About 98 fifth graders from East Fayette Elementary School will head to the coast next week for a three-day study of the wetlands ecology and conservation. The group will stay at Driftwood Nature Center on St. Simon's Island.

The trip, organized by Sue Paggen, a teacher at East Fayette, will include numerous hands-on activities and a side trip to Cumberland National Seashore. There, they will have a chance to observe feral horses, armadillos and wild pigs.

The students also will have an opportunity to collect marsh animals and other marine specimens from a floating dock on the Frederica River. The specimens collected will be taken back to the lab at the Driftwood Center for closer inspection under the microscope.

A reptiles study is on the agenda, which will enable students to handle live snakes and turtles, and learn about the life-styles and characteristics of these animals.