Center for Coastal Studies Offers Full Range of Summer Educational Programs
The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) will once again offer a full range of educational programs for all ages this summer.
Center for Coastal Studies Offers Full Range of Summer Educational Programs
PROVINCETOWN, MA - The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) will once again offer a full range of educational programs for all ages this summer. The schedule, which runs from June 19 through the end of August, includes perennial favorites, like seal walks in Truro, along with a new program, Science in the Harbor Tours, with the Center for Coastal Studies and the Dolphin Fleet. Every Friday morning, July 11 – August 29, CCS guides aboard a Dolphin Fleet vessel take a science-based look at the story of Provincetown Harbor. For info and tickets go to Whalewatch.com.
Three 3-day Whale Camp programs are offered, on July 14-16, August 4-6, and August 11-13, from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. Whale Camp is an opportunity for children, ages 8-12, to learn about whales and the ocean. Highlights include the chance to step inside a life-size North Atlantic right whale, learn what it’s like to disentangle whales and turtles, identify whales by their distinctive markings, create whale art and more! Participants may also have an opportunity to meet whale researchers and members of CCS Marine Animal Disentanglement Team. Each camp culminates with whale watch aboard the Dolphin Fleet!
Shorter programs geared toward visitors of all ages include weekly seal walks in Truro to view gray seals and harbor seals resting at “haul-outs,” and learn more about the role these animals play in our coastal ecosystem. All walks begin at High Head in Truro in the parking lot off High Head Road at head of bike trail.
Junior marine biologists won’t want to miss “Get to the Bottom of It,” a fun program for children ages 6-12, who will collect samples from shallow beach waters, then use a microscope to take an up-close look at the tiny marine animals that live in the harbor.
Children can also enroll in the Junior Entanglement Responder Program to learn about the tools used by the Center’s Marine Animal Entanglement Response (MAER) team to free a whale or sea turtle trapped in fishing lines and gear. They’ll even try their hand at “rescuing” a whale.
A number of special events are planned for Whale Week, the Center’s annual celebration of the sea, from August 3rd through 9th. The week kicks off with the Run the Trails for Whales 5K on Aug. 3. Runners enjoy the spectacular scenery of the Province Lands in the Cape Cod National Seashore. A registration fee of $40, for which runners receive a wonderfully designed t-shirt, supports the Center’s educational programs.
Also scheduled during Whale Week is “Watching Whales from Shore,” where you can learn to identify the variety of whales seen along the Cape shores, and then get a chance to spot them. The regular 3-day Whale Camp is also offered during this year’s Whale Week.
“The Center's summer programs let folks explore, learn and enjoy the Cape's marine ecosystems and the wonderful creatures that live within,” said Jesse Mechling, CCS Director of Education.
Visitors are also welcomed to visit the Spinnaker exhibit at the Center’s Hiebert Marine Lab, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown. Learn about the fascinating story of Spinnaker, a humpback whale whose skeleton has been reconstructed in the Center’s atrium. People are encouraged to visit Monday through Friday, 1 to 4 pm.
Many of the children’s programs meet at the Center for Coastal Studies’ SEA Space Discovery Center, located at Whaler’s Wharf, 237 Commercial Street, Provincetown, which is open Monday-Friday 11-5pm beginning June 24th. Come in and learn about marine wildlife on the Cape or join one of the weekly programs. Registration is highly recommended for programs, go to the calendar of events at www.coastalstudies.org to learn more and to register.
About the Center for Coastal Studies
The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Provincetown, MA is a non-profit organization dedicated to understanding, preserving and protecting marine ecosystems and the coastal environment through applied research, education and public policy initiatives. For more information go to: www.coastalstudies.org.