I am standing beneath the prickly branches of a pine tree near the Natural History Exhibit as the rain comes down. I gaze up at the hoard of squealing children tromping down the hill to meet me and I wonder, “What have I gotten myself into?” I am excited, but my enthusiasm is interlaced with nervous fear. Can I really teach 50 rowdy 5th graders? Yes I can, I tell myself as the first soggy kid reaches me and says, “I’m taller than you.” And so begins my very first teaching adventure at PTMSC.
Thankfully, standing beside me is Heather Jones, AmeriCorps alumni turned professional youth educator, who will be splitting the teaching load with me. Once all have gathered under the prickly pine tree, we introduce ourselves and break the group in half, one class follows at the heels of Heather, the other class swarms me.
The name of this particular eduction program is called Whales of the Salish Sea, or WOSS for short. It consists of eight marine science classes and spans over three days. Here’s a peak at what we do during these three glorious days!
We make observations about marine mammal skulls! This one is a harbor seal, notice the sharp teeth for holding slippery fish.
We become orcas and have to find our pod by using signature calls.
After learning about the diferent kinds of whales and talking about the life hisorty of gray whales, we put together Sprit, the young gray whale!
We become orca detectives and try to solve the mytery of Hope's death.
Everyone grabs a microscope and examines plankton- the base of the marine pyramid!
We hold a Town Hall meeting and vote on tidal turbines.
I am proud to say that my first teaching adventure was a success! We only broke one thing! All jokes aside, it was a truly fun and rewarding experience. These kids are our future. The health of the planet will one day be at their mercy, as it is at ours now. Perhaps the best thing we can do for our planet is to encourage our children to cherish nature, to love our oceans, and to play outside. Because once you love something, you want to protect it.
The
AmeriCorps staff at the Port
Townsend Marine Science Center invites you to join their Martin Luther King
Day of Service for a noxious weed pull on
the beach dunes at Fort Worden
State Park, January 21st.
The event will run from noon to 3pm,
meeting in the portico of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center's Natural History Exhibit. Tools and limited
gloves will be provided. Dress warmly and be prepared to work outside. For more
information contact Amber Heasley at AHeasley@PTMSC.org or
385-5582 ext. 110. Photo courtesy of the
PTMSC.
At the Port
Townsend Marine
Science Center,
our Summer Camps are great for kids exploring beaches, uncovering treasures
hidden in our exhibits, playing games, making crafts and hiking through
beautiful Fort Worden State Park. Our science campers come back
year after year, and many of our past campers return again as camp counselors.
Join us for a wet, sandy, adventurous, fun-filled week! 2013 Summer Camp dates:
New! Marine Science Under Sail July 6-7: overnight camp (for ages 11-15 years) Explore the marine science of Port Townsend Bay under sail on this overnight adventure. Use hands-on science equipment aboard a 26 foot Thunderbird sailboat and investigate intertidal marine life ashore. Join the ranks of scientific explorers; explore, navigate, sail and experiment. Check out this fun and exciting new program in collaboration with the Northwest Maritime Center! To sign up: Contact NWMC, 360.385.3628 ext. 103 or www.nwmaritime.org/programs.
Junior Explorers (now offering two week-long sessions!) June 24 – 28: AM session available August 5 - 9: AM & PM
camp sessions available (for ages 5-7 years) Kids spend a week exploring and
discovering marine and coastal life - animals, plants and secret spots. This
half-day summer science camp is all about fun, hands-on activities in and
around the Marine
Science Center.
This science camp is a great program for the younger camper who loves marine
animals and exploring on the coast! Choose between a morning or afternoon camp. Coastal Explorers July 8 – 12: all day camp sessions (for
ages 8-12 years) Ready, set, explore by foot and by boat! 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. This is the perfect camp for nature-loving kids who want to explore it all!
Marine Biology Day Camp July 22 – 26: all day camp sessions
(for ages 9-13 years) 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.
Online Registration
To sign up your child for a PTMSC Summer Camp, please click on one of the links below.
You will be directed to
the online form. Fill out this form, then complete payment of the
deposit or the full amount by sending in a check or completing a PayPal
payment.
If you prefer a print registration form to print out and send in, click here.
Please contact us at 360-385-5582 x104 or
email info@ptmsc.org
if you have questions regarding our summer science camps. Register online here. Download the 2013 PTMSC summer camp
flier here. Scholarships are available to those
who qualify.
We're looking forward to a great summer season!
Find us on Facebook and Twitter - get the latest updates and
information on how you can inspire conservation of the Salish Sea.
The Port Townsend Marine
Science Center (PTMSC) will sponsor the film’s Olympic Peninsula premier on
Tuesday, January 15th at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave.,
in Port Townsend at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for PTMSC members and
$3 for youth.
With the debris from the 2011
Japanese tsunami drifting on ocean currents toward the coast of North America, a small group of skilled sea-kayakers
set out to document the flotsam as it began to come ashore along the remote and
roadless Washington
coast. Over the course of the summer, the team filmed their paddling adventures
as well as the beach survey processes and the result is a 45-minute documentary
that details every aspect of the project, from inception to completion.
“This film is
important, especially for Northwest residents, because it details an area that
most people never see,” said Ken Campbell, one of the film’s producers and a
kayaker and author. “Even those who hike portions of the coast aren't able to
access many of the areas that this film explores. Beyond this, the roadless
coast is part of a National Marine Sanctuary and a National Park. I think
people will be surprised by how much debris there is out there and how
difficult it will be to clean it up.”
The team is comprised of experienced
paddling guides, each having a multi-year resume
including multiple trips and expeditions to remote coastal environments. Ken
Campbell has authored several books on Pacific Northwest
kayaking and is a frequent contributor to print and online magazines on
subjects relating to the outdoors and the environment. Steve Weileman is a
documentary film-maker and photographer, with previous experience in Newfoundland and Alaska,
as well as numerous locations throughout the Northwest. Jason Goldstein, the
third member of the crew, began his kayaking career in Christchurch, New Zealand,
and works as a cartographer and GIS specialist.
Pollution, specifically plastic and other floating
debris, is a very real threat to our oceans and to untouched ecosystems like
the wild Olympic coast. The film details the issue of marine debris as well as
highlights the portion of the problem that can be directly attributed to the
tsunami. Pieces of a Japanese house were found at one northern peninsula beach
and a soccer ball that came from a small village called Otsuchi was found on
another. These personal items bring the tragedy home in a way that nothing else
can, and the story of the Ikkatsu Project includes the human interest side of
the tale as well as emphasizing the scientific and ecological elements that
drive the discussion.
Ikkatsu is a
Japanese word that means “united as one,” which is a concept that the tsunami
debris illustrates in a powerful way. This project is an attempt to understand
how we are connected and how no matter how distant and separate something may
seem at first glance, we are all riding on the same planet. The vast expanse of
the oceans doesn’t keep us apart; it is what joins us together.
Ring in the new year by joining the Port Townsend Marine Science Center for an
early winter bird migration cruise to Protection Island or south toward Port
Ludlow, weather depending, on Monday, December 31st. The three-hour
trip leaves from Port Townsend’s Point Hudson Marina at 1 p.m. This delightful
boat expedition, in collaboration with Puget Sound Express, is an ideal way to
spend New Year’s Eve with family and friends. Cruises are aboard a comfortable,
enclosed, heated motor-yacht. “Our New Year’s Eve cruise is an annual
tradition for many people giving everyone a chance to see lots of birds and
wildlife. Since we have naturalists from the PTMSC on board, they’re familiar
with local bird populations and marine mammals, providing excellent commentary,”
said Anne Murphy, executive director for the PTMSC. “It’s a fun trip for all
ages.” The trip offers a unique opportunity for an
idyllic natural science adventure, enabling people to gain a better
understanding of our marine ecosystems and interrelationships
which abound in these waters. If the weather is good, the cruise will go to
Protection Island—a National Wildlife Refuge located at the mouth of Discovery
Bay—or it may head south toward Port Ludlow to remain in protected waters, if
the weather is rough. The New Year’s Eve cruise departs from Hudson
Point Marina, in downtown Port Townsend, leaving at 1 p.m. and returning at 4
p.m. on Dec. 31st. Tickets are $55 per person ($50 for members of the
PTMSC, Burke Museum, Audubon or the Washington Ornithological Society). Proceeds
from the trip help to fund PTMSC programs. Trips may include an additional stop at the
Kilisut Harbor/Mystery Bay area (between Marrowstone and Indian Islands).
On-board refreshments are available. For reservations, please call the Port
Townsend Marine Science Center at (360) 385-5582 or 1 (800) 566-3932 or e-mail
at cruises@ptmsc.org for additional information.
There has been a lot happening in the Marine Exhibit over the past few weeks. Since we have been closed to the public I thought I would make a blog post to inform you about recent events in the aquarium of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center.
Emily and Amber removing Feather Duster Worms, Eudistylia vancouveri, from the Piling Tank
In the beginning of November we took down the piling and cluster tanks. Running a free circulating saltwater aquarium involves a lot of maintenance. The water you see in our tanks comes in unfiltered and contains many planktonic animals looking for a suitable surface to settle onto and grow. Every winter we take down our tanks and let them dry out so that we can thoroughly clean all the plumbing. You would be amazed at how much can grow inside all the pipes in just one season! All four of the AmeriCorps members worked together to clean out the tanks. We are able to get it done all in one day, and had a blast cleaning the tanks and releasing all the animals.
The 2012-2013 AmeriCorps crew, Emily Neal, Amber Heasley, Megan Veley and Danae Presler
After spending the summer months educating visitors about marine habitat, our resident fish and marine invertebrates are returned to their homes in the ocean in the same or similar place in which they were collected. Check out the video of one of the two Red Octopuses we had this year being released right off the PTMSC dock! For those of you that know the exhibit, this was the octopus that was in the rocky cluster tank, living in the empty barnicle.
Saturday homecrew volunteers with their cleaning tools
Wednesday homecrew goofs off before feeding the animals
There are a few animals that are year-long residents, but most only spend a few months of their lives here with us. We are currently running twice weekly homecrews where an amazing team of dedicated volunteers help clean the tanks and feed the animals that will stay with us this winter.
This picture was taken by Elise when R2's eggs were first discovered this July
As many of you have seen on our facebook page, our little Red Octopus’s eggs began to hatch while a volunteer was cleaning her tank during homecrew last week. Our Red Octopus, Octopus rubscens, named R2 was collected by a diver on March 31st, 2012. Her eggs were first discovered on July 14th, 2012 and they began hatching on December 1st, 2012. After mating, the Red Octopus is able to hold sperm until it is ready to lay eggs. This means that our octopus had mated before she was collected. They lay a few thousand to tens of thousands of eggs (I have found 4,000-45,000 and 1,000-19,000 and 2,000-3,000 in different scientific papers.) Hatching usually occurs over a week or so. It took our octopuses eggs 20 weeks or 140 days to hatch. After hatching, the octopus larvae live planktonically, meaning they are drifters in the ocean. Because of this, raising baby Red Octopus in captivity is incredibly difficult and has never been successfully done. After our octopus eggs hatched, we removed the babies and released them into the ocean so they would have the best chance at survival. A few were kept for observation in a planktonkriesel tank, which is specially designed to hold planktonic organisms. R2’s eggs should continue to hatch for about another week or so. After they have all hatched, R2 will die. Octopuses lay only one clutch of eggs in their life. After laying eggs, the females stop eating and spend all their time guarding and tending to the eggs. After the eggs hatch the mothers die. Red Octopuses live for only about 2 years.
Emily and Danae worked together to get some amazing microscope pictures of the newly hatched octopus larvae.
Check out those Chromatophores!!
The Red Octopus hatchlings are about the size of a grain of rice and have visible chromatophores, the specialized cells that give octopuses their spectacular color-changing ability.
Check out our YouTube video of the Red Octopus eggs hatching!
Our Giant Pacific Octopus, G3PO, spreads out upon first being released into the round tank.
We have also recently moved our Giant Pacific Octopus to the large round tank since it has been growing so fast. She seems to be right at home in her new tank and has a new favorite food of choice, Scallops! She went on a rampage right after moving in and devoured most of the Scallops in the tank. This move required a little bit of shuffling around, the Puget Sound King Crab is back in the wall tank and the Rock Fish and Red Irish Lord have been given a temporary home in a large fiberglass tank in the middle of the exhibit. They will have to share their old tank with the GPO for a few more months until the GPO grows too big and will be released to find a mate and continue her life in our wonderful Salish Sea!
Come by and check out the changes to the Marine Exhibit the weekend after Christmas, December 28th,29th, and 30th from 12-4 with the public feed at 2pm Saturday. It will be your last chance until the exhibit re-opens April 5th 2013!
Please continue to follow us on our facebook for more updates from the Port Townsend Marine Science Center!
Amber Heasley
AmeriCorps Marine Exhibit Educator
1:00 - 4:00 p.m. The Port Townsend Marine Science Center invites you and your family to experience the beauty and wildlife of Protection Island.
The three-hour cruise departs from Point Hudson Marina in downtown Port Townsend. (DISCLAIMER: Depending on weather conditions, the cruise may go to either Protection Island or Oak Bay/Port Ludlow area.)
"For 18 years we've featured Protection Island as the primary destination for our wildlife cruises," said Anne Murphy, executive director for the PTMSC. "We may also explore other parts of the central Salish Sea too, depending upon the weather. The trip lets guests discover birds in different niches, including shell beaches and gravel spits, tidal channels, and natural harbors, as well as rocky points and wide meadows of eel grass."
Roger Risley, PTMSC naturalist adds, "Protection Island seems exotic with its juvenile eagles and elephant seals, semi-desert and dry forest landscapes. It is less typical of the inshore world we glimpse through the ferry window."
Tickets are $55 per person ($50 for members of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Burke Museum, Audubon or the Washington Ornithological Society), $10 less for children 2-10. On-board refreshments are available. Reservations are required and may be made by phone at 360.385.5582 or 800.566.3932 or e-mail: cruises@ptmsc.org.
