14 The Rocky Shore Report

The Rocky Shore Report written by Pam Holden illustrated by Robin Van't Hof

Every summer, the children at Hilltop School visit the rocky shore. Before they go, they make careful plans and good safety rules. Some parents are invited to go on the trip. It is important to visit when the tide is low. The children read books about rock pools, and they find information about the creatures and plants they might find there.

Everyone has fun exploring the rock pools. The children watch tiny fish swimming in clear water. They see seaweed and pretty plants that look like flowers, and they count lots of starfish. There are crabs of all sizes scuttling along, and different kinds of shellfish. If they are lucky, the children might even find an octopus waving its eight tentacles. They always hope to see a tiny seahorse swimming slowly around. The teachers and parents take photographs of each thing the children find. When they leave, they make sure everything is left exactly the way they found it. Back at school, the children write reports about their visit. Each year they look forward to returning to the rocky shore.

But one year the children were disappointed. They noticed that there were not many crabs and shellfish in the tide pools, and it was hard to find any little fish swimming around. They counted a few starfish, but nobody could find an octopus or a seahorse. Everyone was puzzled and worried because the water in the pools was cloudy instead of clear. "What has happened here?" the children asked. Their parents and teachers explained that some visitors did not understand the rules of the sea. Too many shellfish had been taken away. Lots of fish and crabs had been caught in nets by greedy people.

When the disappointed children returned to school, they made a new plan. "We'll write a report about the empty pools," they decided. "We'll send it to all our friends to remind them about the rules of the sea. When people understand the rules, maybe they will leave the rock pools for the sea creatures. They will look but not touch."

First, the children made a book with photos that showed the rocky shore before the problem started. The pools were clear and full of plants and sea creatures. Next, they put photos of the beach as it looked now, showing rubbish and empty pools. Then they made a list of rules of the sea. "Please help to save the rocky shore before it is too late," they wrote.