JMB Summer Camp: Week 4
An Adventure-Filled Week for the JMB Campers at LMC Summer Camp
Hello everyone! While this week of camp has come to an end, we are so happy to have had the privilege of hosting your children for our Conservation Kids week of summer camp! This week was focused on teaching campers about conservation, and how they play an active role in preserving our environment’s livelihood and health. Your junior marine biologists really lived up to their name as they leaped into learning how to responsibly enjoy the outdoors, through field trips, classroom seminars, and hands-on activities that let them explore Florida’s natural beauty.
Right next to our Juno Beach campus, the campers made almost daily trips down to the beach to examine, protect, and learn from it. This beach, which is one of the most active sea turtle nesting sites in the world, holds an absolute haven for biodiversity. On top of that, going here lets the campers see that conservation isn’t some esoteric and distant science word, but something that they can take part in, right in their own home. Since it’s a space shared by our native marine animals as well as us humans, the campers quickly learned about the importance of respecting their environment. They led and partook in extensive beach clean ups, as well as collecting seaweed and shell samples to study in our Junior Research Lab. In doing this, they were able to see right in front of them the effect of human created waste, and the importance of taking a stand to remove it, all while having a fun time in the sand and sea.
The campers this week also eagerly attended several scientific seminars that taught them the ins and outs of everything conservation. We held them right here on campus, and the campers got to learn directly from experts working at various Florida state parks. When learning from park rangers around Florida, the campers jumped into the art of conservation and had the opportunity to prove themselves as junior park rangers. These seminars prepared the kids for the active work that scientists and workers dedicated to preserving the natural world do every day. They were able to gather up the environmental knowledge necessary for a marine researcher. But, all of this learning didn’t just sit inside the classroom! The whole week’s activities and events made sure to make practical use of every new fact your kids learned.
At Jonathan Dickinson State Park, one of the rich natural havens around us here at LMC, the campers got to go on adventure-filled field trips by kayaking and snorkeling, while they learned about the important work that state parks do. They had up close and personal interactions with the nature around them, and gathered the tools they needed to protect and preserve it.
To channel their imaginations, the campers also made creative art pieces that reflected everything they learned. They worked together and used recycled materials like bottle caps and paper to make a vibrant coral reef model, which they used to learn about and demonstrate some of the very rich ecosystems and life that exists below the surface of our oceans.
We are so glad and grateful that you trusted LMC to let your children. Our team welcomes you to join again next year to continue their blooming passion for the ocean, marine life, and science!
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Education. LMC’s Education programs aim to empower and inspire individuals to engage in the conservation of the world’s ocean by providing STEM-based knowledge and resources to take responsible action. For in-field, in-classroom, and virtual education experiences, please email Guest Services at reservations@marinelife.org.
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One World. At Loggerhead Marinelife Center (LMC) we strive to be industry leaders in sea turtle and ocean conservation. Our work is focused on four core pillars, each focused on demonstrating measurable impact. Our team researches and rehabilitates sea turtles because sea turtles tell us the health of the ocean, which tells us the health of our planet. These critical indicator species serve as our global ambassadors for ocean conservation. In this blog, we invite you to dive into the depths of ocean conservation and explore our research efforts. Our educator biologists aim to empower and inspire individuals to engage in the conservation of the world’s oceans and ecosystems by providing STEM-based knowledge and resources to take responsible action. Donate to propel our mission and help save sea turtles.