Quilcene students learn about marine science in new PTMSC pilot program
Contact: Christina Pivarnik, Marketing
Port Townsend Marine Science Center
(360) 379-3378 or christina@pivarnik.com
or info@ptmsc.org
Usually when someone thinks of a dock, they think of a place where you tie up a boat or fish. But the 8th graders in Larry McKeehan’s science classes at Quilcene Middle School view docks differently, thanks to a new pilot science program launched by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) this fall called the Northern Hood Canal Dock Monitoring Project, fondly known as the “Docks Project.”
“In the Docks Project, middle school students learn about what goes on underneath the docks in our community by studying water quality, plankton and marine invertebrates,” said Judy D’Amore, educator for the PTMSC and the lead on the project. “Students will do research and experiments about marine water quality and factors contributing to the recurring low dissolved oxygen events in Hood Canal.”
The 8th graders in Quilcene are the first class to participate in the Docks Project. It’s hoped by the PTMSC that the program will extend in future years to 8th grade science classes in Port Townsend, Brinnon, and Chimacum as well.
Classroom work will complement dock monitoring in the field so students can participate in investigative science to increase their understanding of water quality in relation to local geology, currents, climate and weather changes, and shoreline land use. During dock monitoring, they’ll look for invasive species like tunicates and become aware of the threat they pose to nearshore habitats in the Puget Sound area.
Data collected by students will be posted to a common Web site with additional links to data collected by the Hood Canal Dissolved Oxygen Program. This will allow students to look at trends in their own data along with regional trends.
“The Quilcene School District has been a perfect place to pilot this project,” said D’Amore. “I’m thrilled to work with a terrific team of educators in the district. The Docks Project is also benefiting from all the technology and educational support that was leveraged in recent years by WSU and individuals in the community.”
She went on to comment that they’re also working in partnership on the project with the Port of Port Townsend, Jefferson County Soil Conservation District, Jefferson County Health Department and the Hood Canal Dissolved Oxygen Program. Some of those groups have offered to make classroom visits to provide support and validation for the students’ monitoring efforts.
The Docks Project is important in our community because it helps to build awareness of Puget Sound issues with our young people who will have the responsibility of its stewardship within a decade. Funding for the project has been provided by grants from the Horizons Foundation, the Jiji Foundation, the Norcliffe Foundation, Wells Fargo and the Port Townsend Rotary.
Celebrating 25 years of coastal education and conservation in 2007, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center is devoted to understanding, preserving and teaching about our marine and shoreline environment as guardians for a sustainable future. Located on the beach at Fort Worden State Park, the PTMSC offers two public exhibits: the Marine Exhibit features large touch pools and aquaria, and the Natural History Exhibit highlights the rich zone where land meets sea. The Natural History Exhibit is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the exhibit is $3 for adults, $2 for youth and free to PTMSC members. The PTMSC also offers a wide variety of educational programs and special events. For more information, call 360.385.5582, e-mail info@ptmsc.org or visit www.ptmsc.org for a full listing of 25th Anniversary lectures and events.