A Week Full of Sea Turtles

We never know if we’ll actually get to see the animals we study each week at Sanibel Sea School because this is after all, a field trip. And “the field” hasn’t read our summer plan. So it is with joy, amazement and huge thanks to the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation that campers at Sanibel Sea School got to see tiny turtles for Sea Turtle Week – not just one day, but two!
First, we got to see Rich Finkel dig a nest and count the hatched shells. And there in the sand, a little late but rushing to catch up, was a single straggler. And when we called Amanda Bryant to thank her for this amazing opportunity she said; “well, it’s funny you called. I just got an emergency call about a hatching right now! Do you want to come?” Wow, you have never seen 24 kids move so fast – towels, shoes, suntan lotion, on the bus. Singing songs and pounding out rhythms we made our way down West Gulf Drive and were rewarded with a sight few of us have ever seen – 44 little sea turtles in a bucket as Amanda helped them out of a mass of plant roots. We thank Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation from the bottom of our flip-flops to the tops of our heads for sharing this great experience with us and with others on the beach.

On Friday we were graffiti kids, spreading the word with sea turtle facts chalked on the sidewalks of Sanibel. Thanks to Richard Johnson and Francis Bailey for ice pops and permission to adorn Bailey’s sidewalks with our message. Thanks to Mark Marinello and Doc Ford’s for soda and permission there and thanks to Chrissy Basturk and Fresh Produce for letting us spread the word. And then, in the last moment of great good fortune last week, the Schuster family, having taken note of our sad trash pile grill, gave us a swanky new grill for Friday cookouts! Life doesn’t get better than Sea Turtle week.

If you ever have the chance to see a tiny turtle no bigger than a shell scrabble over the tidal rack and swim into a pounding ocean, do. It will remind you of how ferocious and fragile life is. And it will make you really, really happy.

So, waves were big. Turtles were seen. We made a beautiful sea turtle tile mosaic thanks to Kevin Johnson for tiles and grout. Got a new grill. Learned a lot about sea turtles. We wish a happy Sea Turtle Week on you too. Sanibel Sea School is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education.

Calusans and Kings Crowns at Sanibel Sea School

The last couple of weeks at Sanibel Sea School have been filled with totems and treasures as campers have studied Calusans and molluscans. In both weeks there was ample opportunity for discovery and invention. The highlight of Calusa Week was a tribal competition in the wilds of Sanibel. Two teams each collected items that the Calusa used for fishing and building – like ark shells, whelk columns and palm fronds. Then we went out into the wild “territories” and built totems in competition. It was great to run through the wild lands like the Last of the Mohicans. And for that we owe super special thanks to the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation. We enjoyed the best Calusa totem game we’ve ever had on the great trails behind the SCCF Nature Center!

Then it was on to King’s Crown Week, dedicated to the little estuary gastropod. And even though we had a metal detector scavenger hunt with clues in metal boxes and prizes to be found, we have to say that it was the mud walk that enthralled the Sanibel Sea School crowd the most. Mud is good fun. And we tromped into it with abandon, getting a King’s Crown Conch’s view of Blind Pass. We also had a great snorkeling excursion to Tarpon Bay on the Sanibel Sea School skiff. And we enjoyed a few fantastic surfing days thanks to the storms we’ve had lately. Thanks to F.I.S.H. and private donors, children who would not otherwise have been able to attend Sanibel Sea School Sanibel Skills Summer Camp have been able to be with us these weeks.
As the summer continues at Sanibel Sea School we’re looking forward to ospreys and dolphins, manatees and surfing. Sanibel Sea School is a non-profit dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education and you can follow our adventures on the web at sanibelseaschool.org.

Survivor Week at Sanibel Sea School

At the urging of a few moms and more than a few kids, Sanibel Sea School offered a week for older kids last week. Themed “Survival Week” this camp offered plenty of opportunity for education that was seriously experiential. If you haven’t tried to build a fire lately with a strike and spark fire starter, you haven’t delved into the depths of your own patience the way these kids did. And they prevailed! In fact, they’re downright good at it. Specifically, you would not want to challenge Marvel Bradley to a fire making duel. It would be humiliating for you. And if you were to find yourself on a desert island a la Tom Hanks, you’d want Jennings Ventura tying the knots on your raft and Abby Neill and Kyle Johnson paddling it.

This was a spectacular week for Sanibel Sea School that culminated in a real adventure overnight to Cayo Costa. What happens in Cayo Costa stays in Cayo Costa, I’d like to say. But by now half the island probably knows the boat with the gear broke down, the lunches were insanely late. The vicious no-see-ums drove some to madness – a study in pre-air conditioning torture. There was a flashlight-lit talent show the highlight of which was singing chins, and there were some epic snorers. Oh and if you didn’t already know this, Jim Burns is without a doubt the most patient and kind man in the world.

We do have to single out and thank Brandon Marino. Here’s a guy who met our staff playing volleyball and took time off work to volunteer for us. On day one, he tore his calf muscle in the surf paddling race and ended that day on crutches. Like the Monty Python Knight, he came back the second day to drive his boat with our gear. It broke down around Tarpon Bay. When Sea Tow arrived hours later, he discovered his membership hadn’t been renewed in time and he had to pay a super duper premium. We salute his sacrifice for Sanibel Sea School. It was heroic and it’ll make a darn good story one day if he’s in the mood to tell it. We also have to thank James Figuerado and Tajana Pettinato who came to the rescue at the drop of a hat with a boat and a great attitude.

As for Survivor Week help, special thanks go to the Sanibel Fishing Club and the Kiwannis club for summer camp scholarships. Thanks to Kyle Sweet and Jim Gould for giving us big bamboo for our rafts. Thanks to the Island Cow for delicious hot muffins in the mornings and great camping food. Thanks to Mark and Heidi Marinello for lots of great camping supplies from Bass Pro including those handy dandy fire starters. Thanks to Beth Hight for a cake that tasted like it was made by the gods. Thanks to the staff for going way over and beyond a forty-hour week. Thanks to parents who entrusted us with their wonderful kids. We really enjoyed them and they surprised us.

I was having a chat with a few of the girls about grown ups who get a little tired of kids. And I said, “Well, hey, I probably yell at you sometimes too.” To which Maddie Weigel responded, “yeah, but we can tell you like us.” Yeah. We really, really do. These kids were great survivors. What do they call that? Prevailers?

This week we are Calusans and we have a serious game planned in inland territories (with plenty of nice Calusan bug spray.) Sanibel Sea School is a non-profit 501 (c) 3 dedicated to marine conservation through experiential education.

May Manatee Madness

We were recently treated to a rare sight on the east end of Sanibel Island. A group of manatees came very close to the beach to mate. They stayed there all day just witihn 10 or 15 feet of shore. When manatees mate, a single female emits a chemical cue that she is receptive to males and they come from miles aroud.

This mating group consisted of one female and 15-17 males. The males jockeyed to get access to the female. What a wonderful chance to observe this endangered species congregate and mate. The gestation period of female manatees is about one year, so if all goes well, we will have one more next year.

Pretty good day for a field trip! Come explore the ocean with us.

This Week's Octifest Clue

Now the game is on a roll
There are so many places that could be the goal.

An osprey tree or a water-filled hole, it really could be anywhere.

But we wanted to find someplace really new.
On an island this small it’s not easy to do.

But we succeeded and think you’ll find it too.

Shade above and sand below
Trip trap, who goes there?

Do you know? Find it if you can.

Happy Octifest Hunting!

The Octifest #5 Clue Has Been Found

Judy and Buck Kirkpatrick braved the circle of clues to snag the fifth Octifest Clue! Congratulations you two. And in keeping with the Octifest traditions, Judy penned a poem for the event.

Down and defeated, four weeks had passed.
No sign of the Octipus, I’d been outclassed.
Luc’s work is a favorite, a pure delight.
But none for me was to be my plight.

‘Twas on April third, the tide did turn.
So did my luck, I’ve a lot to learn.
Out in the bay, a double buoy bounced.
Too close and too clean, hubby announced.

A little white card was floating attached.
I checked to see that my sandals were latched
Splashing and sputtering, I grabbed on the fly
An Octifest Octipus sailing by.

From start to finish, we went full round.
Picking up clues ‘til the treasure was found.
And learning that cordgrass is spartina bakeri.
That would ensure there’d be no fakery.

So now in my cottage by the sea,
A Century Octipus just for me.
This whole idea is just way cool.
Thank you Luc and Sanibel Seaschool.


Judi and Buck Kirkpatrick

Octimaniacs - Here Ya Go

Five easy pieces, so the saying goes.
If it’s really that easy, only the winner knows

For this great adventure, a tool you must take forth.
In the 9th century it’s how Chinese explorers found North.

(At Sanibel Sea School fairness dictates thus:
If you don’t have one of these you can borrow it from us.)

So you take your mystery tool and head to the spot
Where the very first provisions from our island store were got.

Sounds simple you think and it might be for you.
But you’ll need to a pen and paper before you’re through.

So pack a little rucksack with all that you’ve been told
You’re going on an adventure – be bright and be bold.

Happy Octifest and good luck!

Octifest Clue # 4 Has Been Found !

Congragulations to Peyton Smith who found the Octifest Clue Number 4! He scrambled ampongst the chaos to find the clue nested in an Australian Pine on a Causeway Island.


Bruce and Ev, they ponder and stew,
Over each word placed in the Ocitfest clue.

Octifest Fever is running wild,
Parents are searching disguised as their child.

Average explorers wait with great joy,
While Octi-fanitics tackle the paper boy.

They load up their cars and speed to the place,
Surprised to find past winners engaged in the race.

They scatter about and panic sets in,
Only to find they can’t count to ten!

After counting and digging under each branch and log,
The treasure was found by one cleaver P-Dog!

So the waiting begins for the next Octi-clue,
For the next 168 hours, what will we do?!



Good Times!

Octifest Clue # 4

Between B and C lies a small piece of land

Not always here it was constructed by man

On its shores are some local renegades

Not from here, They hang out, make shade.

But the song of this foreigner is a real local treat

Makes a cool lulling haven in the hot summer heat Between B & C, on the western shore

Find the tenth one from us, no less, no more

Stop a minute, relax and listen to the sound

Then take a good look around and the octifest octopus will be found

Good luck
Happy Octifest hunting!

Clues, Cousins and Octopi

Four cousins together we read the clue,
Word by word and through and through.

Sunset found us on Wildlife Drive
With a satellite image of power pole lines.

Where does it land? We just saw it by sea,
Fishermen will tell you it’s the place to be.

Are we all nuts to start out here this late?
Let’s hope that we find it, wouldn’t that be great!

Four of us dashing down Wulfert Trail,
When a cyclist blew past us – OH NO we can’t fail!

Garrett and John were first by a measure
Followed by Ali and Darby – Where’s the TREASURE?

Power pole rising from rocks soaring tall,
Aunt Jennifer found it, we all had a ball!

Thanks to the Sanibel Sea School and Luc Century for all the Fun!

Mary Ellen Pfeifer

Mass Mortality – A Natural Part of Life in the Oceans.

The ocean and its living inhabitants form a complex system which is really very poorly understood.

Recently, we have had large collections of dead and dying scallops, pen shells, sea urchins and parchment worms. One would immediately assume that some form of water quality issue is responsible, and it probably is – just not the types of water-quality issues to which we have become accustomed.

It appears that perhaps this die-off is best attributed to a sudden influx of cold water from out in the deeper regions of the Gulf. Prior to a couple of weeks ago, the water temperature was in the lower 70s (F), then we experienced a large upwelling event that brought cold water from deeper regions of the Gulf resulting in water temperatures of 63 ° F around our island.
The density of water is inversely related to temperature (at least above freezing.) Water that is colder is more dense. The very deep portions of most ocean basins hold very cold water. For some reason, some event likely happened that caused some of this cold water to upwell – that is travel towards the surface. The triggering mechanism causing the upwelling was probably a series of strong winds. These winds push surface water away and pull up bottom water to replace it.

This cold water then rushes past many of our bottom-dwelling invertebrates – known in biological circles as benthic invertebrates. These creatures do not readily thrive in the face of rapid temperature changes and become ‘cold-shocked’ or at times just die from the rapid temperature change. Once weakened, they are unable to maintain their hold on the bottom and become tossed and carried about by the currents. Many of which are then washed ashore on our beaches.

Some parts of this explanation are based on conjecture, but what we do know is that we experienced an upwelling event offshore (we can track surface ocean temperatures by satellite) and we had a rapid decrease in ocean water temperature around Sanibel. We also know that many of the invertebrates we have seen recently on our beaches are vulnerable to rapid temperature change. With this information it seems plausible that our recent die-offs are a result of temperature-shock; not red tide nor pollution, but just another interesting wrinkle of the dynamics of the ocean and its inhabitants.

There is an old adage in medicine that says when you hear hoof-beats don’t assume zebras (in North America) – sometimes what appears to be a result of some horrific pollution event is just the natural oscillation of life and death in the sea. Something we don’t know very much about.
We need to systematically monitor the life (and death) that washes onto our beaches. Along with other conservation organizations and the State of Florida, we are creating a network of beach-combing volunteers to do just that. Together we can truly contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of our oceans; if you are interested in joining this effort email me at bruce@sanibelseaschool.org

Perhaps together, we will get better at distinguishing the horses from the zebras.

Week 3 Octifest Clue

It seems that good things happen to people’s brains at night. Steve and Louise Clark cracked the code for Octifest scavenger hunt #2 Friday night. They realized that the old Sanibel Firehouse was moved to its present location in the 1970’s to become the Bait Box. But they had to wait until Saturday morning when the Bait Box opened to see if their hunch was correct. Bait Box owner Ralph Woodring wasn’t about to make it too easy either. Once inside, the Clark’s had to search for the clue, nestled in a display of mangrove honey. As Luc Century, the Octifest vase artist said, “Wow, mangrove honey?!”

This is Octifest, a season of mission at Sanibel Sea School that will culminate in the Octifest fundraiser on April 26 at the Community Center. To celebrate these eight weeks, Sanibel Sea School is holding eight all-island scavenger hunts. Each week a clue will be published here in the Island Sun. The person who finds a laminated token bearing the Octifest octopus will receive a beautiful crystal vase by island artist Luc Century.

To follow the Octifest scavenger hunts between issues of the Island Sun tune in to sanibelseaschool.blogspot.com on the web. As soon a token is found, the blog will carry a posting.

So, with mirth and glee we present clue number three!


We are islands after all
Connected by bridges short and tall.
And what that really means is that all
But the water we use must get here.

We use something every day
A lot of this, it’s sad to say.
We take it for granted in every way.
It comes to us from across the bay.
That’s all you need to find it.

The point you are looking for
Is where this stuff comes ashore
It’s customarily reached by foot, or
A boat, I suppose, could get there.

Good luck
Happy Octifest hunting!

Second Octifest Octopus Found

On Saturday morning (March 15th), Steve and Louise Clark found the second Octifest Octpus at the Bait Box. Yes, the building that houses the Bait Bax was the original Sanibel Firehouse. It was built at what is now the Heart of the Islands shopping center location and then moved in the 1970s to its present spot.

Sorry to those of you who didn't get there first. But look for a new clue next week.

A Noble Life in a Beer Bottle

A couple of weeks ago, I found a barnacle-encrusted beer bottle in the shallows of San Carlos Bay. As I talked about the merits of picking up litter versus the impact on the creatures living on the bottle, I absent-mindedly tried to empty the bottle of sand that had collected inside. Unable to shake the sand out, I poked my finger into the neck of the bottle to loosen some of the sand – still nothing. So I peered down the neck of the bottle and was joyously surprised to see a tiny suction-cup clad tentacle of a small octopus also claiming this bottle as home.

At first blush one might think this to be a ‘baby’ octopus, but on the contrary it was a grande dame dwarf octopus (Octopus joubini). Yes, some of our octopi can easily fit in a beer bottle as old, fully grown adults. We have two species of octopus on Sanibel, the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) a large variety, and the dwarf octopus (Octopus joubini). Octopi are wonderful mollusks and have unbelievable capabilities to change not only the color of their skin, but also the texture of their skin – almost instantaneously. They are among the most intelligent of invertebrate animals; many scientists believe their intellectual capabilities very similar to those of the house cat. Next time your cat out-manipulates you, think octopus-brain.

Octopi are equipped with a beak (in their mouth) which is located at the confluence of their eight arms. They are extremely fluid and can fit through almost any opening large enough to accept the diameter of their beak. They are also armed with poison that they use to subdue their prey – mostly small crabs, but also an occasional bivalve mollusk. And beware, they are not in any way opposed to bite and sting humans who foolishly choose to pick them up and handle them – which of course I have been known to do from time to time. Take it from me, don’t handle them unless you are prepared for a bee-like sting and bite – just remember cat brain, beak and poison; a bad combination.

One of the most fascinating tidbits of the biology of dwarf octopi is that they only live for about one year. They hatch from eggs and within five months are fully grown and sexually mature. After a female mates, she lays her eggs on a firm substrate and stops eating. She remains with her eggs diligently guarding them until they hatch, shortly afterward she dies advancing age and starvation.

The ocean holds so many majestic mysteries – an octopus living out her lifespan out in a year’s time, forgoing food to guard her eggs then slipping beyond her existence; all in a beer bottle in the shadow of the C span bridge. And she is about as intelligent as the cats we know and love (or not) so dearly.

Pretty cool world we are surrounded by on our island home. Go check it out.

Sea Star Hunts

Last week, we undertook a sea star hunt at Sanibel Sea School. Our survey team counted 158 sea stars along a short section of San Carlos Bay; we will keep these counts to compare with future observations on the health and dynamics of our marine environments. Perhaps just as importantly, we will also keep the memories of our experiences of sea star hunts along cool clear waters of San Carlos Bay. Collectively we took a small step towards our role as stewards of this marine planet – and we had a lot of fun doing it.

For most of us old enough to vote, we know these creatures as star fish, but new generations of ocean lovers know them as sea stars. We call them sea stars now to avoid confusing them with fish. They are animals that belong to the phylum Echinodermata, along with the brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers. The name Echinodermata is derived from the Greek echinos (spiny) and derma (skin) – they are the spiny skinned animals.

They are one of a very few groups of animals that are exclusively marine – that is, they’re found only in the oceans. Although they are invertebrate animals (not having a backbone), the echinoderms are fairly close relatives to vertebrate animals (those of us with backbones). One of the characteristics they share with us vertebrates is that they have skin covering their hard parts; they do not have an external skeleton like that found in mollusks or crabs.

Echinoderms also have a unique and quite fascinating hydraulic system in which they use water to pressurize a system of tubes which protrude from their body. This hydraulic system is known as the water vascular system and allows them to crawl along the bottom of the sea on a cushion of numerous “tube feet”.

The most common sea star in San Carlos Bay is the Orange Sea Star which is in the genus Echinaster. There may be as many as six separate species in our area, but like many of our marine animals little is known about them. These sea stars appear not to feed on bivalve mollusks like many other sea stars do. But rather, they feed on sponges and can also ingest dead organic matter which accumulates on the sea floor. Their recent abundance is likely another part of the cycle in our ocean’s dynamics related to nutrient inputs from land-based sources.
Whatever the cause of their recent abundance, enjoy these stars of the sea, but please remember that like mollusks, they are protected by Florida State law in Lee County and collecting live specimens is prohibited.

Islanders Chip and Nancy Roach Find First Octifest Octopus !

So what happened last week? By flashlight, in the night, after a moment of inspiration, Chip and Nancy Roach found the first Octifest token! The hunt sent plenty of folks searching around the old wharf site. But a few realized that the clue referred to a now-dry freshwater well on Buttonwood Road that Cuban fishermen used when they came here to fish. The old well has an historical plaque marking the site.

Eight All-Island Scavenger Hunts Mark the Beginning Octifest Season for Sanibel Sea School

Inspired by a game from this past summer’s Sanibel Skills Camp, Sanibel Sea School will hold eight island-wide weekly scavenger hunts to mark the season of Octifest, Sanibel Sea School’s first celebration of mission.

“This summer we walked past Luc Century’s house every day and the kids sang songs along the way. Once day Luc called us and said how nice the kids sounded and how he wanted to play a game with them. He carved a beautiful whale in a river stone and hid it in plain sight. He said the first child to find it, could have it” recounts Evelyn Neill. “It was a lot of fun and such a wonderful gift. So when we started talking about all we wanted Octifest to be and we were pondering how we might give back to the island, we thought of Luc and a scavenger hunt.”

Each of the next eight weeks, Sanibel Sea School will hide a waterproof token somewhere on the island and will give clues to its location in the newspaper. The person who finds the token will redeem it for a beautiful signed crystal vase carved by Luc Century with an encircling octopus. “There’s no hitch. No one has to buy anything. It’s just a game!” says Neill.

Similar types of scavenger hunts have created tremendous community fun in cities like Portland, Oregon where a large medallion is hidden somewhere in the city or the famous search for the silver hare in the book Masquerade by Kit Williams. “We are going to have a fundraiser at the end of these eight weeks and we hope it will be a tremendous success “ said Neill. “But as one of our committee members said, that is our fundraiser and this is our fun raiser.”

“I hope someone will learn a few facts along the way too” says Dr. Bruce Neill, director of Sanibel Sea School. He says the clues will not be easy and he hopes that everyone will join in the fun. “This is what it’s all about to live on islands like Sanibel and Captiva. We founded Sanibel Sea School as a non-profit dedicated to a very specific mission: to save our oceans through knowledge – teaching people about the marine environment in a visceral hands-on way. And we have found something else in the process: how supportive a community can be not only of our mission, but also of its appropriateness for Sanibel. And for that we are truly grateful. This scavenger hunt is a small way to share that mission.”

The Eight Octifest Scavenger Hunts will begin next week with Clue #1. Each week look for the clues in the paper and may the best man, woman and child win!!

Fun With the Grandparents

The Fralish family recently came for a day of family discovery at Sanibel Sea School. Aboard the Ke Ala, we discovered the prizes of the ocean and the joys of nature. Many live lightning whelks, banded tulips and pen shells. How many folks have seen living pen shell specimens? The joys of nature are great, but discovering them with your grandparents is a gift that transcends time and connects us - forward and back.

What’s That Blob on the Beach? My Long-lost Aunt Sally?

For the past few weeks at Sanibel Sea School, we have been seeing a lot of blobs on the beach. They range in color from pink to grey to black. They are sometimes flat as a pancake, or globular or round. Most have a firm, rubbery consistency. They are very common in deeper waters (20-30 feet) offshore and in seagrass beds of San Carlos Bay.

They are a type of invertebrate animal – those without a backbone. Strangely enough, they are among the most sophisticated of invertebrate animals; and as such those most closely related to humans. Yes, that blob may just be your long lost Aunt Sally! They belong to the phlum Chordata and the subphylum Urochordata; collectively these groups of fascinating animals are commonly called tunicates or ascisdians by biologists or just sea squirts by just normal people.
The species we are most commonly seeing are called sea ham or sea pork and most belong to the genus Amaroucium . They are called sea ham because of their resemblance to salted pork common in the diets of early sailors. Which is perhaps another reason to just be happy in our world of fast-paced, crazy technology - at least our main staple doesn’t resemble the blobs washing up on our shores!

For those of you more familiar with our back-bay environments, it is closely related to a white encrusting tunicate commonly wrapped around the tips of seagrass blades.
These tunicates in all likelyhood play an important role in our ecosystem. Their rich abundance is associated with eutrophication – the nutrient enrichment of natural waters. For local residents, we are all too familiar with the saga of eutrophication; but fear not, this is not another tale of doom and gloom. Our tunicate abundance is probably a logical next-step in our enrichment process. They are filter feeders and do well in areas that have seen extensive enrichment. In short, we are moving up the food chain – we started with plant proliferation (can you recall red drift algae) and have now shifted to animals that can capitalize on the perpetual flow of energy through the sea.

In fact, tunicates are such efficient filter feeders, that their high abundance is probably contributing significantly to our very clear waters. Combined with a lack of rainfall bringing more nutrients into our marine ecosystems, these creatures are filtering out the bacteria and microscopic plants that make our waters less clear.

The wonders of the ocean are endless. The ripples of change are intricate and not often easily predictable, but almost always fascinating to observe.

Join us at Sanibel Sea School to help conserve our ocean legacy for our future. Or at least, take a few moments to get out and discover the wonders of nature – the computer will wait, the sea will change.

Pace Center for Girls Ocean Exploration

“Hey Miss, what’s this? Doc Bruce, let me see that thing. Oooh, what is that?” That’s the excited cacophony of the girls from Pace as they wade in the water off Bailey Beach. Sanibel Sea School and the Pace Center for Girls in Fort Myers hit the beach last week for a day of exploration and learning. Pace Center for Girls provides at-risk teenage girls with the structure of a supportive education and counseling program that focuses on helping them to succeed in life. Sanibel Sea School and Pace have teamed together before and are enjoying the mutual learning that is so very gratifying about joint programs such as this. Thanks to a grant from the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, Sanibel Sea School has been able to take Pace girls into the field as part of the “Fieldtrips for Every Child Program.”

This particular day, Doc Bruce and Pace science instructor Michelle Patterson led the girls through a program about man’s impact on the environment. Unfortunately for the ocean, it was a good day for the lesson, as the girls walked along the closed Bowman’s Beach and talked about the complexity of water quality issues. But one can’t fully appreciate a beach closure until you’ve had a chance to enjoy all that can be found in the near shore water. So the group ventured up to Bailey Beach and enjoyed seining for small fish. Then the girls happened across a shell bonanza in a small depression in the sand, reminding us of the element of discovery that distinguishes a fieldtrip from an outdoor lecture. Finding unexpectedly empty almost polished whelks and shark eyes to take home to sisters and moms, the girls were wide-eyed and eager.

In these moments we are reminded of how lucky we are to be custodians of this ocean environment. There is no lecture that can explain the wonder of a marine creature as well as the experience of finding it. And perhaps there is no way to truly value the ocean without ever exploring it. One day, very soon, these girls will be old enough to make a difference in environmental issues with their voice and their vote. We hope they choose to do so. And until then, they are making a difference in our lives with their joy and their whoops of surprise.