Category Archives: Announcements

Seacoast Science Center to host Community Science event in Odiorne Point State Park

(Rye, NH) The Seacoast Science Center will hold its 17th annual BioBlitz on Saturday, September 21 from 6:00 a.m-5:00 p.m. BioBlitz is a dawn-to-dusk Community Science event where families can discover the amazing biodiversity of Odiorne Point State Park while helping field experts collect data.

BioBlitz offers exciting opportunities for all ages to gain knowledge and skill in their favorite area of nature. Exploration teams will be birding, searching for insects, snakes and amphibians, exploring the freshwater pond and salt marsh, tracking mammals, identifying plants and seaweeds, tide pooling and more. You can sign up to participate in all or part of the day. 

BioBlitz is a great way to excite children about science and  a rare opportunity to learn from biologists working in the field. Odiorne’s 135 acres and seven distinctly different habitats make it a unique and fascinating place to explore and learn.

Participants are asked to help make this event Zero Waste by packing refillable water bottles and reusable containers. Team  leaders will review how to explore responsibly and leave no trace. We will collect specimens for observation and identification only, to be later returned to their habitat.

Since the first BioBlitz in 2003, the total number of species identified in Odiorne tops 2,300. This extremely valuable catalog serves as a snapshot of the biodiversity of flora and fauna in the region. 

To learn how you can help the Center add to the list, find a detailed schedule, and register visit www.seacoastsciencecenter.org. The event is free for members of the Seacoast Science Center; $10 for non-members; $30 for non-member families (up to 6 people). Contact Emma at 603-436-8043, ext. 17 or registrar@sscnh.org for more information or to inquire how groups can get involved.

NEOSEC Cafe: Using graphic design to connect with your audience

A grants administrator, a graphic designer, and a communications strategist walk into a room . . .  and talk about how they use graphic design to share information with their constituents. The backgrounds are vastly different, but each person uses graphic design to assist with their outreach efforts. Join the next NEOSEC Café on October 12 to learn how the panelists do their work. You’ll leave with a list of resources (some free!) that will help you incorporate graphic design in your communications.

Panel:

  • Sam Andrews, Deputy CFO, Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries
  • Sean Silva, Graphic Designer, Buttonwood Park Zoo
  • Elaine Brewer, Outreach Specialist, MassWildlife

 

Webinar link:
Time: Oct 12, 2018 1:00 PM Eastern Time

By Computer: https://zoom.us/j/328020204

By Telephone: +1 646 876 9923 or +1 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 328 020 204

2018 Boston Harbor Educator Conference

Join the Massachusetts Marine Educators for our annual Boston Harbor Educator Conference on September 29, 2018 at UMass Boston. The theme will be “Our New Boston Harbor Shoreline.” Conference will include exciting speakers, hands-on workshops, a panel discussion and an afternoon cruise to the Boston Harbor Islands! Our keynote speaker will be Frederick A. Laskey, Executive Director, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA).

 This year’s workshop topics include coastal storms, sea level rise, ocean acidification, stormwater, North Atlantic right whales, sturgeon conservation, and seashells as versatile teaching tools.

 For registration and full conference details, visit http://ma-marine-ed.org/mmeevents/boston-harbor-educators-conference/. Please note that early registration rates end on September 10!

Educational Passages’ Global Ocean Literacy Program

Somewhere between Portugal and Wales, West sprung a leak in its hull.  Don’t worry. West is an unmanned 5′ sailboat originally launched from Maine, recovered in Portugal two years later, restored, relaunched and found, again, in Wales. Portuguese messages stored in the hull were dried, digitized and shared with the American students who launched the vessel four years prior.   West is one of 80 mini-boats finding their way around the global oceans.  These mini-boats are part of the Global Ocean Literacy Program developed through educationalpassages.com.  Learn more by emailing us at miniboats@educationalpassages.com.

Climate Science & Education Professional Development Workshop

 

Climate Science & Education Professional Development Workshop:

Resilience: It’s Not Just Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse

University of Connecticut Avery Point Campus, Groton, Connecticut

Tuesday, July 11 through Thursday, July 13, 2017

Click here to register for the workshop

Download the flyer

NOAA’s Climate Stewards Education Project (CSEP) and Connecticut Sea Grant are collaborating with Federal, State and NGO partners to convene a climate science and education workshop for formal and informal educators. Participants will learn from and interact with climate science, education and communication experts. The workshop will focus on topics of climate science and resilience strategies for the northeast region of the United States, with a goal of connecting educators and their students and/or audiences to the best available science-based information and pedagogic resources.

Registration for the workshop is on a first come first serve basis and the number of participants is very limited! When enrollment has reached capacity, online registration will be closed. Registration is $40 per person. It includes daily lunch, snacks, field trips, and a plethora of resources! Attendees are responsible for arranging their own transportation and lodging.

To register for the workshop you must fully complete the online form and send a check or purchase order to: Connecticut Sea Grant – Climate Workshop, 1080 Shennecossett Rd, Groton, CT 06340.

You will receive an email confirming your participation in the workshop only when your registration fee has been processed. A detailed workshop itinerary, lodging and dining recommendations, and additional information will be sent to all confirmed registrants well in advance of the workshop.

All attendees will receive a certificate acknowledging their participation in the workshop as well as the number of professional development hours earned.

 

For more info re: the overall workshop, contact Diana Payne at: diana.payne@uconn.edu. phone: 860.405.9248

Questions re: your registration fee? contact Andrea Kelly at: andrea.kelly@uconn.edu. phone: 860.405.9128

 

A professional development workshop for formal and informal educators who wish to:

  • Increase their knowledge of climate science, and resilience strategies;
  • Learn about climate impacts and adaptations in the northeastern US; and
  • Translate climate science and resilience to the classroom and/or informal education settings.

 

Times: 8:30am – 5:00pm daily.

 

Place: Marine Sciences Building, Room 103, The University of Connecticut – Avery Point, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340

 

Primary Contacts:  

Featured Activities:

  • Presentations by scientists and educators on climate science and resilience.
  • Activities to increase participant climate science knowledge.
  • Activities and demonstrations on teaching climate, engaging in resilience activities and related topics.
  • Connections to the Next Generation Science Standards.

 

Notes on Food & Lodging:

  • Lunch and snacks will be provided during the workshop.
  • Participants must make their own travel and overnight arrangements. Lodging and dining recommendations and additional information, will be sent to all confirmed registrants well in advance of the workshop.

 

 

 

 

Lighting the Way with Wind and Solar: Pathways to a Sustainable Energy Future 

MITS, Inc. in collaboration with the Lloyd Center for the Environment and the South Shore Natural Science Center, will be holding a two-day workshop for grades 4-8 educators on March 17th and 18th. It will highlight inquiry-based activities that engage participants in hands-on, minds-on learning. Click here for more information.
Don’t miss their summer professional development series as well.

Gundalow Gatherings

On April 29th, Seven dinners on the same night at friends’ homes. Each dinner includes a presenter whose topic is connected to our mission. This year the theme is Voyaging to Rivers, Bays and Oceans worldwide. Humans and the oceans are inextricably linked.  Click here for more information.

Marine Science and Mosaic Art Program

The Northeastern University Marine Science Center presents the Marine Science and Mosaic Art Program – April 18-21. Students in grades 7-12 are invited to join us to learn about local and far away marine habitats, and build a marine mosaic representing these habitats.  Click here for more information.

Hurricane Island Summer Programs

The Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership provides extraordinary opportunities to discover what it takes to make a difference in the world – as students, scientists, citizens, and leaders! Sitting 12 miles off the coast of Rockland, ME, this beautiful off-the-grid community is an ideal setting for middle and high school programs in science, sustainability, and leadership. Our hands-on 1-2 week summer programs invite students to immerse themselves in the natural world, challenging them to explore and ask questions like trained naturalists in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Programs are small (with a maximum of 12 students) and are led by trained field scientists and educators, providing a level of instructor expertise and maturity you won’t find in other summer experiences. We have programs in Sustainability (HS), Marine Biology (HS and MS), and Island Ecology (HS and MS). Financial Aid is available! No day is complete without hiking, swimming, sailing, or rock climbing. Come participate in our field science and leadership programs and make memories and friendships that last a lifetime! Visit our website, email programs@hurricaneisland.net, or call 207 867 6050 for more information and to register! 
 
 
 
Are you interested in becoming a bird bander? This year Hurricane Island is happy to offer Beginner Bird Banding and Advanced Bird Banding workshops taught by world-class instructors from The Institute for Bird Populations. Bird banding data are useful in both research and management projects. By banding birds, we can identify individuals and track their dispersal and migration, behavior and social structure, life-span and survival rate, and reproductive success and population growth. Visit our website, email programs@hurricaneisland.net, or call 207 867 6050 for more information and to register!