Free Science Classes for Local Schools

Winter Classes Teach Students About Conservation and the Salish Sea

Since 2008, the AmeriCorps members at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center have coordinated free science classes (FSC), a grant-funded winter program that offers free classes and bus fares to schools within about an hour’s drive of Port Townsend. We reach out mainly to schools with a higher percentage of students on free or reduced-price lunches, which otherwise might not have the chance to visit our exhibits.

The goal of this program is to introduce and inspire conservation of the Salish Sea to students from the area. This year, AmeriCorps Natural History Educator Ellie Kravets took the lead on coordinating the FSC logistics.

Each class that attends takes part in one class in the museum and one in the aquarium. This year, Ellie, Mandi Johnson, Michael Siddel and I decided to design two new curricula for the classes. Both of them require a high level of participation from the class to get students excited about the material.

Ellie Kravets and students in the TownQuest class discussing how plastics can harm animals.
Photo by PTMSC staff. 

The museum class, “TownQuest: A Salish Sea Adventure,” features a “choose your own adventure” style activity in which the students make decisions as townspeople. Their decisions impact the amount of plastic waste in the Salish Sea, the morale of their fellow townspeople, or both. Students utilize their critical thinking skills to come to decisions about how to minimize and solve environmental challenges.

Students working on their "Adaptation Scavenger Hunt"
in the aquarium for the Invertebrates class.
Photo by PTMSC staff. 

The aquarium class, “Invent an Invertebrate,” focuses on various  marine invertebrates’ adaptations that help them survive in their habitat. Students learn about the adaptations, see them in the aquarium, and then invent their own invertebrate by buying various adaptations with “sand dollars.”

The final piece of the FSC puzzle is the group of volunteers that help us with each class. We wouldn’t be able to keep all of the kids engaged and focused without their help!

This is the 12th year that PTMSC has held these classes for schools in the area. Prior to this year, the program had reached 7,325 students with an average of 665 students per year. We currently have 650 students enrolled for this year, with the possibility of adding an additional 100 students from one more school.

One of my favorite parts of this program is comparing the pre- and post-FSC surveys—something that each of the students fills out to show what they learned during our classes. I love seeing their ideas about how they are going to make a difference by being more thoughtful about plastic reduction and making sustainable choices.

With five weeks of classes left to go, I’m excited to continue showing students how interesting our environment is and helping them to see that it is worth saving!

Written by AmeriCorps Aquarium Educator Marley Loomis.

Big Announcement! The Anne Murphy Ocean Stewards Scholarship Winner Is...

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center is pleased to present the Anne Murphy Ocean Stewards Scholarship to Tyler Sudlow.

 

Tyler did his senior project at the Marine Science Center, volunteering as a docent for a total of over 30 hours. He said in his application regarding environmental conservation, "There is a lot to be done and the world needs people working to protect it. I am particularly fond of the marine environment and the Salish Sea because I have lived near it my whole life and my dad is an avid fisherman so I know the benefits it has to offer."

This scholarship was created as a way to honor the legacy that Anne Murphy created at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center during her 24 years there as Executive Director. Anne's passion for learning and a deep love of the marine environment helped create the Marine Science Center. This scholarship supports these qualities in graduating high school seniors as a way of sending these qualities from the Marine Science Center out into the world. 

 

Become a Member Today & Celebrate 35 Years with Us!

There is an African proverb, If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. And look how far we’ve come together over the last three and half decades.

In this our 35th anniversary year we celebrate all of you, our members through the years, who have helped the Port Townsend Marine Science Center flourish. With your ongoing support we can do so much more. Your membership, joined with 625 others, makes possible programs like the recent gray whale project, free science classes, and the new energy efficient lighting systems in the Marine Exhibit.

We want you with us this year as we revel in the stories and celebrate all of us coming together for a healthier Salish Sea. Please renew your membership today and join us for a year of celebrations both looking back 35 years and looking forward to PTMSC’s exciting new programs including Birding from the Pier and Tots Storytime.

Best,
Janine Boire
Executive Director

P.S. Renew or join now to help reach the goal of 700 members which is just 20 people for each of our 35 years! Take action now and you will get an invitation to our members-only Party-on- the Pier, August 5th.

P.P.S Here’s a fun challenge: find the hidden octopus logo in the above graphic and win a prize! Claim your prize in the gift shop during open hours before June 30th.

Thank You for Giving BIG!

Thank you for your generous donation during the recent GiveBig campaign. Because of you, the one-day campaign ended with a total of $24,794, exceeding our goal of $22,000.

Didn't get a chance to donate on the Big Day? You can Donate now and help support kids summer camps today! 

The funds are critical now as we receive camp scholarship requests for families with financial need and as we work toward increasing our capacity to offer camps to more kids. In this time of computer games and screens, getting kids out to the beach to get sandy and wet, is transformative. Your generous donation will change lives. Thank you!

Today is the Day! Take action for kids!

Today is the big day for you to GiveBIG! Thank you for taking action in support of summer camps by helping us raise $22,000 Today!

Now more than ever nonprofit causes need your help. At the Marine Science Center, we are dedicated to getting kids outside this summer to make memories that last a lifetime. 

Your gift will provide scholarships for children who otherwise would not be able to attend because of financial hardship. Donations will also fund the capacity of the Center to offer more camps. Plans are in the works for expanded facilities and more camp offerings. But we need your help!

The GiveBIG campaign ends tonight at midnight so GiveBig Now! Keep following along on Facebook and the PTMSC blog for stories and updates.

Hear From Our Summer Camp Instructors & GiveBig Tomorrow!

Sand, Sun, & Fun!

Just because school is out for the summer doesn’t mean that learning has to stop!  Longer days and lower tides mean more time to spend exploring the beach. At PTMSC we run several weeks of camp each summer, providing hands-on marine science activities for children 3 to 13 years old.

Carolyn guiding students in the Marine Exhibit @ PTMSC

I’ve spent the past three summers working on science camps, including two years at PTMSC. I enjoy the opportunity to spend a week with a group of kids exploring and learning about the marine environment, and it’s especially satisfying to see learning happen while kids are having fun. The ability for both staff and campers to experiment and try new things out is one of my favorite features of our summer camps. Many campers return to us year after year, which is a great opportunity to build on their knowledge and their relationship with the Marine Science Center.

Carolyn presenting science models to summer campers

I’m most looking forward to expanded camp offerings this year, including an additional week of Marine Biology Afoot and Afloat. Many children have already been turned away this year because of full enrollment. Plans are in the works for expanded facilities and more camp offerings. We couldn't do what we do without the amazing work of our Americorps members who are actively involved in the summer camp programs and engage with kids directly about the marine environment.

I learn more every year about which experiences inspire the most excitement and passion in our campers, helping make each camp more fun and memorable. While planning programs I often think back to the outdoor education experiences I had as a child, and the impact that those activities had in shaping my interest in the natural world and my passion for conservation.

 - Carolyn Woods, PTMSC Education Coordinator 

On Wednesday, May 10, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center invites you to help raise $22,000 for summer camps scholarships and capacity-building to offer more camps through GiveBIG, a one-day, online charitable giving event hosted by the Seattle Foundation, but we can't do it without your help! Thanks to a challenge match from a group of local donors, the first $11,000 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar. The #GiveBIG campaign only lasts for one day, so follow along onFacebook and the #PTMSC blog for stories and updates before the BIG day.

Summer Camps Change Lives Now More Than Ever!

"Hi, my name is Linnea Harrington. When I’m not in school I like to cook, read, and look in my microscope. My parents met at the Marine Science Center doing a beach seine, so I guess that explains why I have been going there for my whole life. I have attended summer camp since I was 5 years old, and in fact have done every camp that the Marine Science Center offers. I had my first camp the week before my fifth birthday and loved the Marine Science Center so much that my Aunt Jean and Uncle Eric bought me a birthday party (with an Orca shaped cake!) that was donated by the interns at the auction that year. 

My favorite camp so far was Afoot and Afloat. For part of the camp we went out on a little sailboat named Zaca and learned how to take pH samples. We took a water sample by lowering a special bottle called a Niskin bottle into the water. To lower the bottle, I had to lean way over and just then a big boat went right by us and the wake made our boat rock! It was scary, but I didn’t fall in and it was so much fun! Then we took the water and dipped in a piece of paper called litmus paper which changes color according to the acidity in the water. Knowing the acidity of the water is important because shells cannot be formed in water with too much acid. This is one of the reasons why the Marine Science Center is so important, kids like me get to go and learn about the ocean and what we can do to take care of it. 

Last summer I had the opportunity to be a Junior Counselor for the Seal Pup camp for 3 and 4 year olds. I really enjoyed learning to be more responsible with the kids and getting to watch them learn about the ocean. It feels good to give back to the Marine Science Center which has given me so much. I don’t know what my future will hold but I do know that I will keep loving the ocean and will always want to protect it."

On Wednesday, May 10, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center invites you to help raise $22,000 for summer camps scholarships and capacity-building to offer more camps through GiveBIG, a one-day, online charitable giving event hosted by the Seattle Foundation, but we can't do it without your help! Thanks to a challenge match from a group of local donors, the first $11,000 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar. The #GiveBIG campaign only lasts for one day, so follow along onFacebook and the #PTMSC blog for stories and updates before the BIG day.

Now More Than Ever Help Support Kids Summer Camps

"Hello my name is Willy, I like going to Afoot and Afloat because I get to sail and get samples and do tests in deeper water. Sailing is one of my other favorite things to do. I also like looking at things through the microscope, especially when we found the creature that had 6 legs and this funny tail and big giant eyes, pinchers for a mouth! I also like dissecting things because it’s interesting. The squid was fascinating last year (and gooey and stinky – but that made it great!). I’ve learned a lot about environmental concerns for the ocean, but mostly for Puget Sound. Studying pH and its effect on creatures with shells has been interesting as well as studying sea star waste.

I’m a big Star Trek fan, so I like marine biology because it’s like finding new life and new “civilizations” and “boldly going where no one has gone before.” I also love submarines, the history of science (just discovered George Dyson), and I’m interested in life forms near underwater volcanoes. I’m interested in how discovering interesting life in the ocean is related to looking for life in space. I look forward to coming back again this year and to helping with the Seal Pups camp as well.

Thank you for this opportunity."

On Wednesday, May 10, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center invites you to help raise $22,000 for summer camps scholarships and capacity-building to offer more camps through GiveBIG, a one-day, online charitable giving event hosted by the Seattle Foundation, but we can't do it without your help! Thanks to a challenge match from a group of local donors, the first $11,000 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar. The #GiveBIG campaign only lasts for one day, so follow along onFacebook and the #PTMSC blog for stories and updates before the BIG day.

Now More Than Ever Take Action and Support Summer Camps for Kids

"Hi my name is Journey,  I have been to almost all of the Port Townsend Marine Science center camps. On my first day of camp I was so nervous I thought I might die. By the second day, I had a ton of friends all because the staff helped be more comfortable and helped me break out of my shell.
I also went to Water World which is a weeklong overnight program that involves art, dance, writing, and marine science which was one of the funnest experiences I have ever had! I even made 2 best friends. I cried the whole ride home because I missed them so much. At Water World we put a whale skeleton together which was so cool especially because I love whales. We looked at plankton under a microscope and that was the ice cream on the cake for me because I want to go into marine biology. When we took out the seine net the waves came into my boots and I said I had plankton on my thighs!

When my family and I went to Mexico, my dad and I got scuba certified. I was ten years old and the smallest person our instructor had worked with. If I hadn’t gone to camp at the Marine Science Center I would never had gone scuba diving. Also because of my experience at camp and Water World, I participated in Project Oceanology which is a marine science program through the University of Connecticut. While out on the research vessel, scientists asked questions and I was able to raise my hand and answer questions that no one else could! That made me feel proud.

Going to a marine science camp was a lot of fun and I know it changed me. I am more confident and I tried new things because of it, like scuba diving and an oceanography class. I don’t know exactly what I am going to do when I grow up, but whole new worlds are open to me now. Thank you for helping make this experience possible for me and thousands of other kids too."

On Wednesday, May 10, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center invites you to help raise $22,000 for summer camps scholarships and capacity-building to offer more camps through GiveBIG, a one-day, online charitable giving event hosted by the Seattle Foundation, but we can't do it without your help! Thanks to a challenge match from a group of local donors, the first $11,000 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar. The #GiveBIG campaign only lasts for one day, so follow along on Facebook and the #PTMSC blog for stories and updates before the BIG day.

Save the Date for Give Big!

On Wednesday, May 10, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center invites you to help raise $22,000 for summer camps scholarships and capacity-building to offer more camps through GiveBIG, a one-day, online charitable giving event hosted by the Seattle Foundation, but we can't do it without your help! Thanks to a challenge match from a group of local donors, the first $11,00 donated will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

The #GiveBIG campaign only lasts for one day, so follow along on Facebook and the PTMSC blog for stories and updates before the BIG day.

Thank you for helping ALL kids get outside and learn to love the ocean by donating on Wednesday, May 10th! Your gift will provide scholarships for children who otherwise would not be able to attend because of financial hardship. Donations will also fund the capacity of the Center to offer more camps. Many children have already been turned away this year because of full enrollment. Plans are in the works for expanded facilities and more camp offerings. But we need your help.

Learn more about GiveBig here!

Screening of "Plastic Ocean"

Port Townsend Marine Science Center to Host Screening of Award Winning Documentary, A PLASTIC OCEAN :

Saturday, April 22, 2017 - Port Townsend, Washington @ 3:00 PM at Port Townsend Marine Science Center Natural History Exhibit

A PLASTIC OCEAN uncovers the shocking truth about what is truly lurking beneath the ocean’s surface. More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans each year. A PLASTIC OCEAN follows an international team of adventurers, researches and ocean ambassadors on a mission around the globe. This award-winning documentary shows the devastating effects of our disposable lifestyle on marine life and the consequences for human health.

During its four-year production period, A PLASTIC OCEAN was filmed in 20 locations around the world, documenting the global effects of plastic pollution and introducing workable technology and policy solutions that can, if implemented in time, change things for the better.

NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries together with Washington CoastSavers are hosting free screenings in Port Angeles at Peninsula College on April 13th at 7:00PM, and in Port Townsend at Port Townsend Marine Science Center on April 22nd at 3:00PM. The screenings will be followed by panelist discussions and are open to the public. Washington CoastSavers is an alliance of partners and volunteers dedicated to keeping the state’s beaches clean of marine debris through coordinated beach cleanups, education and prevention. Make a difference, register for April 29, 2017.

Washington Coast Cleanup at http://www.coastsavers.org/

A PLASTIC OCEAN can be found on iTunes and other online movie platforms.

A Plastic Ocean Website: http://www.plasticoceans.org

Washington CoastSavers Website: http://www.coastsavers.org/

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Website: http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center inspires conservation of the Salish Sea. A new initiative—Gone Green? Go Blue! Support Your Local Ocean—encourages collective action and civic engagement. Located on the beach at Fort Worden, the PTMSC offers two public exhibits: the Marine Exhibit and the Natural History Exhibit. The Natural History & Orca exhibit is open Friday through Sunday, 12 to 5 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for youth, and free to PTMSC members. The PTMSC also offers a wide variety of educational programs and special events. For more information, call 360.385.5582, e-mail info@ptmsc.org or visit www.ptmsc.org/events.

Low Tide Walk at Night

March 8 @ 6:30pm
North Beach County Park, Port Townsend
Free to all. Donations accepted.
Please RSCP to jlafuente@ptmsc.org 
or call (360) 385-5582 x 115