The visitor center at the Waquoit National Estuarine Research Reserve is in a former mansion overlooking Waquoit Bay.
WAQUOIT – The 2019 Waquoit Bay Summer Science School is announcing a week full of learning adventures to introduce kids and teens to coastal ecology.
The week-long of fun and friend-forming exercises will take place throughout June, July and August.
Half day sessions of Bayside Buddies are available for children in grades 2-3. Kids will get wet, muddy and inspired while exploring the habitats and wildlife around Waquoit Bay through games, crafts and scientific investigations.
Estuary Adventures, a full day session where children in grades 4-6 will become young scientists, uses a variety of equipment, from crab traps to salinity meters to sample the marshes, creeks and bay, discovering an ocean of adventure along the way.
For children in grades 6, 7 and 8 STEM Adventures offers a full day of design and create exciting take- home projects.
Using the engineering design process in the classroom lab and in a variety of habitats nearby, students will draw on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills to build, test, and redesign their projects. They will learn about renewable energy and the many ways to capture and harness sun, wind, and water power.
Young women in grades 7-9 will receive inspiration and support from the Women in Science Program.
Students will meet women scientists who will describe their career paths and projects. Field research will also be conducted alongside WBNERR staff and visiting scientists, and use a variety of instruments and technologies to gather and record data from the marshes, fields, forests, and waters of Waquoit Bay Reserve.
A highlight of this session will be the boat trip to Washburn Island and overnight on Reserve property, where the students will leave their cell phones behind as they explore local ecology and hike the trails.
Finally, the camp offers TIDAL Quest – Teens Investigating Diversity of Aquatic Life, a program for grades 9-12. Students will join a small team of students spending a week in the field with Waquoit Bay Reserve scientists conducting environmental monitoring projects.
By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center
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