Slough of Information

The CSU Monterey Bay-based Camp SEA Lab is in its second decade of offering Science, Education and Adventure through summer programs in and around the Monterey Bay area. Local teachers, scientists and resource managers who were concerned about the lack of ocean-science education in schools started the non-profit in 2000. About 8,000 children have participated in Camp SEA Lab programs since then. The program works closely with Monterey Bay-area research institutions. Funding is provided by grants – the California Coastal Commission's Whale Tail Grant program and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are major supporters – and local contributors such as the Packard Foundation and the Community Foundation for Monterey County. The youngsters – most in grades five through eight – come from the Monterey Bay area, but a few come from other states and even other countries. They take part in three- or five-day programs, day camps or residential camps. During the school year, programs are offered for entire classes; during the summer, youngsters participate as individuals. Amity Wood, program director, says many of the children have never been to the Pacific Ocean before, and have never done the kinds of activities the program exposes them to: paddling a kayak in Elkhorn Slough; looking at plankton under a microscope; dissecting a squid; building a remotely-operated vehicle. For some of them, it’s an adventure that will change the way they look at the ocean, the environment and, just maybe it will change the way they view science. Says Wood: “The vast majority of kids who come through the program aren’t going to become marine scientists, but maybe they’re going to come away with a different outlook on the ocean and the environment. “They’re going to care about it,” she says. “And if they care about it, they’re going to do something about it.” This summer, the Science, Education and Adventure continue with a variety of day camps and residential camps held on the CSUMB campus, including several programs especially for teens 13 to 17 years old. Two of the programs are for girls only. Campers will have the opportunity to interact with women scientists while exploring careers in science.

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