Page 72 - April 2015 Life In Naples Magazine
P. 72
ROOKERY BAY “According to our market
analysis, no other education
provider in the region
offers hands-on estuarine
education in such close
alignment with school
”curriculum.
–Sarah Falkowski
Education Coordinator for the Reserve
ROOKERY BAY RESERVE DEBUTS
new seventh grade field trip program
by Renee Wilson
A frontrunner in environmental “Students are prepared before they arrive,” said Rookery Bay
education for Collier County educator Jeannine Windsor. “They get vocabulary words, fun
students for more than thirty years, activities, and everything they need to ensure a quality experience
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research once they get here,” she added.
Reserve has launched a new seventh grade
field trip program for students in Collier The program and labs address species adaptations necessary
County public and private schools. After for survival in the estuarine environment. The SURVIVOR Lab
several months of planning, the first class includes games that engage students in competition amongst
was welcomed last month. species and limiting factors.The Plankton Lab uses microscopes to
focus on species diversity at different times of day. In the Crab Lab
“We are so excited to offer this unique students observe common crab species and identify the traits that
learning experience to local students,” said are necessary for survival in their environments. The Keystone Lab
Sarah Falkowski, Education Coordinator invites students to examine oysters and the many relationships
for the Reserve. “According to our market they have with other species and water quality. Following the trip,
analysis, no other education provider in the the students’ actual data is compiled and made accessible for other
region offers hands-on estuarine education classes to compare and analyze.
in such close alignment with school
curriculum,” she concluded. Rookery Bay SURVIVORS was created to help teachers and
students understand more about the region’s coastal environment,
Called Rookery Bay SURVIVORS, as well as engage them in the process of science. All of the
this field trip program engages teachers activities have been structured for educational effectiveness and
in a pre-field trip educator workshop, incorporate critical thinking strategies, high level questioning,
and an educator’s guide provides teachers and scientific techniques.
information and activities to be completed
in the classroom before the field trip. A
Rookery Bay Reserve staff member or
volunteer docent even visits the classroom
to provide orientation.
72 Life in Naples | April 2015
