FIRST ANNUAL SCIENCE CAMP

Eleven middle school students participated in the Sitka Sound Science Center’s first annual Science Day Camp. The focus of the camp was to expose the students to marine science through educational talks, walks, lessons, and presentations from biologists, naturalists, and local artisans.

The students worked closely with the local artists and were provided with research and art materials to develop and create an educational, interactive kiosk for the Molly O. Ahlgren Aquarium.

The students painted whale tails with signature markings provided by a local whale biologist.

The culmination of the 2009 Summer Day Camp was a day trip to the St. Lazaria National Wildlife Refuge for the eleven participating students. The St. Lazaria Island National Wildlife Refuge is a volcanic outcropping located 25 nautical miles from Sitka. The island provides a safe nesting ground as well as an abundant food source for tufted puffins, rhinocerous auklets, storm petrels, and many other species of seabirds and raptors. Activities included viewing live SCUBA dive videos of the undersea world, exploring the beaches, cliffs, and caves on the island, and taking a guided tour of the storm petrel burrows with park service biologists.

Henry, our skipper for the Science Center’s boat the “Uncle Mel”, helps the divers gear up.

Divers splashed and ready to start the video.

Sea anemone, northeast lagoon.

Lemon peel nudibranchs find a perfect home in the undersea world at St. Lazaria because of the abundant food source available to them.

Looking northwest toward the Mt. Edgecumbe. This is the first view that the students were treated to upon landing on the island.

View of St. Lazaria’s “famous” archway.

Winding our way along the steep and rocky “trail”.

View of tufted puffins from petrel burrow trail.

Tufted puffin swimming in the northeast lagoon.

Tidal pool/suction hole, southwest facing side of island.

Shag rug nudibranch in tidal pool on the island.

Looking back on the trail to the burrows.

Flags that mark the burrow entrances.

The biologist checks the data cards before sampling the chicks.

Getting ready to take measurements.

The chick’s weight is important data to determine nutrient availability for storm petrels in the area.

Heading back to the Uncle Mel, we were going to take a shortcut but remembered that our life jackets were all the way across the island!

A fun and exciting time was had by all!