BERKELEY – You can learn a lot in the classroom, but sometimes you have to go to the source.
That’s why more than 200 5th-8th grade students from nine area schools spent a day learning about marine ecosystems at Island Beach State Park during the 36th Annual Clean Ocean Action Fall Student Summit.
Each session was like an immersive field trip, where the students were able to learn about environmental protection in a fun and hands-on way.
While one group learned seining, another group looked for mollusks and crustaceans. They learned about invasive species and something even more invasive – microplastics.
The schools participating were Bay Head School, Bordentown Regional Middle School, Calvary Academy, Hugh J. Boyd, Jr. Elementary in Seaside Heights, Lavallette Elementary, Manchester Township Middle School, Memorial Middle School in Point Pleasant, Saint Peter’s School in Point Pleasant Beach, and Westfield Friends School in Cinnaminson.
Kristen Grazioso, education and volunteer manager for Clean Ocean Action, pointed out that while some lessons were taught by groups like the Barnegat Bay Partnership, some were taught by seniors from the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES).
“They’re learning from their peers,” she said. “They are inspired by the experience.”
The younger students might decide to attend MATES after this. She noted that she’ll meet MATES students who fondly remember the summit. Even if they don’t continue their educational career in environmental science, the goal is to encourage them to think and live in a more environmentally sustainable way.
“By having them here, hands on, connected with the environment, they’ll be more inspired to protect it,” she said.
Some examples of the field trips included a botany walk, beach combing, fishing, beach profiling, and beach sweeps. Roundtable discussions focused on subjects like horseshoe crabs, terrapins, and nonpoint source pollution.
The schools only had to provide transportation. The rest was free thanks to the John Ben Snow Memorial Trust and Eloise & John Pound in memory of Anne Inman Webster, as well as Island Beach State Park.
