Ocean for Life California Field Study July 26-August 9, 2009 Valerie Morel.
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Transcript of Ocean for Life California Field Study July 26-August 9, 2009 Valerie Morel.
Ocean for Life
California Field Study
July 26-August 9, 2009Valerie Morel
What is Ocean for Life?
• Ocean for Life is a field study bringing together high school students from the United States, Canada, and the Middle East.
• There were two groups of students, a group of Florida field study participants and a group of California field study participants.
Themes
• There were three themes that the participants were encouraged to explore while on the trip and examine how they related to the ocean and to our world:– Interconnectedness– A sense of place– Ocean conservation and stewardship
Youth Media Projects
• Throughout the entirety of the program, all sixty participants were working on youth media projects in small groups.
• Each group worked with either the National Geographic Photo Camp staff and created still media, or worked with American University graduate student film mentors.
Washington, D.C.
• The two field study groups met in D.C. for three days, Florida at the end of their field study and California at the beginning.
• The two groups engaged in teambuilding exercises, sightseeing, and cultural activities.
D.C. Highlights
• Tours of the Capitol Building and White House
• Sightseeing-monuments and memorials
• Cross-cultural exercises at the Meridian International Center, a main organizer of the program
Ocean-related Activities
• Viewing of the new Sant Ocean Hall in the Smithsonian
• Going to the National Aquarium (picture taken at the aquarium)
Above: California Field Study participants at the closing reception in Washington
Right: the Jefferson Memorial
Above: in front of the White House
California
• On the fourth day of my field study, we flew from D.C. to San Francisco.
• For the next ten days, we traveled around northern and central California.
• The Gulf of the Farallones, Monterey Bay, and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries engaged us in ocean related activities.
San Francisco Highlights
• We stayed at the Headlands Institute located in the Golden Gate Bridge Recreation Area.
• Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge• California Academy of Sciences• A sailboat ride in the San Francisco Bay• Afternoon on a research vessel testing water
and examining sand from the bottom of the bay
Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones Sanctuaries
• We worked with the two sanctuaries to learn more about what is living in the ocean.
• Activities at the sanctuary:– Caught crabs– Art projects: sketching and ink presses– Looked at plankton under a microscope
• We kayaked around Point Reyes.
Above: cross-cultural sharing activity
Above: field study participants after completing the walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
Left: on the sunset sail in the San Francisco Bay
The research boat we spent an afternoon aboard.
The Headlands Institute where we stayed.
Movie Work
• My group had the theme “A Sense of Place” for our movie project.
• Each student was given a FlipCam (a small, simple portable video recorder) to use throughout the trip.
• We filmed anything and everything to put in our movie.
• We worked with the mentors to develop ideas and a storyboard for our short film.
Año Nuevo
• We stopped at Año Nuevo State Reserve on our way to Santa Cruz and Monterey.
• We hiked out to the shore to see elephant seals in their natural habitat.
• We cleaned up one of the trails at the reserve.
Santa Cruz Highlights
• We stayed at the University of California Santa Cruz for the final five days of our study.
• Redwood night hike
• Kayaking in the ocean under a full moon
• Surf lessons
• Beach clean-up
Surf lessons in Santa Cruz Cleaning up at Año Nuevo
Monterey Bay Sanctuary
• Visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)
• Learned the difference between harbor seals and sea lions
• Went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Dissected a squid
Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Explored the aquarium in small groups
• Attended a presentation by Bob Talbot, a renowned marine photographer and filmmaker
• Spent the night in the aquarium and slept by the big tanks!
Above: fish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Left: Unmanned vehicles at MBARI
What I Learned
• My knowledge of ocean life and ocean resources expanded greatly.
• I learned that we must protect our oceans because they have irreplaceable resources.
• I gained a greater respect for marine science and oceanic research.
What I Took Away
• I met friends for life.
• I made connections with students and adults alike that will be invaluable in the future.
• I learned more about cultures different from my own and learned that they are not so different after all.
Ocean for Life
• As a group, we all learned what it meant to be connected as one population around the world.
• We are all impacted by the ocean, despite our location on the map.
• We can all make a positive change in our world and on our oceans by putting forth a little effort.
Youth Media Project
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