|
Coastal
Explorers
Look In-Depth at
Narragansett Bay!
Ages 14-17
Coastal Explorers will take you on an adventure of exploration in
Narragansett Bay, the centerpiece of Rhode Island. The week is spent
exploring coastal ecosystems and marine habitats. Rhode Island's
pristine Prudence Island in the heart of Narragansett Bay will provide
the backdrop for much of your week. This camp theme is offered in
conjunction with the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve, which means that in addition to your Teen Leaders from Alton
Jones Camp, you will meet staff from the NBNERR who will share their
knowledge and enthusiasm about Prudence Island and Narragansett Bay.
This program offers a chance to learn about Narragansett Bay while
making new friends and having fun.
Coastal Explorers began with a grant sponsored in part through the Summer Science in
New England program through New England Aquarium and NOAA. The
goal was to engage teens ages 14-17 at camps and science
centers throughout New England in ocean science and sampling
techniques. Coastal Explorer teens will work with field
scientists to learn to identify marine organisms and apply NaGISA
shoreline sampling and data collection techniques. NaGISA is a
Japanese word that means shoreline and it stands for Natural Geography
in Shore Areas. It is a simple coastal sampling technique being
introduced worldwide.
Sunday and Monday are spent at the W. Alton Jones Campus.
Your Coastal Explorers group will consist of a maximum of 10 teens
and 2
Alton Jones leaders. While at Alton Jones you will
sleep in screen houses at the Teen Expedition Base Camp. Everyone
will have an opportunity to help prepare meals while in camp. Sunday is devoted to meeting
and getting to know your group-mates and leaders and you will do a
swim test at Lake Eisenhower, so be ready to get wet!. Sunday
night also includes an “all camp” campfire where you will
meet and see all of the other teens and leaders who are at Teen
Expeditions for the
week.
Monday will focus on freshwater as a basis for comparison to
the marine ecosystems that you will learn about. Monday
afternoon is spent exploring freshwater ponds and streams on the
W. Alton Jones Campus. You will find various critters in the wetlands
and learn more about how they survive. Monday night involves
preparing for the trip to Prudence Island before heading to the cabins for a good
night's sleep.
On Tuesday morning you will pack your van, have breakfast, then
drive in a 15-passenger van to meet the ferry. The ferry waits for no one, so it will
be important to leave early to get there on time. The ferry leaves Bristol and
arrives in the small old-fashioned island village of Homestead where
you will begin your Prudence Island adventure. From Homestead
you will drive to the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve at the south end of the island and move into your sleeping
cabin. After move-in, lunch, and an orientation you will head
off for snorkeling. The rest of the week involves exploring
the coastal ecosystems of Prudence Island.
While you are on Prudence Island a staff member from NBNERR will
join your group during the daytime. In addition to the NaGISA
sampling, activities planned
for Prudence Island include a salt marsh walk, help with an oyster
project, sandy beach activities, a tidal creek study, a crab
monitoring program, a sunset walk, ecology games, and
swimming. A full compliment of rainy day activities have been
planned just in case the weather doesn't fully cooperate.
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings will be spent at the Reserve's modern
sleeping cabin which includes bedrooms with bunk beds, a living
room, a kitchen, and bathrooms. You will be able to help your
leaders prepare simple
dinners and breakfasts in the cabin's kitchen, while pack-out
lunches will be eaten outdoors at the study sites.
Thursday is time to pack up, clean
up, and say goodbye to Prudence Island as you board the ferry back
to the mainland. But there is still one more adventure in
store on your exploration of Narragansett Bay. You will head
off to meet the folks of Save the Bay to go on a cruise. This
hands-on cruise aboard the oceanographic study vessel Alletta
Morris will give you the opportunity to conduct fish studies,
pull a trawl, test water quality and enjoy some time on the
bay. After the cruise you'll head back to Alton Jones for
rest, dinner and an evening program and closing campfire before heading off to your
cabin to sleep.
Friday is spent putting the whole week together
with reviews and wrap-ups plus closing activities. After lunch, there is some time to spend with friends new and
old before sign out and goodbyes as the week comes to an end.
A Special Note About Ticks: Like many coastal areas,
the forests of Prudence Island have a high concentration of disease
carrying ticks. While on the island, every effort will be made
to avoid tick habitat. These forest-dwelling ticks do not
typically live in the areas we will be visiting, which include salt
marshes, sandy beaches, tidal creeks, open lawns and
meadows. Tick checks are a regular part of Alton Jones
programs and campers will be reminded to conduct periodic
checks. Treating shoes (and other clothing) with permethrin
products such as Buzz Off before the camp program starts can also
help prevent tick bites. Parents should make sure their teen conducts a thorough tick check after returning home. An Information Sheet on ticks
and
tick borne illnesses is available with the online forms. If you have questions, please contact the W. Alton Jones Campus
at 401-397-3304 ext. 6043, altonjones@uri.edu.
|
|
