North Florida Kayak Trip October 22 nd -24 th, 2004

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2 North Florida Kayak Trip October 22 nd -24 th, 2004 Sonya Wood Mahler is coordinating a kayak trip this fall for members of the Environmental Education Association of Alabama (EEAA) and the Southern Association of Marine Educators (SAME). It will highlight two of the most pristine rivers in the Southeast, the Ichetucknee River and the Wacissa River in north Florida. These spring-fed rivers are both gin clear and a constant 72 degrees. The Ichetucknee (a Creek Indian word meaning pond of the beaver ) is formed by seven large springs from which 233 million gallons of water flows daily. The river travels 6 ½ miles at one-mileper-hour before emptying into the Santa Fe River. Along the way, you will paddle through shady hardwood hammocks, sunny, open sandhills, wild rice marshes, and floodplain forests. There are restrooms at the north entrance and south entrance of the state park. There are picnic tables at the south entrance. Nature trails at the north entrance lead to Blue Hole Spring and an old phosphate mine. The Santa Fe River flows westward into the Suwannee River, and the Suwannee flows southward into the Gulf. The Wacissa flows from the Big Blue Spring, Wacissa Springs, and several others southward. There are picnic tables and portable toilets at the boat ramp. Big Blue is a deep spring with a platform, excellent for swimming and snorkeling. The river meanders past huge wetlands (Goose Pasture to the east and Hell s Half Acre to the west) and finally merges with the Aucilla River. The Aucilla makes its way southward into the Gulf. Much of the shore that you will be paddling along is state park or wildlife management area. The wildlife along these rivers is incredible. On recent paddling trips, Sonya has seen deer, river otters, beavers, raccoons, turtles, bald eagles, wood ducks, pileated woodpeckers, kingfishers, limpkins, snowy egrets, turkey vultures, ospreys, hundreds of yellowrumped warblers, Florida gar, bass, and bream. The size of the group will be limited to 16 people to insure that we have a good experience and have the opportunity to see some wildlife. (Also, we can only fit 8 kayaks on each trailer.) We will rent single sea kayaks from Gulf & Delta Canoe & Kayak Company or you may bring your own. Sonya will lead a session on how to paddle and how to get in and out of the boats for beginners (and as a review for everyone else). The minimum age for participants is 14. Deadline for registration is September 22 nd. You are encouraged to join either EEAA or SAME to participate in this field trip. You can call Sonya or Rhonda at the extension office ( ) for a membership form. Please complete the attached registration form and mail with your registration fee to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System in Baldwin County. We will mail you a receipt, a resource packet on paddling, and a map. Meeting place: Lake City, Florida

3 Itinerary Friday, October 22 nd Drive to Lake City, Florida (on I-75 just south of I-10, a 5 ½ hour drive from Loxley, Alabama). Dinner on your own. Stay at the Best Western or Gateway Inn. Saturday, October 23 rd 7:30am (Eastern time) Continental breakfast at Best Western. 8:00am Caravan to Ichetucknee Springs State Park near Fort White, Florida. 9:00am Put kayaks in at the park s north entrance, near the headsprings. Option 1 Paddle downstream to south entrance take-out point. Eat picnic lunch there. (4 miles total) Option 2 Paddle downstream past the south entrance, under the Highway 27 bridge to the point where the Ichetucknee flows into the Santa Fe River, and back upstream to the south entrance take-out point. Eat picnic lunch along the way. (9 miles total) If you are a beginning kayaker you will probably want to take out at the south entrance after four miles. The nice thing is that you can decide when you get there. 1:30pm Presentation by park manager and volunteers on efforts to protect the Ichetucknee River (limiting the number of people on the river, controlling water lettuce and other invasive aquatic plants, educating the community about the effects of mining, gasoline storage tanks, and septic tanks on water quality in the springs). 3:00pm Return to motels. 7:00pm Dinner at Red Lobster in Lake City. Stay at Best Western or Gateway Inn. Sunday, October 24 th 7:30am - Continental breakfast at Best Western. 8:00am Drive west on I-10 towards Tallahassee. 10:00am Put kayaks in at the headsprings of the Wacissa River. Paddle downstream and around the island. Paddle up to Big Blue, the largest spring on the river. Swim or snorkel there if you would like. Paddle back to the boat ramp. (4 miles total) 1:30pm Lunch together in Tallahassee. 2:30pm Drive west on I-10, a 3 ½ hour drive to Loxley, Alabama. Trip Expenses Registration fee - $65.00 (covers kayak rental for two days, paddle, life vest, shuttle service, guide, water, and insurance) If you bring your own single sea kayak, your registration fee will be $ Lodging Two nights in Lake City, Florida. Option 1 Gateway Inn Exit #427 off I-75, go west onto Highway 90, across the street from Best Western 1 person - $32.99 plus tax 2 people - $36.99 plus tax No breakfast provided Option 2 Best Western Call for reservations Exit #427 off I-75, go west onto Highway 90, across the street from Gateway Inn 1 or 2 people $75.00 plus tax 3 or 4 people - $80.00 plus tax Free continental breakfast available, swimming pool, weight room Meals Supper Friday night, lunch and supper Saturday, and lunch on Sunday.

4 North Florida Kayak Trip EEAA & SAME October 22 nd 24 th, 2004 Name School, agency, or organization Address Phone number address Birthdate Emergency contact: Name Relationship to you Phone number (day) Phone number (night) EEAA member Yes No SAME member Yes No Level of kayaking expertise: Beginner Novice Experienced Pro Bringing your own kayak Yes No Renting a kayak from us Yes No Your height & weight (for kayak size) Please mail a completed form for each participant with your $65.00 registration fee (or $20.00 if you are bringing your own sea kayak) to ACES Natural Resources, 302A Byrne Street, Bay Minette AL Make checks payable to Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES). Deadline for registration is September 22 nd. Please make your own reservations at one of the two motels by September 22 nd. Thanks! For more information, contact: Sonya Wood Mahler

5 For Immediate Release CONTACT: Daniel Moses, IIE/FMF: (202) LOCAL TEACHERS TO BE HONORED GUESTS OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT The Fulbright Memorial Fund (FMF) Teacher Program allows distinguished primary and secondary school teachers in the U.S. to travel to Japan for three weeks in an effort to promote greater intercultural understanding between the two nations. They will begin their visit in Tokyo, where they will receive a practical orientation on Japanese life and culture and meet with Japanese government officials and educators. They then will travel in groups of 20 to prefectures (states) outside of Tokyo where they will have direct contact with Japanese teachers and students during visits to primary and secondary schools as well as a teachers college. They also will visit cultural sites and local industries in addition to a homestay with a Japanese family. The program is sponsored by the Government of Japan and was launched in 1997 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. government Fulbright Program, which has enabled more than 6,000 Japanese citizens to study in the U.S. on Fulbright fellowships for graduate education and research. The program is administered by the Japan-United States Educational Commission. The Institute of International Education, the nation s largest nonprofit educational and cultural exchange agency, coordinates FMF activities in the U.S. Six hundred teachers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will visit Japan in June, October, and November of 2005 (200 in each group). To date, more than 4,000 primary and secondary educators visited Japan through the FMF Teacher Program. Upon their return, the teachers share what they have learned about Japan with their students and communities through a variety of outreach projects. Teachers throughout the United States can apply to take part in one of the three trips to Japan scheduled for 2005, as guests of the Japanese Government. Applications and information are available at and the application deadline for all 2005 trips is December 10, Teachers of all disciplines, including art, physical education, English, history, geography, math, science, and special education, from every region of the United States, are encouraged to apply. Applicants are not required nor expected to have Fully Funded 3 Week Study Visits to JAPAN For Educators Grades 1-12 Apply On-Line: Information: , fmf@iie.org Deadline: December 10, 2004 Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program previous knowledge of Japanese or Japan. For more information on this program and the 2005 competition, please contact IIE at INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION 1400 K STREET NW WASHINGTON, D.C TELEPHONE:

6 NAAEE Annual Conference November 5 th -10 th, 2004 The annual conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) will be held this year in Biloxi, Mississippi at the Grand Hotel. This is the closest it has been to us in a long time. For an itinerary and registration information on the NAAEE conference, check their website, www. naaee.org. The opening reception of the conference will be held Sunday evening, November 7 th. There are pre-conference workshops and board meetings on the Friday and Saturday before that. Sonya Wood Mahler has arranged for lodging and meals at Gulf Coast Research Lab for members of SAME (as a less expensive alternative to staying at the conference site) during the NAAEE conference. Other chapters that will be staying there include the Environmental Education Association of Alabama (EEAA), Tennessee Environmental Education Association (TEEA), and Tennessee Educators of Aquatic & Marine Science (TEAMS). The dining hall is located next door to the dorms. EEAA will be hosting a dinner meeting at the GCRL dining hall on Monday evening for all educators from the Southeast. The seafood dinner will include shrimp, crawfish, grouper, and more. The cost for each meal at GCRL is: Breakfast: $3.00, Lunch: $5.00, Dinner: $6.00, and the seafood buffet on Monday: $ If you have questions about the facilities at GCRL, please call Orlando Rodriegez at The deadline for lodging and meals registration is September 15 th. After that, we will open the dorms to other conference participants. Please mail your completed form and a check made payable to SAME to: Sonya Wood Mahler Alabama Cooperative Extension System 302A Byrne Street Bay Minette AL Gulf Coast Research Lab (GCRL) is located on the water in Ocean Springs, a 10 to 15-minute drive from the conference site. The quiet grounds are covered in Spanish moss-draped oak trees and stately pines. Parking is directly in front of the dorms. The dorm rooms are Spartan but clean. Each room holds two people. There are four rooms to a suite. Each suite has two toilets and two showers. The cost is $12.00 per person per night, plus a one-time charge of $5.00 per person for bed linens and towels.

7 Registration for Lodging & Meals at Gulf Coast Research Lab (GCRL) during the NAAEE annual conference, November 5 th -10 th, 2004 (Registration deadline: September 15 th ) Name Address Phone Which nights will you be staying at GCRL? Friday, November 5 th Saturday, November 6 th Sunday, November 7 th Monday, November 8 th Tuesday, November 9 th Wednesday, November 10 th What is your gender? Male Female Do you have a preferred roommate? Yes No If yes, what is their name? If no, would you like us to assign you a roommate? Yes No Which meals will you be eating at GCRL? Dinner, Friday, November 5 th Breakfast, Saturday, November 6 th Lunch, Saturday, November 6 th Dinner, Saturday, November 6 th Breakfast, Sunday, November 7 th Lunch, Sunday, November 7 th Dinner, Sunday, November 7 th Breakfast, Monday, November 8 th Lunch, Monday, November 8 th Seafood Buffet, Monday, Nov. 8 th Breakfast, Tuesday, November 9 th Lunch, Tuesday, November 9 th Dinner, Tuesday, November 9 th Breakfast, Wednesday, Nov. 10 th Lunch, Wednesday, November 10 th Dinner, Wednesday, November 10 th Total cost of your lodging, plus $5.00 linen charge Total cost of your meals (remember that the seafood buffet costs $10.00) Your total

8 DAUPHIN ISLAND SEA LAB 2005 SUMMER PROGRAMS STUDENT PROGRAMS GULF ISLAND JOURNEY: Located on a barrier island off the coast of Alabama, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab offers a unique setting for a summer camp in marine science. Join the Sea Lab team for beach scavenger hunts, ghost crab crawls, marsh mushing and collection trips aboard our research vessel A.E. Verrill. This fun program instills a basic understanding of marine science with lots of hands-on activities. Designed for rising 7th, 8th & 9th grade students. DISCOVERY HALL PROGRAMS SUMMER HIGH SCHOOL COURSE (DHP): During the summer months, the Discovery Hall Programs offer a course in marine science to high school students. The length of the course is four weeks, during which time the students live on campus and participate in over 150 hours of supervised academic activities. The Discovery Hall course is designed to introduce the student to the diverse and complex communities within the marine environment. The overall course goal is for students to gain a better appreciation and awareness of the ocean, its inhabitants, and the problems, which must be solved in utilizing the marine environment. OCEANS ALIVE! Ages: 5-8 years: Explore the beach with your children and learn too! Make a shell collection and learn about the animals living on our beaches and in our oceans! Classes are held from 8:30 am until 12:pm and will be limited to 20 students, admissions are taken on a first come first serve basis. Parents/guardians are required to attend, must be 18 years of age and may bring no more than 3 children. TEACHER PROGRAMS EXPLORING THE FLORIDA KEYS: The Florida Keys offers a wonderful science learning experience in a sub-tropical environment. Coral reefs, submerged grasses and mangroves interact as part of a diverse community structure. This workshop will feature hands-on learning experiences in these habitats and classroom and grade level methods of teaching science principles based on the diversity within these areas. The workshop will include past and current water use practices and the fate of reef communities. Swimming/snorkeling is a requirement for this course. BEACHES, BIRDS & BARRIER ISLANDS: Join us for a three island tour of the Gulf Coast s most beautiful barrier islands. Enjoy the pristine environment of Petit Bois Island, bird watching on Sand Island, beachcombing on Dauphin Island, and many other exciting activities. Classroom application and curriculum materials will be provided for all grade levels. COASTAL CONNECTIONS - LINKING WATERSHEDS TO THE GULF OF MEXICO: Do you want to have a fun workshop in the sun and sand? How about taking home a 300 page curriculum guide filled with multigrade level class-room activities? Take a ride into the Gulf of Mexico on a research vessel collecting animals for your classroom. Visit a near-by uninhabited barrier island. GRASSES, GROUPERS, & GASTROPODS: This workshop compares the diverse habitats from Dauphin Island, Alabama to the submerged grassbeds of Port St. Joe Bay, Florida. Teachers will collect in Mobile Bay aboard the Sea Lab s research vessel, the A.E. Verrill, and seine the salt marsh ecosystem. The workshop will then travel to Panama City and Port St. Joe, Florida. Snorkeling within these habitats will allow us to compare the diversity of plants and animals along the coast of the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Swimming/snorkeling is a requirement for this course. (C.O.S.E.E.) CENTERS FOR OCEAN SCIENCE EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION WORKSHOP: Establishes a partnership between marine research scientists and middle school teachers, giving each the opportunity to share information and ideas about scientific research and science education at the middle school level. Funding is provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation so the workshop is FREE to Alabama teachers of students in 5 th 9 th grade! Teachers & scientists will receive a stipend for participating in this workshop. For more information on these programs, contact Denise Keaton at (251) or dkeaton@disl.org To be added to the 2005 mailing list, visit our website at (K-12 and Teacher Education)

9 SAME Conference Returns to LUMCON November 19-21, 2004 Join your SAME colleagues as they return to Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) in the salt marshes of the Mississippi River Delta. This year s conference will be sponsored by the Central Gulf of Mexico - Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence. For a registration fee of $10 to secure your place ($15 after October 31), you will receive two days of room and board at LUMCON and educational resources including membership in SAME and the National Marine Educators Association. The Barataria-Terrebonne Basin in which LUMCON is located is losing land at a rate of ~20 square miles per year, faster than any other location on earth. The problem is multi-dimensional, a combination of natural and human caused factors. It was first studied in the 1970s. Since then research has progressed full force into the values of wetlands, causes of wetland loss, and how to restore wetlands. Starting with the Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act in 1990, Louisiana has received federal aid in its restoration efforts. Recently the problem has received widespread publicity on a variety of fronts: 1) Several efforts are underway to gain more federal help with coastal restoration efforts; 2) Mike Tidwell published a well-received travelogue Bayou Farewell, that tells the story from the perspective of the shrimpers, who are losing their livelihood as the marshes disappear; 3) Disappearing Wetlands is the current Jason Expedition. For over a year, Dr. Bob Ballard s team has been seeking out sites through south Louisiana, assembling local scientists, filming video segments and running teacher workshops. Now the curriculum is ready to go and for the next year, middle school classes all over the country will be learning about wetland loss using Louisiana as their classroom. Start the Bidding The Auction at the Annual Meeting While at LUMCON, we will have our annual auction. This is the only fundraiser that SAME has throughout the year. The funds generated by the auction allow us to produce and mail the Wavelengths newsletter, produce our membership brochure, present awards, and offer scholarships. Please bring with you to the annual meeting any items you would like to contribute for the auction. We would especially like to have some curriculum, CD-ROMs, books, and teaching tools on the topic of wetlands. This is a great opportunity to share with other SAME members things that you received two of at a recent conference or through a grant. Consider bringing plants, seashells, puppets, games, artwork, dive equipment, collection equipment, aquarium supplies, cookbooks, 2005 calendars, t-shirts, food and drink. Please tape a note on each item giving a description and approximate value. Turn them in at the registration desk on Friday evening or Saturday by noon. And bring cash or your checkbook in case you see something you would like to buy!

10 This workshop will begin Friday night with the customary SAME share-a-thon and welcome-to-lumcon tour. The scientific program will begin Saturday morning with descriptions of COSEE and SAME for newcomers, and a keynote address by one of our numerous experts to describe the problem and magnitude of land loss in the context of the Mississippi River Delta. The rest of the morning will be spent with a panel of experts (both scientists and managers) discussing and answering questions about different strategies being discussed to restore coastal Louisiana. Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning will be spent in field trips and labs modified to illustrate different aspects of coastal land loss. For example, the RV Acadiana will cruise up the Houma Navigation Canal to show visitors some types of damage caused by canals, as well as examples of remediation efforts. Classroom activities include Wetland Education Through Maps and Aerial Photographs, an excellent resource we will use to compare the types of land loss experienced in different parts of Louisiana, and (perhaps) different parts of the Gulf Coast. There will also be a laboratory sediment activity illustrating deltaic processes. Saturday evening will include a seafood boil, followed by a social and silent auction to benefit SAME. Please bring items you would like to donate to the auction. The annual SAME business meeting will be held Sunday, immediately after breakfast. The workshop begins Friday at 5:00 pm and continues through Sunday at 1:00 pm. Registration forms may be obtained from Dr. Jessie Kastler, , jkastler@lumcon.edu, or Ms. Rachel Somers, , rsomer1@lsu.edu. Please return registration forms and registration fee by October 31 st to Ms. Rachel Somers. Awards for Outstanding Achievement At this year s SAME annual meeting we would like to recognize SAME members who have done an excellent job. We will have two awards, one for Outstanding Educator and one for Outstanding Resource. Please consider nominating yourself, a colleague, or an organization/agency for these awards. Include in your nomination: name, address, phone, address, examples of service to the fields of marine science or environmental education, contributions to SAME, and other reasons why the nominee should receive this award. Please include your own contact information in case we need more details. Nominations should be e- mailed to Sonya Wood Mahler at smahler@ aces.edu by October 1 st.

11 SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION OF MARINE EDUCATORS Annual Meeting Theme LOUISIANA S COASTAL WETLAND LOSS November 19-21, 2004 Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium The Central Gulf of Mexico Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE) is pleased to sponsor this meeting. Schedule FRIDAY November 19, :00-5:00 pm Registration 6:00 pm Supper Welcome to LUMCON & Share-a-thon SATURDAY November 20, :00 am Breakfast Morning Registration Introduction to SAME & COSEE Wetlands Workshop Keynote Address on Deltaic Framework & Wetland Loss Panel Discussion on Coastal Restoration Lunch Afternoon Field Trip or Lab Session** Evening Seafood Supper (Crab Boil) SAME Silent Auction & Social SUNDAY November 21, :00 am Breakfast SAME Business Meeting 8:30 am Field Trip or Lab Session ** Post-Test & Evaluation Noon Bag Lunch & Adjourn A $10 non-refundable registration fee is required to secure your spot in this workshop (after October 31, please pay $15). Please send a check made out to SAME with your registration. For info on the program, call: Dr. Jessie Kastler, LUMCON, , jkastler@lumcon.edu

12 Return forms to: Ms. Rachel Somers, Louisiana Sea Grant, LSU-Sea Grant Building, 202, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, Fax: , Phone: , Registration Form Name Affiliation Address Address Phone Fax ** Field Trip and Lab Session Choices Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning will be devoted to Field Trips and Labs that illustrate land loss in southeast Louisiana. You may sign up for two, but please list at least three preferences in the event that one of your choices is full or cancelled for lack of interest. RV Acadiana Cruise Salt Marsh Canoeing Wetland Education Through Maps & Aerial Photos Classroom Activity Lab Demonstration/Inquiry Activity Logistics Which nights will you stay in the Dormitory? Friday Saturday Male Female Roommate preference(s) Which meals will you eat in the Cafeteria? Friday Hot Supper Saturday Hot Breakfast Hot Lunch Seafood Boil Sunday Hot Breakfast Bag Lunch Vegetarian Y N **Please give 3 days notice of changes in plans

13 Louisiana State University s (LSU) Scope-On-A-Rope Program The Scope-On-A-Rope (SOAR) is a hand-held microscope that allows you to see focused, magnified images on an ordinary television. It is guaranteed to capture your students interest and it promotes learning at all levels. It s ease of use and durability make it an invaluable educational tool! The SOAR program at Louisiana State University lends these instruments out to any interested educator free of charge! Training, workshops, and lesson plans are also available. Please check out our website for more information: or contact the SOAR Program Coordinator, Adrienne Lopez, at , alopez@lsu.edu. LSU s SOAR Program has recently formed a partnership with the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. They now have a Scope-On-A-Rope available for loan to New Orleans area teachers. The scope is included in a Biofacts Kit containing great animal artifacts and a lesson plan on using the SOAR with these specimens. A training workshop is currently being planned for the fall. Contact Tricia LeBlanc, School Programs Manager, at or tleblanc@auduboninstitute.org for more information. Join us for a Free SOAR Aquatic Workshop!* When: Wednesday, October 6 th, 4:30-6:30pm Where: Louisiana Resource Center for Educators (LRCE) in Baton Rouge, LA Registration: On-line at or call Title: What s in the Water? Have you ever wondered how much life is in a drop of water? In this workshop, you will use a Scope-On-A-Rope (SOAR) to examine various aquatic samples. From algae to zooplankton, you ll learn to identify some animals and plants typically found in aquatic ecosystems and gain wonderful experience using SOAR in some new and exciting ways. Sample lesson plans correlated to the Louisiana GLE s will be provided, but you will also leave with your own great ideas on how to incorporate this wonderful tool into your curriculum! *Previous experience using SOAR is recommended.

14 A Closer Look at our SAMEies SAME Member Profile by Sonya Wood Mahler Jessica Kastler, called Jessie by her friends, has run the informal marine education program at Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) for four and a half years. She has been a member of SAME for almost as long. Originally from New Orleans, Jessie received a BS in Geology from LSU, a MS in Environmental Sciences from University of Virginia-Charlottesville, and a PhD in Oceanography from LSU. Jessie now lives in Houma, Louisiana with her husband, Andrew Barron, and their three dogs, Ami, Sophie, and Biscuit. When Jessie is at Houma Sweet Houma, as she calls it, she enjoys sleeping (when she can), working out, gardening, and walking her dogs. In her work at LUMCON, Jessie coordinates education programs for K-12 students and teachers, university and college faculty, and other adults. She considers herself a coastal scientist-educator and a generalist. She has found her niche as an ecosystem scientist in the marine environment. The coast and the sea extend far inland in Louisiana because much of the state is a delta. There are a wide range of topics at LUMCON that she can teach others about. She has worked closely with the JASON 16 Expedition entitled Disappearing Wetlands Experience. This JASON project will allow educators to explore Louisiana s endangered wetlands. Several pieces of the upcoming JASON video were shot at LUMCON and the Argonauts are staying at LUMCON as they do their field work. Jessie and her husband Andrew are perfectly suited for each other. Andrew is the water quality coordinator for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Jessie is thrilled that SAME is bringing its annual meeting back to LUMCON this year. She believes that we will accomplish a lot in this relaxed setting. Jessie stresses that it is important to be a SAME member because it is easy to sit in the office doing a particular job and not know what others are doing. She enjoys learning about the projects of others in our field and making connections with them. Deadline for submissions to the Spring SAME Bi-Annual Newsletter is March 31, Activities, events, websites and book reviews should be directed to: Dr. John Dindo, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL Fax number: (251) jdindo@disl.org

15 Happenings at USM s Scott Aquarium Submitted by Dr. Susan Culipher-Ross Greetings from USM s Scott Aquarium! We have an exciting fall planned and would like to invite you to join us if you see something of interest. We have a range of activities planned for the young and the young at heart. We have teacher workshops scheduled on Biotechnology and Aquatic Nuisance Species. All workshops require a $25 non-refundable registration fee. Also, graduate credit or CEU s are available. The dates are: Marine Biotechnology: The Wave of the Future October 4-6; Aquatic Nuisance Species September 20-22, November 10-12, and January 12-14, In addition, through partnership with The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence: Central Gulf of Mexico (COSEE: CGOM), there will be an Informal Educators Workshop offered December 2-3. Please call Shelia Brown at (228) for more information. For pre-college students, we have four different mini-camp programs that are available. Explore the islands in our Beach and Barrier Island Mini-Camp or the wetland environments in the Wetlands Mini-Camp. Go trawling and/or seining out to Horn Island in the Fisheries Mini-Camp or view the migratory routes of various birds in the Birding Mini-Camp. Call LaJoyce Davis at (228) to request additional information and applications. The membership program is looking forward to a camp out and snorkeling trip to St. Andrews State Park in Panama City, FL. The weekend of September will find the Great Scott! members enjoying snorkeling along the jetties searching for gobies, blennies, sea anemones, and sea urchins. Reservations must be made by September 21 st by calling (228) and talking to Jennifer Hale. We have our annual open house scheduled for Saturday, December 4 th. Come join us as we celebrate the holiday season and enjoy family time with arts and craft activities. Listen to musical groups performing throughout the day as you explore the aquarium and sip hot apple cider. In the spring, our Regional Ocean Science Bowl, the Hurricane Bowl, is scheduled for Saturday, February 12 th. We are already making plans and would encourage anyone interested in lending a helping hand to volunteer. We are also excited to host the National Ocean Science Bowl in April of For more information, call Becky Espey at (228)

16 Scott Aquarium Teacher Workshop Opportunities School Year In an effort to help teachers reach their goal of becoming highly qualified under the No Child Left Behind legislation, Scott Aquarium is pleased to announce several opportunities planned for this academic year allied with or at our facility. The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has determined the number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) approved for each workshop. September 20-22, 2004, the Scott Aquarium will offer the Aquatic Nuisance Species Teacher Workshop. This Workshop has been approved for 1.4 CEUs. Sponsored by the DMR and CIAP, the total cost for this workshop is a $25 non-refundable registration fee. Included are lectures by highly regarded guest scientists, numerous educational activities, and field trips to Horn Island and the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Workshop will start at 5:00 p.m. on Monday and end between 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Participation is limited to 18 Mississippi teachers. October 4-6, 2004, beginning at 5:00 p.m. on Monday and concluding at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Scott Aquarium will present Marine Biotechnology: The Wave of the Future, sponsored by the MS-AL Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC). This Workshop will focus on new products and techniques being developed from marine organisms. There is a $25 non-refundable registration fee. Participants may earn 1.5 CEUs. Teachers must pay their own CEU fees. Participation is limited to 18 Mississippi and Alabama teachers. November 17 19, 2004 the Scott Aquarium will offer the Aquatic Nuisance Species Teacher Workshop. This Workshop has been approved for 1.4 CEUs. Sponsored by the MS-AL Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC), the total cost for this workshop is a $25 registration non-refundable fee. Included are lectures by highly regarded guest scientists, numerous educational activities, and a field trip to Horn Island and the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Participation is limited to 18 teachers. December 2-3, 2004, at Scott Aquarium, The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence: Central Gulf of Mexico (COSEE: CGOM) associated with the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Office of Naval Research - National Oceanographic Partnership Program (ONR-NOPP), and NOAA-OAR- Sea Grant, and USM will sponsor an Informal Educators Workshop. Teachers are invited. This workshop requires a $25 non-refundable registration fee and is open to 70 informal educators. Housing at GCRL and meals are included in the registration fee. The number of CEUs has not been determined. January 12-14, 2005 the Scott Aquarium will offer the Aquatic Nuisance Species Teacher Workshop. This Workshop has been approved for 1.4 CEUs. Sponsored by the MS-AL Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC), the total cost for this workshop is a $25 non-refundable registration fee. Included are lectures by highly regarded guest scientists, numerous educational activities, and field trips to Horn Island and Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. The Workshop will begin at 4:30 P.m. on Wednesday and end between 4:00 5:00 p.m. Friday afternoon. Participation is limited to 18 Mississippi teachers. February 23-25, 2005 the Scott Aquarium will offer the Aquatic Nuisance Species Teacher Workshop. This Workshop has been approved for 1.4 CEUs. Sponsored by the MS-AL Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC), the total cost for this workshop is a $25 registration non-refundable fee. Included are lectures by highly regarded guest scientists, numerous educational activities, and a field trip to Horn Island and the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Participation is limited to 18 teachers. April 11-13, 2005 the Scott Aquarium will offer the Aquatic Nuisance Species Teacher Workshop. This Workshop has been approved for 1.4 CEUs. Sponsored by the MS-AL Sea Grant Consortium (MASGC), the total cost for this workshop is a $25 registration non-refundable fee. Included are lectures by highly regarded guest scientists, numerous educational activities, and a field trip to Horn Island and the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Participation is limited to 18 teachers. If you are interested in earning graduate science credits instead of CEUs for participating in a number of these Workshops, please call Susan Ross or Shelia Brown. For more information, a schedule of activities in each workshop, and/or to enroll, please call the Scott Aquarium at or Shelia A. Brown at shelia.brown@usm.edu.

17 Rachel Somers Louisiana Sea Grant LSU-Sea Grant Bldg. Rm. 202 Baton Rouge, LA 70803