“Are we here?”

“Look!  There’s the warehouse!”

Seeing the overall, big picture on a 3D map intrigues the students.

The mash from the peppers are aged for three years.  Salt covers the tops of the barrels, slowly spicing the aging peppers. At the factory store, students sampled different Tabasco flavors and even Tabasco ice cream.

In 1895, the snowy egret was nearly wiped out by plume hunters.  E. A. McIlhenny created Bird City, a nesting ground for these majestic birds. I took this picture from the high look-out deck. It was a nice climb but worth it for this view.

E. A. McIlhenny acquired a gift of an ancient Buddha statue in 1936. The statue is surrounded by authentic Asian flora.  Visiting the Buddha is a highlight of any Avery Island field trip.

Jungle Gardens is often used for wedding photos, and you can see why. This is a beautiful setting just beyond the Buddha statue in Jungle Gardens.  At this point, the students had disappeared into a wooded area.  I sent a parent chaperone after them.  The magic of this place drew them in.  A wonderful way to celebrate May, these students were able to spend a day outside of the classroom learning about a locally made product as well as enjoying the beauty of nature.