Patterson plans upgrade to drinking water system
May 16, 2012OUR VIEW: Morganza requires knowing what is, isn’t
May 16, 2012
If you’re a high-school student looking to learn all you can about the Louisiana coastal and marine environment, Louisiana Universities’ Marine Consortium’s Estuarine Awareness and Discovery Camp is the place to be June 24-29.
“The camp is centered on immersing the students on the habitat of the coast of Louisiana,” said Marine Education Associate and Aquarist Murt Conover. “The students will get to participate in events in our laboratory, in the field and on our research vessels.”
Students from eighth to 12th grade are eligible to attend the weeklong residential camp, and applications are being accepted from now until June 1.
“The age range of students varies from year to year, and we get an equal number of male and female students,” Conover said. “This year’s camp is being supported by a donation from the Southern Oil & Gas Invitational, and we are also partnering with Sassafras Louisiana.”
The weeklong camp will feature trips on LUMCON’s research vessel, a canoe trip through the salt marsh, dissection and plankton labs, plant and animal population surveys and beach surveys.
“LUMCON has been hosting the camp since 2000, and I have been involved with it since 2002,” Conover said. “I think students enjoy the boat trips up and down the Houma Navigation Canal and into Terrebonne Bay and the trip to one of the barrier islands most. Students always enjoy being on the research vessel. They also like to interact with our scientists – we have six resident scientists at the faculty.”
While traveling the Houma Navigational Canal, students will take water samples and trawl for plant and animal population surveys to see how the organisms differ from canal to bay environments. When visiting a barrier island, the campers will conduct a beach profile, beach sweep, trash cleanup and a scavenger hunt,
“We want them to see the differences between a surf, Gulf-side, environment versus a protected, bay-side environment,” Conover said. “They will also do fish collections through seining to see the differences there as well. The trip to a barrier island may not happen this year due to restrictions from the oil spill.”
Once the students have collected organisms, they will list the species found, their location and size and make a map of the collected organisms.
“Each evening, we talk about the data we collect during the day,” Conover said. “The students we get at the camp are usually really into marine biology.”
Students will also get hands-on experience by dissecting vertebrate and invertebrates like a speckled trout or red fish, a squid and a blue crab.
“We want to highlight the different biology of each organism, and we want to show how that biology is attached to the environment. We want them to learn how important the environment is to living things that we depend on as a resource.”
One of the crucial subjects students will learn about is the Gulf zone and plankton – plants and animals that can’t swim against current – and the roles plankton play in the zone and the food chain.
“I like watching things click, when what the students learn takes root,” Conover said. “It is fun to see them connect the dots and get their connection to the environment. It’s like building an army of mini-scientists. Even if you don’t want to be a marine scientist, it’s just great to see someone’s passion for the environment grow. LEAD camp is the turning point for many – they want to conserve and protect Louisiana when they leave camp.
Those interested in attending the camp can fill out the application at www.lumcon.edu/education/MarineEducation/LeadCamp/LEAD_brochure_2012.pdf or contact Murt Conover at mconover@lumcon.edu.
Students at the Louisiana Universities’ Marine Consortium’s Estuarine Awareness and Discovery Camp stand aboard the camp’s research vessel.
