Monday, May 7, 2012 by Anna.

From April 23-27, Emerson Middle School visited us for their second year in a row.  Last year, the students came for a  three-day trip, but this year, thanks to grants received by their fantastic science teacher Garry Joseph, the students were able to stay for a full five days!  Over half of the students were returning students, eager to experience again all that Catalina has to offer. Judging from letters written by the students, highlights were kayaking, hiking Mt. Whitley (in the mud!  Thanks, Prestyn!) and night snorkeling.  They loved the bio-luminescence (but who doesn’t?)

The students brought a Flip Cam with them and filmed hours (and hours and hours and hours!!) of footage.  Garry gave me permission to post the link to the video footage (edited version!):

http://emersonms.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=50201&type=u&pREC_ID=video

Please check it out!   He did a great job and it is a pleasure to relive the experience with these exceptional students.

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Tuesday, April 10, 2012 by Anna.

Channel Islands Marine Science Academy returned to us last week for their fourth year in a row.  We were thrilled to see lots of the same students return as well - in fact, over half of the group were returnees!  The returning students helped guide the new ones through snorkeling (day and night), kayaking, hiking, and the low ropes course.

Justin gave the students a lesson on the ins and outs of the touch tank.  While many people know what a touch tank is, few know what keeps them running, and how to maintain the specific conditions required to keep the animals healthy.  Justin has done an incredible job with the aquarium area, and it was fun to hear him show off his efforts!

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Thursday, March 22, 2012 by Anna.

TCX’s first group of the season, Burbank High School, arrived at White’s Landing on Monday morning and departed yesterday.  The group, which consisted of students in a marine biology class and/or club, participated in all of our best activities, including snorkeling, kayaking, hiking, plankton observation, and the low ropes course.  A brave few even completed the night snorkel, and were rewarded with clear waters, brilliant bioluminescence, and shark, ray, and lobster sightings!  While I was impressed with the fact that all of the students got in to the water for day snorkeling (it is cold right now.  Seriously, cold.), I was doubly wowed by these fearless night snorkelers.  But the students had come with a motto, YOLO (You only live once), and they were determined to follow it.  They even had all of our program staff saying it by the end!  Thank you, Burbank, for a wonderful start to the season!

Now, I know what you are thinking…this is a picture of a cactus, not of the brave Burbank students…and you are right!  I failed to get a photo of the students this past week, but am hoping their faculty will email a few my way.  If they do, I will update the photo.  In the meantime, isn’t it a nice cactus?

Stay tuned for a post about our new  program staff, who undergo training mid-April.  We are also lucky to have 3 program staff from last year continue on with us this season.  I think we are just getting better and better, and cannot wait to see how the season unfolds!

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