1st Entry, 1233 Hours: The students are excited to encounter their first Hudson River flora, but these water chestnuts are actually an invasive species. (We won't be bringing them with us to the Connecticut River.) These seedpods bristle with sharp, barbed spikes that allow them to cling to rough or fibrous surfaces (like dock lines). They're certainly interesting to look at, but you don't want to accidentally grab or step on one.

We're off to a wet start, but our Voyage of Discovery has just begun...