Research Reserve Hosts Sebastian Middle School for DEP’S Life Program

PONTE VEDRA BEACH – The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR), in partnership with Sebastian Middle School of St. Johns County, today hosted more than 100 seventh grade students for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Learning in Florida’s Environment (LIFE) Program. Continuing through Tuesday, the occasion marks GTMNERR’s second year conducting the education program, which provides a hands-on environmental-education opportunity for local students.

“Knowledge is the first step towards protecting Florida’s natural resources,” said GTMNERR Manager Mike Shirley. “By providing a hands-on environmental experience, local students learn the importance of preserving the state’s coast for future generations.”

Sebastian Middle School students participated in beach profile labs to explore Northeast Florida’s coastal environment. Activities included measuring the slope of beach, separating sand by size and composition, and measuring the speed and direction of ocean currents.

The GTMNERR LIFE Program is a partnership between the reserve and the St. Johns County School District. The program targets seventh grade students in the district and involves two separate field days, one each semester. Each field day involves three distinct field labs led by reserve staff, volunteers and DEP Northeast District staff. Field sites include the Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve and the GTMNERR Guana Beach.

The LIFE initiative seeks to establish a series of field-based, environmental-science education programs around the state. Each of the four existing programs is a partnership between the DEP and a local school district. The goal of each LIFE program is increased student achievement and teacher professional development in science, with the content and delivery varying from site to site.

GTMNERR was established as a partnership between the State of Florida and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The reserve is one of 27 research reserves operating across the nation and one of three in the State. CAMA manages GTMNERR along with 45 other sites that include aquatic preserves and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. CAMA’s programs and activities are designed to help Floridians better understand and conserve the State’s resources through research, education and preservation.

For more information about the LIFE program, visit http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/ed/default.htm. For more information about GTMNERR, visit www.floridacoasts.org/gtm.