The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is hoping to attract future volunteers by offering the public a hands-on learning experience on Long Beach Island this summer.

Photo courtesy of marinemammalstrandingcenter.org
Photo courtesy of marinemammalstrandingcenter.org
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Education Coordinator Sarah Miele said participants will get to experience things volunteers at the Stranding Center actually do, including Mock Stranding Rescues for children ages 7 and older, every Thursday at 10 a.m., at the beach on North 7th Street in Surf City. The cost is $20/child. "They're going to be rescuing a dolphin or a sea turtle on the beach and we have prop animals that we use and the kids actually get a  hands-on lesson on how we actually have to go through with rescuing and all the data we have to collect," said Miele.

If that sounds like a blast, Miele said they're offering Sunset Sening Programs for all ages every Friday (except July 4) at 6 p.m. at the Bay Beach off West 13th Street in Ship Bottom. Participants drag a large net through shallow water. "The bottom of the net has weights and the top has floats and you catch fish, crabs and other animals that are living out in the bay. We allow the kids to get a closer look as to what's out there," Miele said, adding, "We catch a lot of really neat things out in the bay in Ship Bottom."

Free Talks on Seals of  New Jersey for all ages will be offered on June 27 at 6 p.m., August 1 at 1 p.m, and September 5 at 6 p.m. at the NJ Maritime Museum, 528 Dock Road in Beach Haven. "A lot of people don't realize we get the seals here," Miele said. "They're here in the summertime, but the seals are here in the wintertime, so we want to raise awareness for the animals that we do get here because we have seen seals migrate earlier and earlier every year. Alot of people kind of freak out a little bit when they see a seal on the beach, so we want to raise awareness that they're supposed to be here," she said.

A new program this year is Science Afternoon for ages 10 and up, on July 31 at 1 p.m. at the NJ Maritime Museum, 528 Dock Road in Beach Haven. Miele said the program is a crash-course in marine biology. "It's going to basically be an afternoon of doing fun, hands-on science experiments that revolve around the ocean and the bay. We're actually going to be doing experiments using microscopes and making slides, things a lot of the kids will experience once they get into either upper level high school or college classes. It's just a different look on what they're seeing when they're at the beach," Miele said.

Pre-registration is required for the Science Afternoon program only. For more information contact Sarah Miele at 609-266-0538 or email her at edummsc@aol.com.

All 2014 summer programs are sponsored in part by: The Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce and the Garden Club of Long Beach Island.

A complete listing of all programs offered by the Marine Mammal Standing Center both on LBI & Brigantine can be found at http://www.mmsc.org/education/camps.html)

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