Marine Camp 2016: Wanted – Enthusiastic and Fun Camp Staff

Wanted: Engaging, high-energy, compassionate and fun instructors and counselors to lead our summer camp! CLICK HERE to apply and join the team.

Marine Science Camp is proud to have a passionate and fun team of instructors, counselors and volunteers each summer. The foundation of this team of educators and leaders is not only their knowledge of marine science, but also their ability to inspire campers. They spark an appreciation for marine science and local habitats while promoting friendship, teamwork, and curiosity.

Our qualified team of highly motivated instructors, counselors and volunteers are outside with the campers every day. Instructors and counselors facilitate hands-on learning and teambuilding in a safe and fun environment. They are CPR and First Aid certified, background checked, and undergo an extensive 2 week training period prior to camp.

Instructors have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in fields varying from biology and marine science to education and environmental studies or other similar fields. Most teach with MSI throughout the year; they are dedicated, experienced and have taught a variety of programs to grades from pre-kindergarten through college. Instructors at Marine Camp lead camper learning, supervise campers and are primarily in charge of safety. They are the crew of our 90 foot research vessel and undergo extensive training and regular safety drills to comply with Coast Guard safety standards. Many have field research experience and relate it to topics learned at camp. Our fantastic Instructors are role models who inspire and share their passion for marine science with campers of all ages.

Marine Camp Counselors are in college or have already received their degrees. They work closely with the Instructors helping with activities, assist in overall supervision and aid in providing an understanding of marine topics. Many of our counselors are pursuing degrees in the sciences and are interested in marine science or education as a career. Marine Camp is an excellent summer opportunity for them to get first-hand experience.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Rounding out the summer staff are our amazing volunteers, who are a crucial part of the summertime fun. They act as an extra set of eyes, ears and hands, and they also act as role models to ensure our campers are staying safe and having fun. Volunteers join staff and campers for every activity and field trip. They are buddies, helpers, and friends to each and every camper—especially the campers that benefit from having just a little extra help making friends and getting involved. Volunteers join us for different amounts of time—for just one week to almost the whole summer! Some of our campers have become volunteers, who later become Counselors and Instructors! We are so grateful to have these inspiring and energetic people as a part of our team. CLICK HERE to learn more about volunteer opportunities during the summer and beyond.

If YOU match any of these descriptions, CLICK HERE to learn more and apply. I look forward to greeting new and old members onto the team.

Marine Camp Sneak Peek: Tools of the Trade

How do we explore the ocean? What tools and methods help scientists reach the depths and far reaches of the sea? This summer, our Underwater Investigators (entering grades 6-8) will explore these questions, and use some of the tools used in marine science.

We are excited for the opportunity to work with an OpenROV for this summer’s projects. “ROV” stands for Remotely Operated Vehicle. In marine science, ROVs are used to explore parts of the ocean that are difficult to reach by divers or even manned submersibles. Instead, we send robots—ROV submarines, to explore. Many ROVs are very expensive, large, and delicate, and there are very few that are used only by professional researchers and institutes. The OpenROV is changing all of that with their compact, and relatively inexpensive tools that anyone can pilot.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Underwater Investigator will have 2 days on our site, a day canoeing through sloughs, and a 2 days aboard our ship (including spending the night!). While on site, the campers will design and complete projects that use the ROV. They may ask questions that use the video data, or they may design attachments to use the ROV to collect samples of mud, plankton, or something else. The questions that can be examined with the ROV are limitless. They could include: Is the type of plankton that we sample on the surface of the water different from the plankton found deeper down? What is the make-up of the fouling community on our docks? How do different types of fish respond to the ROV?

We will only have this opportunity if we earn the grant for the ROV! We have reached our fundraising goal, but still need the followers! Please create an account and follow our expedition. You will receive awesome footage from our underwater robots, and updates on our projects. https://openexplorer.com/expedition/marinesciencecamp

**UPDATE (5/20/15) Thank you for your support! We have acheived our goal and are now proud owners of our own ROV! Campers will be the first to pilot MSI’s newest robot addition.**

In addition to using the ROV, campers will also explore other types of technology that is used to study marine science in the field. Light traps to collect animals drawn to light (especially at night), different types of nets, sensors and chemical tests to examine the water, even special equipment to sample water and mud, are all tools of the trade that campers will put to use. Understanding tools, and seeing their utility (and limitations) inspires questions and ingenuity. I am looking forward to discovering ways to put these tools to use!

Marine Camp Sneak Peek: Camp theme–Stewardship

An important part of Marine Science Institute’s mission is to promote stewardship for the marine environment. We believe that when a person finds a connection to nature they will feel more responsible for its care. As our campers come face-to-face with live animals that live so near to them in the Bay Area, they begin to understand how interconnected our lives truly are. Campers are empowered not only to study nature, but to take part in it in a positive way.

Campers helped to transplant seedlings at Save the Bay’s native plant nursery. These plants were used to restore wetland areas.

A young steward pledges to shower less (to save water)

Campers pick up a lot during beach cleanups, including all of these nurdles!

At MSI, we promote a sense of stewardship though interdisciplinary science education. We achieve this by placing students in direct contact with the natural environment; emphasizing the interdependence of all living things; facilitating active learning through the use of observation, critical thinking, and problem-solving in a cooperative setting; and instilling confidence, encouraging involvement, and inspiring accomplishment by providing positive role models. At every camp, our campers also participate in projects that directly model stewardship in action, and take home positive memories of protecting the environment that will hopefully inform their decisions for the rest of their lives.

Marine Camp Sneak Peek: In the Field

Over the 15 summers of camp, we have enjoyed some fantastic field trips. Every year one of the most fun challenges in planning camp is finding field trip opportunities. Finding just the right place takes a lot of careful consideration…What can we learn? What will we see? How about the logistics and safety?

Each site that is considered for field trip may fulfill some sort of learning objective or topic that fits with the camp’s themes. It also needs to be fun, engaging and safe. When our staff visits a site they look for “Opportunities and Obstacles” that will influence the field trip experience.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Our Ocean Explorers camp always includes at least one trip to the coast. We search for sites that have accessible examples of different habitats, plants and animals, including tide pools, dunes, bays, sloughs and beaches. We also look for opportunities to do new activities or work with other organizations that can provide different views on learning about the Ocean, science, and other related topics.

Bay Explorers have a chance to connect to the natural resources in their own backyards. Past trips have brought Bay Explorers to the coast, the Aquarium of the Bay, and to local parks. There are many opportunities in the area to discover hidden gems, where campers can explore the wildlife around them, including in places that they can return to with their families.

Naturalists, our returning campers, focus on camp topics in more depth. Whether visiting a familiar site or a new site, they apply more scientific tools and methods to explore. They often visit similar sites to both the Bay and Ocean Explorers.

This year our Summer Camp Scouts joined in the search for the perfect site. They visited new and old sites to discover ways to enjoy the wonderful habitats that we are lucky to be near. There is one scouting event left in March, don’t miss this opportunity to make camp your own!

Marine Camp Sneak Peek: Wanted–Inspirational Staff

Wanted: enthusiastic, compassionate, and engaging instructors and counselors to lead our summer camp! CLICK HERE to apply to join the team.

Marine Science Camp takes quite a team of people to run smoothly. In addition to the support staff in the office, we have highly qualified instructors, counselors and volunteers outside with the campers every day.

Our instructors and counselors facilitate active learning, team building, and safe fun all summer long. They are all CPR and First Aid certified, background checked, and undergo 2 weeks of intensive training before camp.

Instructors all have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in marine science, biology, education, or a related field. Most of them teach with MSI throughout the year and are dedicated, experienced, environmental educators. In addition to leading facilitation of camper learning, Instructors are also primarily in charge of safety. They are the crew of our research vessel and undergo additional training and regular safety drills to comply with Coast Guard safety standards. Our fantastic Instructors are role models who inspire campers who are excited to learn from real marine scientists, many of whom have experience in the field.

Our summer camp Counselors are all in college or have already received their degrees. They work closely with the Instructors to help create a fun and safe learning place for our campers. Many of our Counselors are interested in pursuing careers in marine science or education, and Marine Science Camp is an excellent summer opportunity for them to get first-hand experience.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The final piece to the puzzle is our wonderful Volunteers. Our summer camp volunteers are vital to helping summer camp run. They add extra eyes, ears, and hands that make sure our campers stay safe and have fun. Volunteers join staff and campers for every activity and field trip. They are buddies, helpers, and friends to each and every camper—especially the campers that benefit from having just a little extra help making friends and getting involved. Volunteers join us for different amounts of time—for just one week to almost the whole summer! We are so grateful to have these energetic and generous people helping us out each summer, and are proud to see our campers become volunteers, who later become Counselors and Instructors! CLICK HERE to learn more about volunteer opportunities during the summer and beyond.

If YOU match any of these descriptions, CLICK HERE to learn more and apply. I look forward to greeting new and old members onto the team.

Marine Camp Sneak Peek: Explorers

We are all explorers of the world, with many things to learn and observe and experience. MSI is happy to share two different “Explorer” camps to children entering 2^nd-5^th grades (groups are sub-divided by grade). These camps are carefully crafted to guide our campers on a journey of discovery through different habitats, using standards-based, grade-specific curriculum that challenges them and accesses their prior knowledge.

Our Bay Explorer camp takes advantage of the science and nature in our own backyards. Sloughs, salt marshes, mudflats and wetlands that we drive by on our commutes every day become laboratories, study areas and places of discovery. This summer our Bay Explorers will enjoy visiting the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Preserve and the Pescadero marsh, where they will learn how we are all connected to complex watershed ecosystems, habitats and the animals that depend on them. While at MSI, their teachers will be the live bay animals in our aquarium and their classrooms will be our facilities—right next to the unique protected habitats of BairIsland.

Exploring tide pools at Bean Hollow

Ocean Explorers sail around the world and dive to the deep as they examine the many habitats in our world’s ocean. Field trips take them from more familiar coastal habitats such as the tide pools and beaches at Bean Hollow to the mysterious and unique habitats of the Farallones, which they will explore with the guidance of the experts at the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center. Our aquarium’s ocean animals will give campers a chance to learn from up-close interactions with living ambassadors from the sea. Their trip aboard our ship will connect our lives in the Bay to the life that circulates around the globe through the ocean.

These camps are packed to the gills with hands-on explorations and science projects. Our expert staff provides knowledge while creating a safe, collaborative and fun learning environment, full of songs, games and crafts that make learning a breeze. Each camp has different activities to emphasize their specific themes so that campers can enjoy both types of camp without repetition. Join us, explorers!

Low Tide Adventure Dec 16

On Saturday, November 16, MSI hosted a low-tide walk at Pillar Point, in Half Moon Bay. Certain low-tide events are better than others due to naturally occurring differences in the tide heights. Saturday’s was at a -0.55 ft at 3:30 pm, which means the height of the water was half a foot lower than sea level and a plethora of animals were exposed! Not only that, but it was in the afternoon on a sunny Saturday in November, so hundreds of people showed up to explore. I would estimate between 800-1000 people were on the hundred yard tide pool while we were there. I have never seen so many people tide pooling before, and while it makes me happy to know that more people are experiencing the joys of nature, I fear that we are loving this habitat to death.

Animals that live in the rocky shore are exposed in small pockets of water when the water level recedes during low tides twice a day, everyday in California. The animals may fall victim to desiccation, or drying out, low oxygen in their limited pool of water, and any number of predators, including humans, attacking them. 

By simply turning rocks over we were able to see three types of crabs, sea anemones, snails, four types of sea stars, monkeyface pricklebacks, woolly sculpins, and more! While MSI’s group of 30 were careful to return animals to their pools, not harm any animals while exploring, and leave all shells behind, I cannot say this was true for all the visitors to Pillar Point. We saw some people taking buckets of California mussels home to eat, red rock crabs were being snatched up or smashed under the weight of hundreds of people walking over it, and monkeyfaced pricklebacks were being fished with a poke and pole method.

While most collectors have a fishing permit, some were illegally harvesting or taking empty shells they thought were beautiful. Pillar Point is a Marine State Reserve, which is one type of Marine Protected Area. In a State Marine Reserve even taking shells is not permitted. On Saturday there was a ranger at the exit of the parking lot checking fishing permits and legal limits to ensure a safe and healthy habitat, but you can do your part by knowing what is allowed in certain areas.

We invite you to join the Marine Science Institute for our next low-tide walk on December 14th from 1:45-3:45pm, to get an up close view of rocky shore animals in their natural habitat using dip nets and buckets to get a hands-on experience! Be sure to sign up soon, we always fill up these events!

 

By: Stephanie Hansen (MSI Instructor)

Discovery Ecotour in San Francisco

Join us on the R/V Robert G. Brownlee for an exciting trip on the bay!

Discovery Ecotours feature a fishing trawl, a mud grab, and a plankton tow–all operated by our participants! This is your chance to explore bay first hand. What will you find? We’ve seen sharks and fish and invertebrates galore on these fantastic trips. Leaving out of Pier 40, this trip will provide stunning views of the city and the bridges–and all of the animals that live below!

Click here (or on the photo above) to register now!

Must be 5 years or older to participate.

Member prices: $30 for adults, $15 for children (5-12)

Non-member prices: $40 for adults, $20 for children (5-12)