GCEG SPRING PROGRAMS

Cumberland Island National Seashore Tours
912-882-4335 or 877-860-6787
Island tours include daily ranger guided Dungeness tours at 10 a.m., daily Dockside programs at 4 p.m., and Plum Orchard tours the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. Space on the ferry is limited so make your reservations early.

Summer Marine Science Camps
UGA Marine Extension Service Aquarium
912-598-2355 and lindsaya@uga.edu
Lottery enrollment for these sessions begins April 1. These day camps are tailored to meet the learning stages and styles of kids aged 4-15. All sessions are hands-on, feet-in, and lively! Snacks / lunch, t-shirt, water bottle, and low camper-staff ratio are all included. For program and registration information, visit
http://www.marex.uga.edu/aquarium/summerCamps.html .

Summer Sea Turtle Camp
Georgia Sea Turtle Center – Jekyll Island
Children ages 6-12 are invited to join us for the ultimate camp experience as junior conservationists. Be a part of this groundbreaking program with fun-in-the-sun activities, sand adventures and unforgettable sea turtles! Cost is $200 per child which includes 25 hours of structured programming, snacks, and Sea Turtle Camp T-Shirt. Space is limited and registration is required by April 30. Registration form is available at
www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org.

April 2
Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Savannah Aquatic Center Hosted by Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, this event features middle and high school teams from around the southeast as they maneuver underwater robots they have built through a series of obstacles to demonstrate their engineering skills. Winners of this event go on to international competition. The public is welcome at the pool at no charge.

April 2
Wassaw Island Barrier Island Explorations
9 a.m – 2 p.m.
UGA Marine Extension Service Aquarium on Skidaway Island
912-598-2496
Take a boat ride to the Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge. Hike through the maritime forest and explore one of the most pristine, undeveloped beaches on the east coast. Reservations and prepayment required. Ages 10 years and older. Cost is $30/person.

April 16
Shell-e-brate Earth Day Festival
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Georgia Sea Turtle Center – Jekyll Island
912-635-4076
Crafts, earth-tastic activities, and eco-entertainment for the whole family! Festival activities are included with general admission to the Center. .

April 16-24
National Park Week
Celebrate the diversity, beauty, and history found in our national park system. While most national parks are free throughout the year, none will charge admission during National Park Week. Visit www.nps.gov for details.

April 24
Junior Ranger Day
Cumberland Island and at the Visitor Center in St. Marys
912-882-4335 or 877-860-6787
Call for program details and to make reservations.

May 7
Educational Trawl Trip
9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
UGA Marine Extension Service Aquarium on Skidaway Island
912-598-2496
Explore one method of scientific sampling aboard the R/V Sea Dawg as an otter trawl net is deployed to gather bottom-dwelling organisms in our estuary. Reservations and prepayment required. Ages 10 years and older. Cost is $30/person.

May 21
Dolphin Explorations
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
UGA Marine Extension Service Aquarium on Skidaway Island
912-598-2496
Learn the basic characteristics of the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin before boarding skiffs to collect water quality and geo-position data. Look for and photo-identify individual dolphins and record their behavior. Sightings and related data will be entered into a database to track dolphin movements along the coast. This program follows established federal and state guidelines for observing dolphins in the wild. Reservations and prepayment required. Ages 10 years and older. Cost is $15/person.

June 1-30
Sea Turtle Patient of the Year
Georgia Sea Turtle Center – Jekyll Island
912-635-4076
Cast your vote for the sea turtle patient that best represents the Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s mission of rescue, rehabilitation and release. Guests can purchase a $1 Pledge Card in our gift shop and tell us why their favorite patient should be this year’s winner! Winner is announced via the Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s blog www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org.

June 2-June 4
Nest Fest
Georgia Sea Turtle Center – Jekyll Island
912-635-4076
Celebrate the Georgia Sea Turtle Center’s 4th anniversary with fun activities and a sea turtle release! Sea turtle lectures, kid-friendly movies, and outdoor festivities. Reservations are required for most activities. Beach event and sea turtle release on June 4 are FREE to the public.



TEACHER TRAINING WORKSHOPS
For information on coastal teacher training opportunities, please visit the following links:

University of Georgia Marine Extension and COSEE Southeast workshops
www.uga.edu/marex/aquarium/

Sapelo Island NERR workshops
www.estuaries.gov

Gray's Reef NMS workshops
www.graysreef.noaa.gov