2009 Youth Group Environmental Education Programs
Maryland Park Service and Maryland Conservation Corps are offering the following Youth Group Programs at Assateague State Park for 2009 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:
Sarah Knipe Rodriguez
Phone: (410) 641-2120 x 13
Email: sknipe@dnr.state.md.us
or
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.
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, and 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.
Hoots and Hisses
By presenting living animals, this program emphazies human interaction with nature and wildlife and encourages participants to practice responsible stewardship in parks and nature everywhere. An Eastern screech owl, reptiles, and aquatic species will be used to introduce participants to native species of Maryland, their habitat, diet, and unique adaptations for survival. 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 its 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.
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.
The Great Migration Challenge
It's time to fly south for the winter, but watch out for the power lines, jets and bad weather. Will you make it safely to your wintering grounds? Learn about the challenges our feathered friends face in this model migration course. Once we've reached our destination, we'll explore bird adaptations by creating a species of our own that can survive life on Assateague Island. Service charge $40.00 per program (for up to 30 participants, and an additional $1.00 per participant after 30) for the one-hour program.