Workshop Descriptions

My Coast New Jersey - What's Your Climate Story?

Kaitlin Gannon

In this recently developed lesson by the staff at the Jacques Cousteau Reserve, students learn about local climate hazards through reflection on personal experiences and storytelling. Students also practice listening skills while making meaningful connections with their peers, building a sense of community and resiliency.

Water Quality Heroes: The Environmental Benefits of Oyster Farming in New Jersey

Janine Barr, Talia Barry

Session: A lesson plan with an interactive activity that introduces students to aquaculture (or marine farming) in New Jersey, the biology of oysters, and the water quality benefits oysters provide.

Human Impacts on Oysters & Estuaries

Michelle Rebilas and Samantha Hemming

In this session, we will demonstrate a lesson plan and activity where students investigate human impacts on oyster populations related to water quality and other changing environmental conditions. Students will analyze water samples and explore how the chemistry of the water impacts oyster growth and overall survival of oyster populations. Students will work in small groups on a case study that highlights threats that oyster populations and estuaries face and brainstorm solutions.

Oysters in Action: Building and Restoring Reefs

Juliana Perello

This workshop highlights the vital roles oysters play in coastal ecosystems, including water filtration, habitat creation, and shoreline protection. Teachers will engage in a hands-on activity that includes constructing models of oyster reefs to explore how reefs grow over time. The simulation mirrors real-world reef restoration projects, helping students investigate ecological processes, human impact, and environmental solutions through interactive, inquiry-based learning.

Using Escape Rooms to Enhance Your Science Lesson

Escape Rooms are a popular way to entertain using intriguing scavenger hunt-type puzzles. With this immersive, engaging, and effective process, you can also use Escape Rooms to educate children on almost any topic and build cognitive skills and teamwork. Presenters will teach participants how to create a physical Escape Room suitable for the classroom or any large group. Participants will also take part in an Escape Room named “The Eco-Pirate Expedition: Solving the Secrets of the Sea!”

Investigating Ecosystems: Exploring Data from Shellfish Farms

Alexandria Ambrose

This session introduces a lesson plan that engages students in the scientific process using real underwater video data from shellfish aquaculture farms. Through guided observations and hypothesis building, students practice scientific inquiry and critical thinking while exploring how aquaculture gear can provide habitat for marine organisms.

Field Trip Descriptions

Gardening for Turtles in NJ

Ben Wurst & Dr. John Wnek

In this hands-on workshop, Dr. John Wnek, MATES & Project Terrapin, and Ben Wurst, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of NJ, will briefly discuss life history of terrapins and efforts being done on the coast of New Jersey to help enhance nest sites by adding sand near back bay habitats with soft shorelines. They will also discuss soil types, stabilization using native salt tolerant plants, and ongoing challenges with a rapidly changing coast. This session will include both a classroom portion and field portion to visit a terrapin habitat enhancement site on Great Bay Blvd, within Great Bay Blvd. WMA.

Fish Tagging and Tracking

Dr. Thomas “Motz” Grothues, Chase Wunder and other RU graduate students

Understand the fundamentals of movement ecology and learn how fish movement is studied, the challenges faced underwater, recent advancement in robotics techniques to track fish, practice surgical transmitter implantation on dummy fish, and plot telemetry data

Exploring Tuckerton Creek by Kayak

Amy Williams & Maryann Minnier

 Participants will Kayak through the Tuckerton Creek area, leaving from the Tuckerton Seaport and explore the ecosystem while kayaking through residential and marsh areas of the creek. Ecological points of interest will be described such as the marsh ecosystem, native birds and types of plants. Who knows what the adventure might bring!

Grassle Marsh Trail Walk & Talk

Toni Rose Tablante

Explore the Jacque Cousteau NERR's 1/2-mile Grassle Marsh Trail through winding paths of upland, creek, tidal wetland, and maritime forest habitats! Led by Toni Rose (JC NERR Habitat Resilience Specialist), pause along the observation deck overlooking the Grassle Marsh to discuss habitat restoration plans for our beloved pocket marsh. Comfortable clothing and footwear, bug spray, sunscreen, binoculars, and a reusable water bottle are recommended!