SUMMER SCIENCE CAMP BRIDGES LEARNING GAP

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 6, 2014

CONTACT: DEP Press Office, 850.245.2112, DEPNews@dep.state.fl.us

SUMMER SCIENCE CAMP BRIDGES LEARNING GAP

Summer Camp Beach

~Educational activities keep kids learning through the summer months~

PONTE VEDRA BEACH With school out for most Florida students, many parents are seeking entertaining but productive ways for their children to spend summer break. The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve is hosting numerous science-based activities and events for students.

"During the summer it is important to keep children educationally entertained and active," said Kevin Claridge, director of DEP's Florida Coastal Office. "GTM Research Reserve's Education Learning Center provides fun, affordable and educational opportunities for students to help bridge the learning gap while they're out of the classroom."

Events include summer camps, engaging educational lectures and exhibits. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection encourages students and parents to join in on these fun-filled educational events.

The following activities and events will be held at the GTM Research Reserve.

Adventures in the Estuary Summer Camp

June 9 – August 1; $140 per camper.

For ages 7-12, these one-week camps are a fun and educational way for your child to discover the importance of the coastal community.

“More than you wanted to know about…” Lecture Series

Saturday, June 14 (11 a.m. – 12 p.m.); $2 per adult, $1 per child aged 10-17, free for children under 10.

This lecture series will provide visitors an opportunity to learn about leatherback, loggerhead and green sea turtles found at the reserve.

National Pollinator Day

Saturday, June 21 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.); Free event.

A honey-inspired bake sale, native plant sale, honey-spinning demonstrations and a lot of fun activities for the entire family round out the day. Special guest speakers include Marc Minno, Ph.D., an expert on endangered butterflies and their habitats, and Cory Stanley-Stah, Ph.D., a bee biologist and extension entomologist.

For more information, click HERE or call 904-823-4500.