ACE Basin Adventure

Background/Theme: Teachers are invited to participate in a free learning workshop in the ACE Basin, a world-class ecosystem rich in habitat diversity, wildlife and historical significance representing one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast. The workshop will help teachers learn more about estuarine ecology, hammock islands, sea turtles, water quality, and the historical significance of the ACE Basin. Benefits: The four-day workshop will allow teachers to spend three evenings in the ACE Basin and participate in land-based classroom activities and adventurous field-based programs throughout the weekend. There is no cost to participate in the workshop. All meals and lodging will be paid for by the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation Grant. Program offerings support state standard curriculum guidelines and will allow teachers to use information, ideas and activities within their own classrooms. Teachers are eligible for renewal credit through participation in the workshop.

Activities:

• kayaking down the Ashepoo River
• discovering night sounds of the forest
• developing backyard habitats
• marine trawl aboard E/V Discovery
• water-quality monitoring
• marine specimen dissection
• plankton identification
• exploring Otter Island

Location / Time:

• Tuesday, June 9th through Friday, June 12th
• Participants will meet at the Michael D. McKenzie Field Station at Bennett’s Point (near Jacksonboro) on Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. and depart on Friday at 12:00 p.m.

Eligibility:

• 5th – 12th grade teachers of all subjects in Beaufort, Berkeley, Colleton, Charleston, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Jasper and Horry counties
• Teachers interested in the workshop must submit an application by April 15, 2009. You can download the application (Adobe PDF - file size 32KB), or call Robert Wiggers at (843) 953-9363.
• The workshop will be limited to 15 participants.

Requirements:

• Commitment to four-day workshop, involving overnight stay and travel
• Must be able to tolerate summer temperatures, insects and physical activity
• Upon completion of the workshop, teachers must develop a standards-based lesson plan to be shared with ACE Adventure participants.
• Pre and post-assessment teacher workshop evaluation.

Partners supporting ACE Basin Adventure: Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, SC Parks Recreation and Tourism, Colleton Museum, SC Sea Grant Consortium, COSEE-SE, SEWEE Association, NOAA, ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve, and North Inlet-Winyah Bay NERR.

You can download the information flier about the adventure and ACE Basin Adventure Application in the Adobe PDF file format. Adobe® Reader® is required to open the files and is available as a free download from the Adobe® Web site.