FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 29, 2014
BISCAYNE
BAY AQUATIC PRESERVES HOSTS WINTER CAMP
~Children attend camp
to become good stewards of Biscayne Bay’s resources~~
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.
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