Homeschool

The WATER track is for families with predominantly younger children. Classes will target ages 4 to 10; however, older students are welcome in an effort to accommodate families with wide age ranges. Please note that only children ages 4 and above need to be formally registered. You are welcome to bring children ages 3 and below for free. 

Class Descriptions:

Shrimpy Business: Explore our estuary with us as we uncover the hidden creatures burrowing in the mud. We will search for ghost and mud shrimp, investigate their parasites, and learn why these animals are so important to a healthy estuary. What mysteries will we uncover in the mud? Join us and find out!

Beach Boxes: We are bringing the beach to you! Explore the wide variety of natural and human-made items found on our shores. Sort and categorize things like rocks, shells, driftwood, and algae, as well as hard plastic fragments, plastic film, pellets, foam, and rope. Along the way we will learn about the different ways these items find their way onto our beloved beaches and discover ways we can help care for and clean up this special habitat.

Marine Debris Art: Students will begin with a larger, unique piece of marine debris plastic and transform it into an art piece using other found and recycled materials. Let your creativity shine as you create a one-of-a-kind piece that tells a story and inspires conversations with your family and friends!

This EARTH track is recommended with families with mixed-aged children. Classes will target ages 8 to 12 years; however, younger and older students are welcome in an effort to accommodate families with wide age ranges. Please note that only children ages 4 and above need to be formally registered. You are welcome to bring children ages 3 and below for free. 

Class Descriptions:

Shrimpy Business: Explore our estuary with us as we uncover the hidden creatures burrowing in the mud. We will search for ghost and mud shrimp, investigate their parasites, and learn why these animals are so important to a healthy estuary. What mysteries will we uncover in the mud? Join us and find out!

Beach Boxes: We are bringing the beach to you! Explore the wide variety of natural and human-made items found on our shores. Sort and categorize things like rocks, shells, driftwood, and algae, as well as hard plastic fragments, plastic film, pellets, foam, and rope. Along the way we will learn about the different ways these items find their way onto our beloved beaches and discover ways we can help care for and clean up this special habitat.

Fish Full of Fibers: Meet the mighty myctophid - a tiny deep-sea fish at the center of big questions about microplastic pollution. In this class, students will explore real research from Oregon State University as they uncover a surprising discovery: a fish with microfiber in its stomach. Students will roll up their sleeves for hands-on investigations and data exploration to better understand how fibers end up inside important marine species. Together we’ll examine how human action can impact the ocean ecosystem and the steps we can take to protect it.

The AIR (students only - drop off) TRACK is targeted to students 12-18 years old. Parents/guardians are not required to accompany their child during activities associated with this track. Parents are welcome to register their child and drop them off for the event OR may register their older child(ren) for this track while they participate in the WATER or EARTH track with their younger children.

Class Descriptions:

Fish Full of Fibers: Meet the mighty myctophid - a tiny deep-sea fish at the center of big questions about microplastic pollution. In this class, students will explore real research from Oregon State University as they uncover a surprising discovery: a fish with microfiber in its stomach. Students will roll up their sleeves for hands-on investigations and data exploration to better understand how fibers end up inside important marine species. Together we’ll examine how human action can impact the ocean ecosystem and the steps we can take to protect it.

Wonderful Watershed Game: Step into the shoes of real decision-makers in a coastal community! In this interactive role-playing simulation, students put on the hats of different working people in the local community. Working together, they’ll explore how land use decisions impact the health of local waterways and experiment with strategies to keep ecosystems clean. With limited budgets and competing priorities, teams will collaborate to reduce nonpoint source pollution and reach a shared clean-water goal.

Beach Contamination: What happens when harmful materials make their way onto our shores and what does it really take to clean them up? In this hands-on simulation, students investigate how pollution can spread through a beach environment and experiment with ways to remove it. Working in small teams, they’ll design a cleanup strategy that balances cost, effort, and environmental impact before putting their plan to the test by extracting a “contaminant” from a tray of damp sand and learn it may be more difficult than they think to clean up a contaminated beach.

The SEAL Track is recommended for families with predominantly younger children. Classes will target ages 4 to 10; however, older students are welcome in an effort to accommodate families with wide age ranges. Please note that only children ages 4 and above need to be formally registered. You are welcome to bring children ages 3 and below for free. 

Class Descriptions:

Cephalopod Madness: Start the day diving into the fascinating world of cephalopods! Students will explore how these incredible animals move, hunt, and camouflage themselves, uncovering the adaptations that help them survive in the ocean. Through a three-activity, hands-on rotation, each student will launch a “squid,” search for cephalopods in the wild, and discover how these animals propel themselves through water.

Phenomenal Pinnipeds: Come explore your “seal-y” side with us while we move, flop, and play like seals and sea lions. Students will race across a tarp, exploring how pinniped adaptations help these animals survive in the ocean and see what it’s like for them to move on land. They’ll also join a fun, vocal game called Ark, Fark, Snark. Come dressed like a seal in a smooth or fluffy onesie for a fully hands-on experience that brings these amazing animals to life!

Crawly Crabby Crafting: Meet our shore crab friends through hands-on interaction and investigate crabby adaptations that help them move, feed, hide, and communicate. Inspired by the way crabs eat and grab food, participants will make their own crab claws and test their crabby food grabbing abilities.

This SHORE CRAB track is recommended with families with mixed-aged children. Classes will target ages 8 to 12 years; however, younger and older students are welcome in an effort to accommodate families with wide age ranges. Please note that only children ages 4 and above need to be formally registered. You are welcome to bring children ages 3 and below for free. 

Class Descriptions:

Speedy Science: Join us for this exciting, interactive science experiment where students will observe, predict, and race live shore crabs to see who is fastest and why. Full of personality and pizzazz, these crabs are a claw-some way to explore what factors influence their speed.

Squid Dissection: Take a deep dive into the world of cephalopods as students explore the external and internal anatomy of a squid. Using real dissection tools and proper techniques, students will investigate how these incredible invertebrates are built for life in the ocean. This hands-on exploration blends curiosity, observation, and discovery to reveal the fascinating biology behind one of the sea’s most iconic creatures.

Bird Behaviors: Head out to the estuary for a scientist-style birding adventure! Students will gear up, observe, and study local bird species in real time. After choosing a bird to focus on, they’ll collect data on its actions, patterns, and interactions with the environment. Back in the classroom, students will analyze and interpret their observations to see what the data reveals about their bird’s behavior. This hands-on investigation builds skills in observation, data collection, and understanding animal behavior in the wild.

The SANDPIPER (students only) TRACK is targeted to students 12-18 years old. Parents/guardians are not required to accompany their child during activities associated with this track. Parents are welcome to register their child and drop them off for the event OR may register their older child(ren) for this track while they participate in the SEAL or SHORE CRAB track with their younger children.

Class Descriptions:

Shark Tank (1 hour): Step into the world of shark science with an investigation inspired by real research from OSU’s Big Fish Lab. Students will explore how researchers use innovative tools to study the movements and behaviors of sharks. By analyzing real video footage collected from the back of a shark, participants will practice identifying shark behaviors and interpreting movement patterns. Along the way, they’ll uncover how scientists learn about shark ecology and what these observations reveal about how sharks survive and thrive in the open ocean.

Estuary Fauna Frenzy (2 hours): We’ll be heading into the estuary for a hands-on biodiversity investigation! Students will design and carry out their own mini-research study to answer the question: Where is the most biodiversity in the estuarine intertidal zone? Using transect tapes, quadrats, and real field-science methods, they’ll collect data on the plants and animals they find across the estuary. After gathering their observations, students will analyze and compare their results to uncover patterns in species distribution and explore what influences biodiversity in this dynamic ecosystem.