Anne Grimes, 732-872-0111, Education@cleanoceanaction.org

Students Get Sandy at Student Summit

     Nearly 260 students were scientists for a day in an outside classroom at COA’s 8th Annual Student Summit at Island Beach State Park on October 4th.  Ten schools from four of New Jersey’s southern counties attended and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day learning about the marine environment.  Students actively participated in field trips within the park, led by volunteer educators.  The students also experienced a series of hands-on learning stations, which included touch tanks with live animals, a coastal nonpoint source pollution model, shell identification, and, the favorite station, live horseshoe crabs (see right) and terrapins! 

     Volunteer educators from Island Beach State Park, Jenkinson’s Aquarium, American Littoral Society, Alliance for a Living Ocean, and the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) led field trips focused on crustaceans and mollusks, marine water quality testing, beach cleanups and marine debris, and coastal ecosystems.  Students from MATES also volunteered as peer teachers at the learning stations.  COA thanks all of the dedicated volunteers and supporters of the Student Summit who worked so tirelessly to make this a special day.  Special thanks to Kathleen Gasienica (see left) for her excellent lecture about horseshoe crabs and leading the seining field trip.  Many thanks also to Griffin Littel for leading the birding field trip. 

     COA thanks Commerce Bank for providing employees to serve as volunteers at the event.  These hard-working volunteers welcomed students and teachers, and assisted at stations.  Also, waves of thanks to Commerce Bank for donating water and lunch for those students and adults who worked to ensure a successful Student Summit.