Education Month in Review: July 2023
By Cristina Reo
Prince William Sound Science Center staff have been engulfed in research, education, and more amid the summer craze. July’s Discover Cordova was held at Orca beach for a morning of tide pooling. We met various families, all who were out of town guests visiting Cordova! We looked for sea stars, sea urchins, crabs, barnacles, and more. July’s Nature Journaling event focused on slugs and bugs. We met at Odiak Pond to explore the aquatic invertebrates of the area. We prompted our nature journalists to journal in the style of “I notice, I wonder, it reminds me of.” Our summer Nature Journaling series is hosted in partnership with The Net Loft.
Another Salmon Jam is in the books for Cordova! We had beautiful weather, great music, and a myriad of activities. On Saturday, we coordinated Small Fry, where many of our partners hosted booths filled with fun and educational activities for children and families. We hosted a fish printing station where participants could see various types of fish, paint them, and “print” them onto a piece of fabric. It was the perfect keepsake memory of Salmon Jam.
We also hosted four camps in the month of July. We started with Dino Mania Camp. Campers dug for bones, searched for fossils, discussed dinosaurs of Alaska, and gained a better understanding of the creatures that lived before us. Our Girls Exploring Marine Science Camp was a huge success as we empowered our female campers to achieve their goals, ask questions, and never stop exploring. They met with many PWSSC’s female scientists, including Jessica Pretty – our plankton research assistant, and Anne Schaefer – our avian research assistant. We followed up with our second Headwaters to Ocean Day Camp. Campers explored from Sheridan Glacier to Orca Inlet tidepools, learning about local ecosystems and how they are all connected. We ended the July with Science Superheroes Camp which focused on animals and their awesome adaptations. Campers learned about camouflage, sensory adaptations, and more while exploring some of the hidden gems of Cordova.
Girls in Marine Science Camp – looking at plankton with Jess Pretty
