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.

The Future of Oceans: Short of Breath―Marine Life in a Warming World

Curtis Deutsch, PhD

Associate Professor, 

School of Oceanography, 

College of the Environment 

University of Washington

Sunday, December 10
3 pm
Curtis Deutsch, PhD
The Fort Worden Commons*
*Please note change of venue


Admission: $5

(students, teachers FREE)


Dr. Curtis Deutsch’s research is aimed at understanding the interactions between climate and ecosystems. He combines numerical models of varying complexity with diverse types of biological and physical data, to discover the ways in which climate produces spatial pattern and temporal variability in ecosystems, and thus influences their basic functioning. Most of this work has focused on biogeochemical cycles in the ocean, with a particular emphasis on the mechanisms that regulate the cycles of nutrients and oxygen over a range of time scales from years to millennia. He also works with terrestrial ecologists to understand how climate influences the patterns of thermal fitness, and their implications for biodiversity in a changing climate. He received an Investigator Award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and is a Fellow of the Kavli Frontiers of Science.

This is the third installment of The Future of Oceans lecture series (learn more about the series here).

This event is offered with generous support by the Darrow Family.

Assisted Listening Devices available

The Future of Oceans: Sharing the Sound― Salmon, Steelhead and Settlement

Sunday, November 12

Jill Rolland, Sc.D.

3 pm

Jill Rolland, Sc.D.
The Fort Worden Chapel
Admission: $5 (students, teachers FREE)

The Sonic World of the Amazonian Pink Dolphin

Sunday, October 8, 2017 

3 pm

David Bonnett, Citizen Scientist

The Fort Worden Chapel

Admission: $5

(students, teachers FREE) 

Mr Bonnett will present his most recent finding of his acoustical research with Amazonian Pink Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) including how ecosystem changes in the Amazon are impacting this species and how this research relates to our local species of Cetacea. His research grows from decades of underwater acoustical research and designing ultra-quiet vessels. 

This is the first installment of The Future of Oceans lecture series. 
This event is offered with generous support by the Darrow Family.

Assisted Listening Devices available

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. 

 

Day of the Orca

Port Townsend Marine Science Center kicks off Orca Month and it’s 35th Anniversary year with The Day of the Orca, June 3rd.  

Port Townsend Marine Science Center, 11am-5pm
Free Admission to Fort Worden State Park; Free Admission to PTMSC

Come help celebrate with us and learn about the Southern Resident and Transient Orca populations that swim these local waters. For thirty-five years the Port Townsend Marine Science has been dedicated to inspiring conservation of the Salish Sea for a healthier environment for orcas and all marine creatures. The Marine Science Center is home to one of only 8 fully articulated orca skeletons which is featured in the exhibit, Learning from Orcas. The exhibit tells this orca’s story and how our community came together to have her remains inspire all of us to take action for a healthier Salish Sea.

“What better way to begin our 35th year and celebrate Orca Month, than to partner with Puget Sound Express and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce to create Orca Fest, a month long learning opportunity of these remarkable animals.” said Janine Boire, Executive Director, Port Townsend Marine Science Center. For more information and other events celebrating Orca Month go to: http://ptorcafest.com.

June 3rd activities at PTMSC will include:

• Welcome – with Port Townsend Marine Science Center Executive Director Janine Boire, and Jamestown S’Kallam tribal member and Chief Chetzemoka descendent Marlin Holden
• Introduction to Our Orcas – with Ken Balcomb, founder of the Center for Whale Research, PTMSC Executive Director Janine Boire, and photographer and Puget Sound Express Naturalist Bart Rulon (Seating is limited)
• How to ID Orcas – with Puget Sound Express Naturalist Bart Rulon
• Get To Know Your Orcas session for children and families
• Tours of Hope – one of only 8 fully-articulated orca skeletons in the world
• Free Boat Tours on Puget Sound Express whale watching vessels
• Listen to Orcas – Learn how orcas communicate and listen in via the Hydrophone Listening Network

Family-Oriented Art Projects take place throughout the day

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.

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.

Spring Migration Cruise

May 6 | 1-4pm

$80 ($60 members)

Enjoy an afternoon on the water learning the history of Protection Island and the sea birds and marine life that make the island their home. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center - in collaboration with Puget Sound Express - hosts special expeditions to Protection Island. Cruises are scheduled on Saturdays in spring and fall, timed to coincide with annual migrations.

Become a member of PTMSC and save $20 per person on your cruise!

BOOK NOW!

The three-hour cruises depart from the Point Hudson Marina with Naturalists from the Port Townsend Marine Science Center serving as on-board interpreters to provide commentary on local birds, mammals, geology, history and weather. On-board refreshments are available, or you may bring a sack lunch.

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.

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.

DAMS AND DIRT: THE COASTAL RESPONSE TO THE ELWHA DAM REMOVAL

Sunday | February 12, 2017 | 3 pm

Ian Miller, PhDCoastal Hazards Specialist, Washington Sea GrantThe Fort Worden ChapelAdmission: $10 ($5 for PTMSC members)

A skilled science communicator and media spokesperson, Dr. Ian Miller is Washington Sea Grant’s coastal hazards specialist, working out of Peninsula College in Port Angeles as well as University of Washington’s Olympic Natural Resources Center in Forks. Dr. Miller works with coastal communities on the Olympic Peninsula to increase their ability to plan for and manage coastal hazards, including tsunami, chronic erosion, coastal flooding and hazards associated with climate change. To accomplish this, he uses a suite of tools including outreach, applied research, synthesis of existing science, and coordination to help coastal communities access funding and expertise to achieve their goals and implement their plans. Dr. Miller has expertise in a range of topics including: sea level rise, ocean acidification, marine debris, tsunamis, beach erosion and change, Washington coastal ecology, coastal sediment transport and geomorphology.

Before joining Washington Sea Grant, Dr. Miller served as the education director of the Olympic Park Institute and as Washington field coordinator for the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation. Dr. Miller holds a bachelor’s degree in marine ecology at Western Washington University’s Huxley College of Environmental Studies and a doctorate in ocean sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His graduate research focused on the transport and fate of sediment in the coastal zone adjacent to the Elwha River delta. Find him online blogging at the Coast Nerd Gazette.

Bird is the Word

“What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird.” –David Attenborough

Snowy Owl in Acadia National Park
Photograph by Sarah Croston

Birds have weaved an invisible thread throughout my life and into my heart. My love for birds started at a young age falling in love with the majestic and ever so beautiful Snowy Owl. My love of Snowy Owls may have been influenced by the wooden carving my uncle made which stood proudly in our living room. Owls have fascinated me for as long as I can remember with their mysterious aura and wide eyes. As a young child, I was familiar with the feathered friends who would visit our bird feeder. I also spent lots of time flipping through the pages of The Audubon Society’s Field guide to North American Birds long before I knew how to read.

Taking data on a Savannah sparrow in the fields of
Shelburne Farms, Vermont. 

My passion for birds didn’t show itself again until college and even then it wasn’t clear to me. One of my professor, Noah Perlut, asked if I wanted to go to Vermont for the summer to study songbirds. Spending every day outside conducting research sounded like a great experience and I did not hesitate to say yes. I spent the summer in Shelburne, Vermont studying Boblinks and Savannah Sparrows. The days were spent nest searching, banding birds, and taking measurements on chicks and adults.

  

Sarah and barred owl, Grinnell.
Glen Helen Raptor Center in Yellow Springs Ohio.

After my summer in Vermont, my love of birds flourished. I began to notice birds much more frequently than ever before. Their songs illuminate my days and seeing a flash of color now sends me looking for more. Since that eye opening summer, I’ve done more field work and have worked at a raptor center in Yellow Springs, Ohio. My passion for birds followed me here to the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC).
While you may not think that there is a whole lot about birds going on at a marine science center, here in Port Townsend, there is! We have a great class that we teach to students called Birds of the Shore and Sea. In this class the students take a closer look at bird specimens observing specific species feet and beaks. They make educated guesses about what these birds might eat and where they live. The students also get a chance to go outside and participate in bird watching by the sea. My favorite part of this class is playing a recording of what a Bald Eagle sounds like and seeing the students’ reactions. The Bald Eagle might not sound as regal as it looks.

The latest Puget Sound Seabird Survey in action
at Point Wilson.

PTMSC also partners with the Seattle Audubon Society. We conduct Puget Sound Seabird Surveys once a month. The survey takes place at Point Wilson and a dedicated group of volunteers survey the seabirds for a half hour no matter what the weather has in store. Many different bird species can be seen right around the Marine Science Center. As I am sitting here writing this I just saw a juvenile Bald Eagle soar by!
The most important thing I have learned is that bird watching is a great hobby, one that you can do basically anywhere. Whether you are observing songbirds that come to a bird feeder in your backyard or raptors you spot soaring high above the mountains out on a hike, birds hold a very special place in my heart. I hope to continue to learn about them throughout my life and share my passion with others.

Keep your eyes out for Sarah’s newest project called Birding from the Pier. Once a week she will be posting about a different bird she sees from the pier and a fun fact or two about it on our Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/ptmarinescictr/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PortTownsendMarineScienceCenter/.
--
Sarah Croston, Americorps - Natural History and Volunteer Educator

Citizen Science, Searching for Heroes and Hope

Sunday | December 11 | 3 pm

Citizen Science, Searching for Heroes and Hope

The Fort Worden ChapelAdmission: $10 ($5 for PTMSC members)

This lecture is presented by author Mary Ellen Hannibal who is a Bay Area writer and editor focusing on science and culture. She is a regular contributor to LIVESTRONG magazine; her writing has also appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Esquire, Elle and Yoga Journal magazines among many other publications.

Ms. Hannibal's new book, Citizen Science, Heroes and Hope in a Time of Extinction was released in September 2016. Book sale and signing to follow lecture. Books will be $20 for PTMSC members, $28 for non members.

Sea Star Wasting Annual Report

Are you curious about the data our citizen scientists have been collecting about sea star wasting?
We have finally finished putting together our sea star wasting annual report.
The report shows observations and patterns that we've seen in the Port Townsend Marine Science Center tanks, as well as in our plots at Indian Island County Park, Port Hadlock, WA.

It's been a busy year for the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, and our work collecting data is far from over as we seek to understand the changes that we'll be seeing for our sea stars in the future.