Emerald Coast Science Adventure

Day 1

During the morning the group will spend time kayaking and exploring the unique coastal dune lake ecosystem found in the area. Be on the lookout for bat rays, blue crabs, and a variety of unique marine inhabitants! Afterward, your group will gather together for a beach restoration project where you will discuss the dangers of oil pollutants on such marine inhabitants as sea turtles and pelicans. During the afternoon you will have opportunity to share the love of Christ at a local women’s shelter. Your group will help clean the facility, participate in light construction and painting on the property, and provide assistance to fulfill the current needs of the shelter. Later, you will take some time for dinner and then head to the beach for shark studies. Weather permitting, the group may also try to catch live sharks for the purpose of analysis and release. The day will conclude with group discussion and devotions.

Day 2

Today your group will spend time with a local sea turtle specialist to assist with the analysis of loggerhead sea turtle nests in the area. You will walk the beaches collecting debris and trying to determine the effects of oil on the endemic wildlife. Later, your group will visit the National Marine Fishery Service laboratory to learn about ongoing gulf and shark research, and you will see firsthand how tagging and fishery analysis is performed. The group will then head out to sea to observe and interact with the wild porpoises that make their home off Shell Island! At the conclusion of the afternoon you will take some time for dinner and shopping at Pier Park, and then your day will conclude with a night wade and time for devotions.

Day 3

Following breakfast, you will head to Camp Helen State Park, located on Lake Powell, the largest of the coastal dune lakes. The group will spend the morning assisting park rangers with preservation efforts through such activities as trail enhancement projects, removing invasive species, and light construction. You will also learn about the remarkable prehistoric mounds that indicate human habitation of the area more than 4,000 years ago. In the afternoon your group will conduct net pulls to study marine species in Lake Powell’s ecosystem, and then you will have time to clean up and enjoy lunch before heading for home.