Hansville Greenway Ecosystems

Poetry Book

Producers Here! Producers There!

By Brittane Hendricks

Producers here, producers there!

Producers, producers everywhere!

Primary producers photosynthesizing chemically.

Microscopic producers floating peacefully.

Submerged producers growing upwardly.

And abundant producers spreading invasively.

Producers beside the pond.

Producers along the edge.

Producers among the forest floor.

And producers on a nursing log.

Producers here, producers there!

Producers, producers everywhere!

Producers! Producers! Producers!

Consumers Here! Consumers There!

By Brittane Hendricks, Lisa Hawkins and Jan Kragen

Consumers here, consumers there!

Consumers, consumers everywhere!

Primary consumers grazing languidly.

Secondary consumers hunting stealthily.

Carnivorous consumers stalking silently

And omnivorous consumers devouring ravenously.

Consumers soaring above the pond

Consumers hiding in the grasses

Consumers drilling in the snags

And consumers feeding beside the estuary.

Consumers here, consumers there!

Consumers, consumers everywhere!

Consumers! Consumers! Consumers!

Decomposers Here! Decomposers There!

By Brittane Hendricks and Jan Kragen

Decomposers here, decomposers there.

Decomposers, decomposers everywhere.

Abundant decomposers recycling organically

Microscopic decomposers breaking down systematically

Fungal decomposers sprouting rapidly

Bacterial decomposers spreading rampantly

Decomposers feasting on detritus

Decomposers chewing amongst the decay

Decomposers breaking through the cell walls

And decomposers burrowing in the earth.

Decomposers here, decomposers there!

Decomposers, decomposers everywhere!

Decomposers! Decomposers! Decomposers!

Is this an Ecosystem?

By Brittane Hendricks, Jan Kragen and Lisa Hawkins

Is this an estuary? Yes ma’am!

Is this an estuary? Yes ma’am!

How do you know?Its a body of water

How do you know?Fresh water and salt.

What are the producers?Plankton and kelp

And what else?Seaweed and diatoms.

What are the consumers?Shorebirds and seals.

And what else?Salmon in transition.

What is a decomposers?Dungeness crab

Anything else?A nursery for birds.

Is this a forest?Yes, ma’am.

Is this a forest?Yes, ma’am

How do you know?Trees dominate

How do you know?It as three layers.

What are the producers?Conifer trees.

And what else?Deciduous trees.

What are consumers?Deer and birds of prey

And what else?Insects and amphibians

What is a decomposers?Fungus among us

Anything else?They cover 1/3 of the Earth

Is this a pond?Yes, ma’am.

Is this a pond?Yes, ma’am.

How do you know?A standing body of water

How do you know?More shallow than a lake

What are the producers?Cattails and algae

And what else?Submerged vegetation.

What are the consumers?A multitude of birds

And what else?Amphibians and fish

What is a decomposer?Bacteria floating

Anything else?Manmade or natural

Is this a lake?Yes, ma’am

Is this a lake?Yes, ma’am

How do you know?Standing water in a basin

How do you know?Deeper than a pond

What are the producers?Cattails: edible and medicinal

And what else?Blue-green algae

What are the consumers?Geese, ducks and osprey

And what else?Rainbow trout and bass

What is a decomposer?Bacteria and fungus

Anything else?Aphotic means no light

Is this a meadow?Yes, ma’am

Is this a meadow?Yes, ma’am

How do you know?A low-level grassland

How do you know?Natural or artificial

What are the producers?Thick and dense grasses

Ad what else?An abundance of berries

What are the consumers?Voles and other rodents

And what else?Deer and coyote

What is a decomposer?slugs sliming around

Anything else?Farmers grow hay

Hansville March

Brittane Hendricks and Jan Kragen

The Hansville Greenway's the place to be. Hurrah! Hurrah!

The Hansville Greenway's the place to be. Hurrah! Hurrah!

A lake, estuary and forest, too

A beaver pond and meadow it's true.

and we all go marching through the habitats with our class.

Red alder and cedar are scattered about. The Forest! The Forest!

Red alder and cedar are scattered about. The Forest! The Forest!

sword fern, salmon and elder berry

Watch out for the nettles, they can be scary

and we all go marching through the habitats with our class.

Orchard grass and tall fescue. The Meadow!The Meadow!

Orchard grass and tall fescue. The Meadow!The Meadow!

Creates a habitat for voles and mice

protection from predators is really nice

and we all go marching through the habitats with our class.

Cattails, bass and rainbow trout! The Lake! The Lake!

Cattails, bass and rainbow trout! The Lake! The Lake!

Phytoplankton floating free

Birds of prey perching on a tree

and we all go marching through the habitats with our class.

Water lilies and holly bushes! The Pond! The Pond!

Water lilies and holly bushes! The Pond! The Pond!

water fowls chirp and song birds peep

deer sneak in when twilight is deep

and we all go marching through the habitats with our class.

Salmon transition from fry to smolt! The Estuary! The Estuary!

Salmon transition from fry to smolt! The Estuary! The Estuary!

diatoms, eelgrass and seaweed grow

fresh and salt water ebb and flow

and we all go marching through the habitats with our class.

Day at Hansville Greenway!

By Brittane Hendricks

Trip to Hansville Greenway

On Puget Sound

Under the tall trees

Water all around

Nature astounds you

Hiking galore

You'll try it once.

You'll try it again and then come back for more and more

So sing out for meadows

lakes and ponds, too

forests of green and estuaries, blue

Oh the animals, and the students and the teachers agree

There is only one place for you and me.

Hansville Greenway, We love you!

Hansville Greenway!