2008 Youth Group Environmental Education Programs
Maryland Park Service and Maryland Conservation Corps are offering the following Youth Group Programs at Assateague State Park for 2008 season. We welcome you and your youth group members to discover the unique ecology of a salt marsh and barrier island and the abundance of creatures that inhabit them. Program descriptions are listed below.
Contact Information:
Angela Baldwin
Phone: (410) 641-2120 x 20
Email: abaldwin@dnr.state.md.us
If you reach voice mail, please leave a message including your group name, phone number or email, grade or ages and number of participants expected, program/s requested, and potential dates. Email is suggested for fastest reservation confirmation.
Assateague Challenge Course
Our Assateague Challenge Course consists of ground-based team building activities. Build leadership and learn new skills while developing a greater appreciation for your individual strengths and limitations, as well as those of your teammates. Parent/guardian permission slip required. Service charge of $60.00 for the two-hour program.
Bayside Kayak Tour
Join our Naturalist staff for a guided kayak tour of Assateague’s back bay areas. Learn basic paddling skills and water safety, then embark on a coastal exploration. For ages 12+, parent/guardian permission slip required. Group size limited to 12 participants. Service charge of $60.00 for the two-hour program.
Backyard Habitat
Parks aren't the only places for you to see wildlife - where else can you see many of Assateague's critters? We'll compare habitats between a barrier island and mainland areas, then introduce you to some local reptiles and amphibians and discuss their importance in the ecosystem. Demonstrations and craft projects will show participants simple ways to create inviting homes for wildlife and ideas for building habitats to attract animals to your own backyard.
Service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.
Beach Scavenger Hunt
Explore the beach at Assateague in search of its natural treasures. Using a “Common Shells and Artifacts Discovery Guide”, participants are challenged to find examples of shells and artifacts pictured, then return to a sharing circle to learn about and share their finds. Then venture to the Nature Center where we’ll meet some of the live animals who create these amazing shells as part of their bodies. Service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.
Biological Beach Combing
Similar to our Beach Scavenger Hunt, but with a twist. Older age groups will be given a list of clues to describe common shells and artifacts found on the beach. The challenge is to solve the clues, then find an example along the beach. A sharing circle is used to learn about and share their finds. Then we’ll venture to the Nature Center to meet some of the live animals who create these amazing shells as part of their bodies. Service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.
Footprints in the Sand
Explore the two- and four-legged animals of Assateague by examining the tracks they leave behind. Learn techniques biologists use to preserve and identify animal tracks using field guides and other tools and create models of your own. By reading the footprints in the sand, can you figure our who has visited the island?
Service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.
Killer Trash
Want to include a service project with your visit? How about a coastal cleanup? Not just about picking up trash, this lesson teaches participants specifically about marine debris, how long it takes common trash items to decompose, and it’s danger to seabirds, fish, and marine mammals. Armed with this information, a data collection sheet, and some hefty bags, participants comb the beach and collect debris, tallying their finds for the Ocean Conservancy’s Coastal Cleanup Data Cards. Earn volunteer hours and help to beautify the beach at Assateague at the same time. Service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.
More Than Moccasins-Assateague Native Americans
Learn about Assateague through activities that illustrate how the nature of a barrier island and its wildlife resources shaped the culture and history of Eastern Shore American Indians. How did their young people entertain themselves long before television? Engage participants with artifacts, demonstrations, stories and craft projects answering just this question! Service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.
Saltmarsh Exploration
Not afraid of getting muddy? Come with us to discover the other side of Assateague Island- we are not just the beach! Participants will explore the complexities of a saltmarsh, one of the most productive ecosystems on earth. We will use seining and clamming equipment to collect mollusks and small fish and shrimp for observation and identification. (For this activity, participants will wade into the saltmarsh, we recommend wearing old clothes/bathing suits and closed toe shoes are required.) Service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.
Seas the Day: A Water Safety Course
Nothing could be more important about a trip to the beach than learning about water safety. Join us for this interactive learning experience on our Assateague beach (participants will not be permitted to enter the ocean during program) covering many components of water safety including basic water rescue, the use of safety equipment, ocean and wave ecology, and marine life. Instant safety- just add water! Service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.
Sea Turtle International
All the world's sea turtles are listed as endangered or threatened species. How do laws protecting these species work when sea turtles migrate between countries with different policies? Participants will role play to learn about human factors affecting sea turtle population and the conservation of wildlife habitats both locally and worldwide.
service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.
Scales and Tales**
By presenting live animals, this program emphasizes human interaction with nature and wildlife and encourages participants to practice responsible stewardship in parks and nature everywhere. Live birds of prey such as owls, hawks, and vultures, as well as reptiles will be used to introduce participants to native species of Maryland, their habitat, diet, and unique adaptations for survival.
** This program is offered through the Maryland Park Service Scales and Tales program and has a service charge of $100.00 for the one-hour program. Funds collected are used to support the care, feeding, and maintenance of the non-releasable captive birds of prey and rehabilitated animals housed at Pocomoke River State Park. Please call for more details.
Size Shapes the Beach
What do we have more of than anything else here at Assateague? Sand, of course. Participants will learn about sand sizes, shapes, and how they are formed from erosion of rock and shell over thousands of years. We will also look at how waves shape the beach and then will create sand art creations of your own. Service charge $40.00 per program (for groups up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.