A week at Coastal Explorers camp

Monday 

Making discoveries on the beach

The campers started their first day at camp by meeting everyone and learning about the various habitats of Fort Worden. They then participated in two fun learning activities, one outside activity where they tried to find all the hidden unnatural items on the un-nature trail and another where they identified natural objects from the Natural History Exhibit. The afternoon was spent on the beach where campers participated in a scavenger hunt and later made beach art.

Tuesday 

Hidden pond exploration

On Tuesday the campers went to the Marine Exhibit where they learned about the four different types of marine invertebrates as well as the animals in the touch tanks. They also got to feed some of the animals! In the second half of the day, we explored a hidden pond and a lagoon in Fort Worden.

Wednesday 

Boating on the Martha J

On Wednesday we started the day with a learning activity about marine mammals. Campers learned about what classifies a marine mammal and about how blubber protects some marine mammals in very cold water. In the afternoon the campers split into three groups to go on a boat to test the salinity levels and temperature of the water. They also collected and observed plankton samples. The captain of the boat made every group their own bull kelp horn which the campers got to blow for the rest of the day. While off the boat the campers pulled Scotch Broom, an invasive plant species that is harmful to the Fort Worden habitats, and picked up trash on the beach.

Thursday 

Building bugs

On Thursday morning the campers observed and identified different insects through microscopes. They then used this knowledge to build their own bugs out of egg cartons and pipe cleaners! Thursday afternoon had more fun forest activities! After we walked to the beginning of the trail we started a really cool learning activity called Each Two Teach Two. Campers got in pairs and went down the trail two at a time. They then received a letter about a certain tree or plant that could be found on the trail and were responsible for teaching the next group to come down the trail. We finished the day with a nature hike and the walk back to the Natural History Exhibit.

Friday 

Beach fun

On our last day, we got to go down to the tide pools! Before we started we learned about beach etiquette. The campers then collected different creatures that they found under rocks and in the pools and observed them. After snack we walked further down the beach to look at the different layers of the bluff. When we got back to the Marine Science Center the campers got to go into the Natural History Exhibit to learn more about the layers of the bluffs after having their own experience. In the afternoon we split up into five groups to build sand creatures on the beach.

Personal Notes: I had previously been a camper for multiple years and it was a really cool experience to do the camp as a counselor. I learned a lot about responsibility and now understand how much hard work every counselor and staff member puts into each day at camp. I would definitely recommend being a counselor to every camper. Thank you to all the campers! I hope you come back next year.

—

HAYDEN RINN is a seventeen-year-old volunteer summer camp counselor at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center.

Sign up for 2016 Summer Camps

Join us for a wet, sandy, adventurous, fun-filled week! Check out 2016 camps at ptmsc.org/camps.

Online Registration:
To register your child for a PTMSC Summer Camp, please click on one of the camps below. You will be directed to the online registration form. Fill out this form once for each child per camp. Payment in full is requested upon completion of the online registration form.

PTMSC members receive $10 off each registration. If you are not yet a member, we invite you to join today to enjoy this and many other members-only benefits!

Seal Pups Day Camp: 

Ages 3 - 4 | $90

Explore and learn about the beach and sea creatures. Activities will enhance the natural curiosity and vivid imagination of this age group. Campers will spend time outdoors and at the touch tanks with trained and attentive counselors.

• Session 1: June 27 - July 1 | M, W, F | 9:30 am - 12 pm 

• Session 2: August 8-12 | M, W, F | 9:30 am - 12 pm

Junior Explorers Day Camp: 

Ages 5 - 7 | $150

Spend a week exploring and discovering marine and coastal life, animals, plants, and secret spots. This half-day camp is all about fun, with activities in and around the Marine Science Center. It’s a great program for the younger camper who loves marine animals and exploring on the coast.

• Session 1: June 27 - July 1 | 1-4 pm

• Session 2: August 8-12 | 1-4 pm

• Session 3: August 15-19 | 9 am - 12 pm

• Session 4: August 15-19 | 1-4 pm

Coastal Explorers Day Camp:

Ages 8 - 10 | $275

Ready, set, explore! Examine the varied coastal environments of beach, glacial bluff, forest, pond, and meadow. This is the perfect camp for nature-loving kids who want to explore it all! Using observation skills, campers discover how these places support life in the coastal ecosystem.

• July 11-15 | 9 am - 4 pm

Marine Biology Day Camp:

Ages 9 - 13 | $275

Immerse yourself in Marine Biology! Campers engage in exciting classes, labs, and field programs. A few of the many captivating activities include: sieving through goopy sediments looking for brittle stars, pulling a seine net through eelgrass beds to learn where young fish hide and using microscopes to observe the plankton that supports all life in the sea.

• July 18-22 | 9 am - 4 pm

Marine Biology Afoot & Afloat:

Ages 10 - 13 | $400

Calling all budding Marine Biologists! This camp takes marine biology skills to the next level through hands-on activities. Students sail aboard Northwest Maritime Center vessels while doing scientific investigations. Ashore, students participate in intertidal surveys and labs in the touch tanks and exhibits. Campers work together as a team while learning to be stewards of the marine environment.

• August 1-5 | 9 am - 4 pm

Questions?

If you have questions about any aspect of camp, please email us at camps@ptmsc.org or call us at 360-385-5582 ext 104.

Scholarships are available to those who qualify.


PTMSC Cancellation Policy for Day Camp:

In the event that you can’t make it to camp, PTMSC is happy to refund 75% of the full cost of camp retaining a 25% cancelation fee provided the cancelation request is made at least 30 days prior to the start of camp. After that date, no refunds are made.

Water World 2010

On May 2^nd, Fort Worden experienced an influx of 56 fifth and sixth graders.  Accompanied by their parents and chaperones, most had traveled from Yakima, Puyallup or Spokane but a few hailed from Port Townsend. They were here to participate Water World; an annual camp that is a dynamic fusion of art and science.  As a collaboration between the Marine Science Center and Centrum, the staff included instructors from many artistic disciplines:  visual artist, Darwin Nordin, writer Nisi Shawl, and movement artist Christian Swenson. The marine biology contingent was comprised of Libby Palmer (co-founder of the Marine Science Center), Julia and Jess.

One of the quiet moments, drawing by the pond

Photo by: Al McCleese

Water World was an amazing, immersive experience for students and staff alike.  The days were jam-packed with classes on a wide spectrum of topics. The art classes included writing, drawing, painting, and movement. The science classes covered marine invertebrates, behavioral ecology of orcas, and the anatomy and life history of gray whales (students even put together an entire gray whale skeleton!). 

Vertebral Puzzlers

Photo by: Melinda Pongrey

Practicing scientific observation and drawing; Persephone put on quite the show! 
Photo by: Al McCleese

Time was also spent outdoors on an all-day beach walk that included a pond and the lagoon.  It was amazing to see how the science and art complemented each other throughout the week in every class.  The all-day walk had time for students to draw organisms they found, write about what they saw and create art installations on the beach out of shells, wood, sand and rocks.  Each student also got the opportunity to participate in a large beach seine. Evening activities included group games, crafts (creating their own sea creature), Native American storytelling, a campfire on the beach and a final student performance/presentation of their work.

Inspecting a pond sample.

Photo by: Darwin Nordin

 

Students created  large-scale, abstract beach drawings. 

Concept and photo by: Darwin Nordin

 

One of the main objectives of Water World is to enhance students’ understanding of the marine environment through the lenses of both science and art. Unfortunately, it seems that many people today believe a rigid dichotomy exists between these two fields, but this program exemplified how art and science can not only co-exist, but also can beautifully enrich each other. These 5^th and 6^th grade students were able to seamlessly integrate art and marine biology, creating awe-inspiring works of art that depicted new scientific information they had gleaned from their classes. As instructors it was a true pleasure to engage with students whose curiosity, creativity and enthusiasm were so evident.

Movement teacher, Christian Swenson exploring a tide pool with a student. 

Photo by: Darwin Nordin

An installation on the beach, inspired by the nature-art of Andy Goldsworthy.

Photo by: Darwin Nordin

Julia Ledbetter and Jess Swihart

For more information visit Centrum's website:

http://www.centrum.org/youth/waterworld.html

http://www.centrum.org/youth/

Coastal Explorers Summer Camp 2009

We ended the summer with a volcanic bang here at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center! I was lucky enough to be able to work on the Coastal Explorers camp during the start of August and I had an amazing time getting to know the campers and our natural environment. We managed to have excellent weather, and the campers fulfulled their roles as Coastal Explorers. I have no doubt that they will all continue exploring the land and sea around them.

Check out the video below to see pictures and video clips or click here to see the photos on Flickr.

Marine Biology Day Camp

Marine Biology Day Camp was so wonderful last week that I began feeling nostalgic the moment it ended. Check out the video to see a few of the activities we did. Here is the Top-5 list of things Gina and I loved from camp:

5. The chaos that ensued at the bunkers during the 15 minute exploration time.

4. Sitting on the buoys during lunch time.

3. Using the huge seine net to catch fish in the eel grass beds.

2. Tide pooling.

1. Journal/nap time.

Keep in mind this list may vary from person to person.

Click here to check out more of our camp photos on our new flickr site!

Want to learn about other camps PTMSC is offering this summer?

Summer Camps

Spend the summer learning science at PTMSC!
This summer PTMSC will be offering 3 different camps for youth:

July 6th-July 10th: Marine Biology Day Camp ages 9-13
Campers will engage in exciting classes, labs and field programs including: sieving through sediments looking for brittle stars, pulling a seine net through eel grass beds to learn about local fish and using microscopes to observe plankton! This day camp that gives youth the opportunity to learn about individual groups of marine plants and animals while learning to connect them to their ecosystem as a whole.

July 19th-July 25th: Marine Biology Residential Camp ages 9-13
In addition to the activities described for day campers, this overnight camp allows youth to explore other marine ecosystems on the Olympic Peninsula! While being immersed in marine themes, hands-on labs and creative projects, campers will enjoy the unique expanded learning environment that only a residential camp can provide! Campers will stay in the dormitories located Fort Worden State Park and will be supervised by their marine instructors.

August 3rd-August 7th: Coastal Explorers Day Camp ages 8-12
This day camp will allow campers to spend the week exploring the varied natural environments from beach and glacial bluffs to the local forest, pond and meadows. Explorers in this camp will assemble skeletons of marine mammals, catch and study bugs, learn about earthquakes, investigate pond life and make connections between fossil animals and their descendants alive today.

Click here to learn more specifics about each camp, to download a registration form and/or to inquire about costs.

We hope you decide to spend the summer learning about marine and coastal science with us!

Water World 2009 a Success!

Water World, a camp put on by both Centrum and PTMSC, ended Saturday. I was very sad to say good bye to all the 5th and 6th graders; it was such a joy to work with each and every one of them! Water World has been around since 1991 thanks to our very own Libby Palmer, who is the backbone of this camp. Over the years the camp has changed, teaching both art and science, but this year we feel we achieved our goal of melding the art and science curriculum nicely!

Students took classes in writing, movement, and visual art taught by artists through Centrum while Lucy and I taught classes on sound in the ocean, marine invertebrates, plastics in the marine environment and plankton. Although, at times, we were utterly exhausted from the long days, we were excited to spend a week of our AmeriCorps term working with such a great group of kids...I only wish the camp could have lasted longer! I can't wait for camps in the summer!

Photos courtesy of visual artist Darwin Nordin