seaStars & Beyond

2012 seaStars Application
2012 seaStars Overview

Due date is March 1, 2012

Program Description
 

The seaStars & Beyond program is for young nature enthusiasts, ages 8-12, who are interested in learning more about our marine environment and helping Harbor WildWatch educate others on how to help preserve a healthy shoreline! Harbor WildWatch’s mission is to inspire young people to be good stewards of the environment through learning and studying various ecosystems and their connections to them.

seaStars & Beyond is a spring/summer time, hands-on outdoor program that involves a series of marine education workshops in April and May, a service project, and volunteering at our “Get Your Feet” Wet beach programs during the summer months. After completing the workshop portion of the program, seaStars and sunStars accompany our marine naturalists and Jr. Naturalists on the beach as part of their training.  They are also required to complete a self designed community service project. Jr. Naturalists are taught species identification and learn valuable mentoring skills at our beach programs, and they will participate in collecting real science data through their group community service project. Once Jr. Naturalist’s requirements are met, and the seaStars and sunStars have completed all of their workshops, volunteer service hours and a community service project, they “graduate” and are invited to a special fun field trip.

In 2008, 19 seaStars and 8 sunStars (seaStar graduates from 2007) completed the seaStars & Beyond program. In celebration, the group of 27 children embarked upon a marine biology adventure aboard the historic schooner Adventuress. Quoted from a sunStar, “It was a fun experience because we got to put the sail up while singing a shanty. We also learned how to furl the sail and use the daisy chain knot too! They taught us that 97% of the Earth’s water is salt water, 3% is fresh water and of that 3%, 2% is frozen in the ice caps, so we only have 1% of the entire Earth’s water to use. We have to take care of that 1% because it’s all we have!”
 

In 2009, Harbor WildWatch celebrated the graduation of thirty seaStars, sunStars and Jr. Naturalists with a private behind the scenes look at the Seattle Aquarium.  The children participated in a plankton dredge and microscopic identification with staff, got to feed the resident octopus, took a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium quarantine/veterinary area, kitchen and reproductive facilities, and learned what is required to operate and maintain a facility of this magnitude, that mimics our oceans. Quotes from a graduating sunStar and Jr. Naturalist, “scooping up plankton and identifying them under the microscope is cool, it makes me feel like a scientist” and “the seaStars & Beyond program has taught me confidence and a feeling that I can teach others about our sea life and beach etiquette.”

Learn how to protect your shoreline with beach etiquette.

For questions, please contact Rebecca Mullen, seaStar Program Coordinator, at: rebecca@HarborWildWatch.org

Learn. Have Fun.