My class explored the saltwater marshes and maritime forest on Skidaway Island.  We learned that saltwater marshes serves many natural purposes.  They act as buffers to storms, wind, and torrential rains.  Saltwater marshes also filters out impurities to surrounding fresh water sources. 

Several creatures and plant live in the saltwater marshes and maritime forests.  We were able to see animals such as periwinkles(tiny snails), fidler crabs, egrets, marsh rabbits, and oysters.  Oh, I can't forget the different snakes we encountered while walking in the maritime forest.  My class ran into a garter snake, black racer, copperhead, yellow rat snake, and a legless lizard.  The legless lizard or somtimes called a glass lizard is not actually a snake but lizard without legs.  Imagine that!

The saltwater marsh also boasts a wide variety of plant life.  The grasses that are common to marshes are called juncus spartania.  This grass can grow to be very tall in some areas.  We also got a taste of red distichles.  This plant, when broken open, tastes like salt.  More plant life we observed were palmettos, cabbage palms, live oaks, wax myrtle, and sweetgum trees. Plants in this area must be saltwater adapted in order to survive in this environment.