On the snowy afternoon of April 6^th, the SMILE Program’s 5^th grade students stepped off a school bus and onto the beautiful and peaceful grounds of URI’s Alton Jones Campus. They were welcomed by 20 URI mentors who spent the spring semester preparing themselves, activities and hands-on lessons to educate the SMILE students about the ecology of the Alton Jones Campus during their 3 day, 2-night stay.

The SMILE students and URI mentors quickly bonded on Friday during their first cold and snowy field study, dinner, campfire and cabin talks before it was LIGHTS OUT for a restful sleep to prepare them for a full day of field studies, games, meals and a final campfire on Saturday. The students and mentors spent the weekend together learning about the plant and animal life throughout the campus. The URI mentors not only captivated the SMILE students with their hands-on lessons at four different sites, they also led the students in fun campfire songs and shared their challenges and successes throughout their academic careers. The EOSA weekend was a rewarding, heartwarming and educational experience for all in attendance.

The SMILE students rotated through four different field studies at four different locations on campus.

1. At the Bubbling Brook Pond, URI mentors taught the students about the different trophic levels through three exploration activities around the pond. They were put to the test by going deep into the mud, searching for organisms, such as worms, grubs, and other invertebrates that help cycle nutrients throughout the ecosystem. Students also used nets to capture adult spotted salamanders and wood frogs in the pond to learn about the importance of consumers. In addition, the SMILE students used a dichotomous key to identify several types of plants in and around the pond while exploring the significance of producers. By the end of their learning experience, the students understood how organisms of each trophic level play a vital role in sustaining balance within the pond ecosystem.
2. In the pine forest, URI mentors involved the students in learning not only about the massive pine trees but also students got to stop and listen to their quiet surroundings. Throughout the four lessons the SMILE students learned about forest succession, layers of the forest, pH, tree identification, species ID and more. They estimated the height of a tree using a pencil, looked under fallen trees for salamanders, observed how succession had shaped the forest, and got to use different equipment to measure temperature and pH. Although the trek through the fallen trees proved difficult the students left with a new love for the forest.
3. At the vernal pool, students had the opportunity to learn about plants, and how plants contributed to the success and life span of the vernal pool.  Students learned the importance of lichens and their beneficial effects on the ecosystem.  Finally, students learned the life cycle of spotted salamanders and wood frogs, and they were actually able to see the egg masses of both species.  Overall, the students got a well-rounded lesson of what goes on in a vernal pool and how a vernal pool is a special body of water.
4. Deep in the woods at one of the streams, URI mentors had the students determine if the stream was healthy by calculating its flow rate and looking for macroinvertebrates that are indicators of a healthy stream. SMILE students examined the differences between biotic and abiotic factors that affect the stream environment and identified different species they found at the site by using species identification charts. The SMILE students also conducted an experiment to determine how various pollutants would affect the health of the stream and the plants and animals in the surrounding ecosystem. This sparked insightful discussions about pollution the students have witnessed in their own communities and what they can personally do to protect the environment. At the stream, students saw how live and dead trees are microhabitats for species and explored rotting logs and stumps for organisms that are essential for decomposition and the recycling of nutrients.