By Cristina Reo
March brought forth sunny weather, longer days, herring spawns, and lots of PWSSC fun. Our theme for March was herring. Dr. Alysha Cypher kicked it off with a Tuesday Night Talk discussing her research on the oil effects on Pacific herring. We posted educational information on our social media channels about herring life cycles, migrations, and research; thank you for following along! The after school art program made origami fish art that were displayed in our entryway. We hosted a herring-themed Fun Friday where kids inspected a dissected herring, learned how gills and swim bladders function, and saw the differences among forage fish in Prince William Sound.
We offered a myriad of activities, both old and new, for the adults of Cordova. We hosted our first annual Kelp the Sound workshop. This was a workshop designed to help future kelp farmers learn the ins and outs of farming. Special guests included Skye Steritz of Noble Ocean Farms, Caitlin McKinstry of Native Village of Eyak (NVE), and more! Speakers shared their expertise in various areas of kelp farming from the permitting process to harvesting and beyond. There were also four Tuesday Night Talks. Dr. Pete Rand of PWSSC discussed patterns in migration of adult sockeye salmon in a changing Copper River. Charlotte Westing of ADF&G gave an update on the status of moose populations. Steve Moffit of Audubon discussed his time on the Continental Divide Trail. Finally, Matt Piche of NVE discussed the spawning distribution and stock specific run timing of Copper River chinook salmon over time.
Our monthly trivia at the Reluctant Fisherman was “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?,” where we highlighted what the students of Mt. Eccles Elementary are learning in our Discovery Room program. We hosted “tree yoga” where participants learned to root themselves into the ground and grow strong and tall like a tree. We orchestrated our first Science Charcuterie Game Night and it was a smashing success. Participants were creative and presented their best foot forward with fun charcuterie boards. They enjoyed amazing treats brought in by everyone while participating in some friendly competition in a three-round series of games about Latin roots.
The kids of Cordova were treated to another month of fun, educational learning. Our Sea Squirts program theme was “kitchen science.” Kids used their fine motor skills and practiced making observations through a variety of squishy, messy, and colorful experiments using common household items. During spring break, we hosted a pajama and movie night. Families brought sleeping bags and pillows to watch a family-friendly movie and enjoy some popcorn. We also hosted Fun Friday: Rocks, where kids learned about the three different types of rocks – igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic – by creating their own rocks using crayons and heat. Little Dippers, our nature based group for preschool-aged kids, met weekly to explore, learn, and create.
Our Discovery Room program met with almost every grade at Mt. Eccles Elementary School:
We are excited to announce that Esa, has been working with Mr. Ammerman’s art class at the local high school to explore conservation through art. Students painted two containers for plastic recycling. The plastic will be used for a 3D sculpture highlighting the impacts of marine debris. You can view these bins and drop off your plastic recycling at the Cordova Center through mid-April.
The education staff is looking forward to seeing you this April for more events. Check our calendar here.