Morgan Otter Saves the Sea Turtles

by Thompson, Tara V. ; Andersen, Candace;

  Two girls approach Morgan and smile at her. The girl with brown hair and creamy skin says, “Hi, my name is Ashley.” The blonde-haired girl with bronzed skin chimes in, “I’m Leighton.”

  Ashley tells Morgan, “I like your tan. Have you been at the beach this summer? We’ve been at the beach almost every day at Leighton’s parents’ beach house.”

  Morgan replies, “I don’t have a tan. This is my normal color because I’m half Cherokee.”

  “Oh,” she says as her smile turns into a frown.

  “I thought all of the Indians were dead,” Leighton answers.

  “Well, we’re not,” Morgan responds. “And I’m not an ‘Indian’ because those are the people who live in India. I’m Native American.”

  “I’m only telling you what I learned in school,” Leighton says defensively as she and Ashley walk off. Morgan’s cheeks burn with embarrassment.

  “I like your skin color,” another girl says. Morgan hadn’t even noticed that she was standing nearby. “I wish my skin were darker because I burn every time I get in the sun, and I can’t tan.” Sure enough, this girl is as pale as a piece of paper. She has black hair and eyes the color of the summer sky.

  “My mother has skin like yours. She burns all the time too,” Morgan replies. “Hi, my name is Morgan.”

  “I’m Claire,” she says. “Don’t mind those girls. They don’t know what they’re talking about.” Morgan smiles at her. She thinks she’s going to like Claire.

  At that moment, one of the counselors walks over to the group. She is very tall, has curly brown hair, and pecan-brown skin. She greets the campers, “Hello, Loggerheads!”

  “Hello,” Morgan and the others respond.

  She tells them, “We are going to have so much fun this week! My name is Asha, and my co-counselor’s name is John.” John waves to the group. He is not quite as tall as Asha and has honey-colored hair and skin. “Since this week’s camp is all about the animals that we have here at the Nature Center and nearby in the Lowcountry, let’s start by getting acquainted with some of them. We have everything from eagles to foxes to alligators and bobcats. Is everybody ready to meet our residents here at the center?”

  “Yes!” The children shout.

  “Good!” John says. “Now, everyone grab ‘em a partner and then line up in pairs.”

  Morgan glances sideways at Claire to see if she looks like she wants to be partners. Claire is looking at her the same way, so Morgan asks, “Do you want to be my partner?”

  “That would be great!” Claire says as they walk together to get in line. They make sure to stay away from Ashley and Leighton who are at the front of the line.

  Once all of the pairs are lined up, John and Asha lead them out of the building onto the trail around the Nature Center. The group walks over to the farm area, which has chickens, geese, turkeys, cows, goats, and sheep. They learn about the different animals at the farm and what each animal provides. Morgan already knows that the eggs she eats every morning come from chickens, but she learns that geese also lay eggs that people like to eat. She also discovers that cheese doesn’t just come from cow’s milk—milk from goats and sheep can be used to make cheese too!

  Then they line up to pet some of the animals.

  “I’ve never seen real farm animals,” Morgan tells Claire. “I’ve only seen them in movies and on TV.”

  Claire responds, “Really? My aunt and uncle have a farm, and I’ve gotten to play with most of the animals there.”

  “Wow,” Morgan says, impressed that Claire seems so comfortable with the animals. Morgan is a little nervous around some of the bigger animals. They look like they might step on her!

  “Do you want to see something?” Claire asks.

  “Sure,” Morgan replies.

  “Watch this!” Claire says before she quietly stalks one of the chickens. Then, as quick as a whip, Claire picks up the chicken and holds it against her, folding the wings down so the chicken can’t get away. Morgan laughs as the chicken squawks at Claire.

  “Come over here,” Claire tells Morgan, “you can pet her now.” Morgan walks over, but she is hesitant to pet the chicken. What if it pecks her?

  “Go ahead,” Claire laughs. Morgan starts to pet the chicken with one finger. Her feathers are really soft, so Morgan then starts to pet her with her whole hand, once she is sure she won’t get pecked. After a few minutes, Claire warns Morgan to back up, and she lets the chicken go. The chicken flaps its wings to get as far away from Claire and Morgan as possible.

  Still laughing at the silly chicken, Claire and Morgan walk over to where John is bringing one of the goats on a leash over to a few kids. Suddenly, the goat breaks away from John, and John chases after it. Morgan and Claire laugh at the funny sight of the counselor running after the goat, trying and failing to grab the leash.

  After a few minutes, the goat realizes that it has been cornered, rears back and head-buts John in the side, causing him to fall over sideways. Morgan and Claire stop laughing for a second, until they realize that John is fine and laughing himself. Then they all laugh some more.

  The next time, John picks a different goat to bring over. Morgan is understandably a little nervous, having seen what goats can do. But this goat is really sweet and seems to enjoy being petted. Claire tells Morgan all about the goats that her uncle has on his farm. Morgan decides that goats might be fun pets, as long as you never get on one’s bad side!

  Later that afternoon, Dad picks Morgan up from camp. As soon as she is settled in the backseat, he asks her, “How was your first day? Did you meet any new friends?”

  “There was a turtle and a chicken and a goat that wasn’t so nice and one that was,” Morgan responds. “And there was a girl, Claire, that was really fun, and her aunt and uncle have a farm!” She then tells her dad all about her day at camp.

  Chapter Four

  The next morning, Morgan meets with her group in the main building. Claire greets her with a smile, “Hi, Morgan. What do you think we’re going to do today?”

  Morgan smiles back at her, “Hi, Claire. I don’t know, but I hope that we get to see more of the animals today.”

  Claire replies, “I hope we get to see more fun animals today than just farm animals. I can see those anytime I go to my aunt and uncle’s house.”

  Asha and John come over to the group.

  “Today, we’re going to take the full trail through the Nature Center to see all of the animal habitats,” Asha says. “But first, let’s go to the picnic tables to learn about what makes the Lowcountry habitat so special.” Morgan and Claire follow Asha and John with the rest of the group outside to the picnic tables.

  There, they sit across from a boy and girl that have dark brown hair and skin. The girl’s hair is done in twists, and the boy’s hair is in a short mohawk. Morgan admires their hairstyles. Her brown hair doesn’t do anything fun because it is too thick. Morgan notices that they look alike too.

  The boy greets them, “Hi, my name is Robbie. This is my twin sister, Ruby.”

  Morgan smiles at them, “Hi Robbie, my name is Morgan, and this is Claire.”

  Ruby asks, “Did y’all get to pet the goats yesterday? They were my favorite.”

  Claire answers, “Yes, we got to pet the nice goat. Did you see the mean goat knock over John?”

  “Yeah!” Robbie responds. “It was so funny!” They all laugh at the memory of John’s face.

  Asha interrupts the campers talking, “Who knows what the Lowcountry is?”

  One of the boys raises his hand. “The Lowcountry is the area between Charleston and Savannah. It’s called that because most of it is below sea level.”

  “Good job, Jason,” Asha praises him. “This area is a unique blend of forests, marshes, wetlands, and islands. No matter where you go in the Lowcountry, you won’t be far from water. Because of this, you can find a
variety of animals, insects, and birds here. All of the animals at the Nature Center come from the Lowcountry. As we walk the trail to each of the animal habitats, I want you each to pay special attention to the trees and water around each animal to see what they like to live around. Keep in mind that the Nature Center itself is on one of the islands, next to a marsh, or an area that floods on a regular basis. So some of these habitats are as close as we can get it to their natural habitat. Are there any questions so far?”

  One girl raises her hand, “Are there any lions at the Nature Center?

  John answers, “Nope. Lions are only found in Africa and parts of Asia.”

  Claire raises her hand, “Are there any manatees in the Lowcountry?”

  “No, Claire, we don’t have any manatees here. Sometimes they make it up the coast of Georgia, but mostly, you can find them in Florida where it is warmer,” Asha responds.

  “What about otters?” Morgan asks. They are her favorite animals, partly because her last name is Otter. She gets teased about her name sometimes, but she can’t help loving the fun and free-spirited animals. She hopes that the Nature Center has some otters to see.

  “No, Morgan, there’re no otters here. You can find otters around abouts, but they’re not unique to the area, so there’re none at the Nature Center,” John responds. His answer makes Morgan a little sad, but she is still curious to see all of the animals at the Center.

  John tells the group, “If y’all don’t have more questions, I want y’all to pair up again for our hike along the nature trail. Asha and I’ll be passing out pads and pencils to each of y’all. As we visit each habitat, you’ll make a quick sketch of each animal. Pay close attention to details—to which animals have got whiskers, who’s got big ears, and what kind of toes. Try to see how many details ya see and then draw ‘em for each animal. When we’re about done with the trail, we’ll compare details and have some more fun later with the information.”

  Morgan and Claire pair up again, and they get in line behind Robbie and Ruby. Once everyone is paired up and ready with their pads and pencils, the group sets off onto the trail. As they walk, Claire mentions to Morgan, “I wish there were manatees at the Nature Center. I got to see them on a field trip when I lived in Florida.”

  “You lived in Florida?” Morgan asks Claire. “When did you move?”

  “Last summer,” Claire responds. “It was hard at first, but I like my new school here.”

  “I just moved last week,” Morgan tells her. “We moved from Arizona.”

  “Wow,” Claire says. “I’ve never been to Arizona. Is it hot?”

  “Yes,” Morgan answers. “Especially right now. It would be about 120 degrees!”

  “Are you joking?” Ruby asks, overhearing their conversation.

  “Nope, it’s really that hot!” Morgan says.

  “That’s super hot!” Claire responds.

  “Yeah!” Ruby and Robbie chime in.

  As they come up to the first habitat, the bobcats, which are another of Morgan’s favorite animals, they gather around Asha and John. The group leaders explain that bobcats are about twice as big as the typical housecat, and they are nocturnal, which means bobcats are awake at night and sleep during the day. Their name comes from the fact that they have a very short tail—it looks like it has been cut off or “bobbed.” Morgan learns that in the Lowcountry, bobcats can be found in the swamps and the maritime forest. Once Asha and John are finished, the campers are instructed to draw the bobcats in their sketchpads.

  For the rest of the morning, they follow the same pattern: move to a new habitat, learn about each animal, and then draw. They learn all about mammals (wolves, cougars, and foxes), reptiles (alligators, turtles, and snakes), and birds (owls, cranes, and osprey).

  When they get back to the picnic pavilion, the group discusses each of the animals, focusing on the details that everyone noticed. They start with the bobcats. Jason noticed the spots in its coat, Ashley saw the black tufts on its ears, Robbie observed its short tail, and Morgan spotted its large, four-toed paw prints. As they go through the list of animals, each of the campers gets a chance to share what they observed.

  Then, Asha and John split the campers into two smaller groups. Asha tells the first group, “Right now, you are going to re-draw one of the sketches of your favorite animals. Add as much detail as possible. Then color it in with the colored pencils on the tables. These pictures will be for you to keep.”

  John tells the second group, “Asha and I’ve got a really big sheet of paper where we want y’all to draw and color your favorite animal in its preferred habitat. We’ve already drawn one area for the forest, one for the marsh, another for the islands, and another for the water. Make sure your drawin’ is in the right area. Pay attention to the details we talked about.”

  Morgan, Claire, Robbie, and Ruby are all in the second group. Morgan and Robbie choose mammals to draw (bobcat and cougar), while Claire and Ruby draw birds (osprey and owl). Picking a spot in the forest area of the paper, Morgan concentrates on making sure that she gets the bobcat’s furry cheeks and large ears right. Then she colors in the brown and gray fur with black spots and black-tipped ears.

  John gives the group a five-minute warning to finish up their drawings. Morgan puts the finishing touches on hers before stepping back to look at the others’ work. Some people put more detail into their drawings than others, but Morgan can tell what each person was trying to draw. She can’t wait to see what the other group adds to their picture!

  At the end of the five minutes, John and Asha have the two groups switch, so now Morgan and her friends are drawing the animals on paper to take home. This drawing doesn’t take as much time since Morgan is making the same picture again. She can’t wait to show her mother when she picks her up. She decides to write in the corner, “To Mum, Love Morgan.”

  Once everyone is done with their drawings, Asha and John pick up the corners of the big paper and hang it on the side of the pavilion. All of the campers go over to check out their handiwork. Morgan is impressed with how many animals they have drawn. She notices that there is only one other bobcat. She had so much fun today with her new friends that she can’t wait until tomorrow to see what they will do next!

  Chapter Five

  “Today we’re gonna learn more about the habitats that you saw yesterday. There’re many things that make up an animal’s habitat. Does anyone know what some of those things are?” John asks the group the next morning.

  Robbie raises his hand, “Bugs!”

  “Right you are,” John answers. “Insects are also animals, and they make up more ‘n half the world’s organisms. Each one is specially adapted to its environment. And each habitat wouldn’t be the same without insects. They each have a special function in their environment, and we’ll learn more about those functions later in the morning. What else?”

  Morgan raises her hand, “What about water?”

  John responds, “Water is a very important part of every habitat because without it, most things on earth would die. We’ll also be learning about the different types of water today and for the rest of the week.” Morgan is pleased that the counselor liked her answer. She knows from growing up in Arizona that water is really important, especially in places like deserts.

  Leighton suggests, “How about plants?”

  Asha jumps in, “Plants are also a big part of each habitat. Just like insects, plants have a way of adapting to the environment and having a special purpose in that habitat. What else can you come up with, group?”

  The group sits quietly for a minute, before John says, “Congrats, Loggerheads. You got some of the major parts of a habitat. Some other things to pay attention to in a habitat are temperature range, humidity levels, the amount of light, and the type of soil. Let’s get going today with Robbie’s suggestion—insects! We’re goin’ to head over yonder to the Bug House to get to know
some of the insects and spiders that call the Lowcountry home.”

  Feeling a little nervous about getting that close to bugs, Morgan and the rest of the group follow Asha and John to the Bug House. Once there, Morgan is surprised to see each type of insect or spider has its own little house, or miniature habitat, with glass on one side so she can look at each one up close.

  There are so many different insects and spiders! There are butterflies, moths, crickets, ants, spiders, bees, dragonflies, and caterpillars. John also tells the group about the mosquitoes, chiggers, red bugs, and no-see-’ums that are not in the Bug House, but that are also an important part of the habitat. Thinking about some of the bites that she had gotten from some of those insects already, Morgan wishes they weren’t part of the habitat!

  After John’s talk, Morgan and her friends wander over to the butterflies and moths. For a while, they talk about how pretty they are, with all of their colors and patterns. Morgan and Robbie think it’s awesome how the patterns on butterflies and moths are often camouflage for patterns in their habitat. Sometimes it looks like they completely disappear! There is one moth that Morgan doesn’t even notice until it flaps its wings.

  Morgan starts to get bored looking at the butterflies and moths, so she walks over to the spiders. She’s never really paid attention to spiders before, but she notices that their webs are beautiful. Each web looks different from all of the others. Since there is glass between Morgan and the spiders, she gets really close so she can see more detail about each web.

  “These are gross,” Ruby whispers as she and Claire come up behind Morgan.

  “Yeah, spiders are gross,” Claire agrees.