Hello all! My first week at Blacks Creek and Camp Harbor View has been many things so far-- exciting, exhausting, fishy, crabby, sunny, sweltering, rainy, and, best of all... fun.
Starting a new rotation in Week 5 of the summer is really interesting. Everyone around me, including my Junior staff and the Harbor Explorers themselves, have already had the chance to establish themselves at the sites, and here I am, the rookie of the group! While I thought it might be weird or off-putting, it's actually a really great dynamic... the kids are so excited to share with me what they're learned already this summer, my Junior staff is exhibiting the leadership skills I've seen emerging since June, and Emily and Aaron have both laid an amazing path for me to just do what I love-- foster love for the Harbor!
In addition to some good, old-fashioned free-form fishing and exploration, it's been a week of structured games and experiments as well. We took part in our regularly scheduled Wednesday Crab Count on the rocky shore at Camp Harbor View; and our Harbor Explorers at Blacks Creek took got to analyze their environment through exciting and competitive scavenger hunts!
Here's our winning team from Tuesday's scavenger hunt at Blacks Creek! Items included a hermit crab without a shell, a minnow, an Green Crab that is orange in color, and many more interesting Harbor creatures! Great job, you three!
Wednesday brought my first crab count at Camp Harbor view, right as the tide was rapidly coming in on the rocky shore! Groups of six campers created three teams along the shoreline. Each team measured a two meter by two meter square, which one camper standing at each corner. The remaining two campers counted all the crabs they could find within the parameter. Turning over rocks quickly becoming submerged in the rising tide, their hands were soon overflowing with Asian Shore crabs! We recorded the numbers for Dr. Judy and our network of fellow citizen scientists in the Harbor- but I think the kids had the most fun turning over rocks and realizing the little crabs could scuttle across their skin with minimal pinching involved!
That's it from Blacks Creek and Camp Harbor View for now. Where is the summer going?! I'm not okay with this.
Lots of Harbor Love,
Michelle
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