BISCAYNE BAY AQUATIC PRESERVES HOSTS WINTER CAMP

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 29, 2014

CONTACT: Pamela Sweeney, 305-795-3486, Pamela.Sweeney@dep.state.fl.us 

BISCAYNE BAY AQUATIC PRESERVES HOSTS WINTER CAMP

~Children attend camp to become good stewards of Biscayne Bay’s resources~~

BBAP Camp

A young camper counts birds at Bird Key in Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves.

MIAMI Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves launches its first-ever winter camp, “Become a Junior Bayologist,” as part of its new eco-tour initiative. Children from nearby public and private schools attended the two-and-a-half-day camp to learn about the connection between the Everglades, Biscayne Bay and nearshore coral reefs, as well as important lessons in water and boating safety.

The Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves’ goal was to host a winter camp to offer a fun, safe, and educational environment for children while parents were at work or busy shopping before the holidays. Staff and interns worked to create the camp’s curriculum and reached out to partnering schools to promote the camp.

“We wanted to provide hands-on learning opportunities for the children attending our camp,” said Michelle Metcalf, coordinator of the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves’ eco-tour initiative. “We have this amazing resource, the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves, at our doorstep. We wanted to encourage the next generation to learn about the wildlife and habitats that thrive here and learn what they can do to help protect the bay for decades to come.”

Among the many activities the children took part in was a seine net activity where a large net was used to collect marine organisms along the bay’s shoreline. Participants spent time each day on the county’s Pelican Skipper catamaran where they learned about birds and the importance of surveys and data collection. The campers also traveled to an island to learn about native plants and wildlife, as well as take part in an educational walk along the shoreline.

The "Seagrass Toolkit” lesson was a hit, and the campers gained a clear understanding of how important seagrasses are to juvenile fish and invertebrates.

In honor of the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves’ 40th anniversary celebration, each camper painted a flag adorned with images of critters that inhabit the bay. The flags also contain the campers' own eco-action, or commitment to help protect Biscayne Bay over the next 40 years.

For more information about spring and summer camp and other eco-tour opportunities, contact Michelle Metcalf at Biscayne.Bay@dep.state.fl.us. To learn more about Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves, click here.