The National Marine Life Center » Discovery Center

My Final Update

randerson24 — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:44:57 +0000

Four weeks ago when I began my senior project here I was told my main project would be to get the critter tank up and running for the summer. The Tank wasn’t in the best of shape; half of the filter wasn’t working, the tubes were dirty, and I knew very little about plumbing or filters. On top of that there were signs posted all over the tank that said “Check back in May 2010 to see what exciting creatures we will have next year!!” I knew I had to get the tank running or there would be some disappointed people. I’m proud to say that the tank is up and running and that there are some critters inside of it. On Wednesday, June 2, the interns and I captured 7 killifish for the tank. They can now be seen swimming around the tank and hiding behind and under some of the rocks. We have to wait until the Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels are just right until we add more critters.

Although my main task was the critter tank, I did more than just get that up and running. I helped volunteers like Bob with the Red Bellied Cooters. Linda taught me how to check the water quality. Wendy taught me a trick to make siphoning the water easier. When Len and Paula were in Alaska, I filled in for them. Sometimes I went out and got clean salt water from the pump house when a volunteer needed to be somewhere. I even helped Joanne create Patty’s new set up with the trash cans and higher water level.

Catch-22

I’m sad to say my four weeks here is up but I really enjoyed my time here. Working with the turtles was a lot of fun and I met a lot of great people. I wish the interns luck with maintaining the Critter Tank and I hope the Discovery Center has a successful summer. Next year I will be going to college at Georgetown University in Washington, DC but I hope will have time to come by and visit NMLC to see what’s going on.

Discovery Center Opens Today!

Kathy Zagzebski — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:08:46 +0000

Join us for an educational experience about helping sea life on Cape Cod!

Open 10-5 daily through Labor Day.

Laura, Amanda, and Jackie get the seal display ready for visitors.

A newly reorganized Marine Animal Discovery Center opened today. Featuring marine animal specimens and displays about rescue, rehabilitation, and release, the Discovery Center teaches visitors about marine wildlife conservation.

A small gift shop offers eco-friendly and fair trade gifts and souvenirs, as well as educational toys and books. All proceeds from the gift shop support NMLC’s rehabilitation, science, and education programs.

Laura checks out the new t-shirt designs.

Daily education programs during July and August offer additional ways for children of all ages to learn about marine animals. For more information about our summer programming, click here.

We are pleased to welcome back the “Discovery Center Dream Team” – a fabulous group of students who are excited to welcome visitors and teach them about marine animals, strandings, rehabilitation, and the National Marine Life Center! The “Dream Team” includes:

Laura Orca, Jackie Turtle, and Amanda Seal.

Discovery Center manager Laura Doucette is a junior at Johnson and Wales University majoring in International Hotel and Tourism Management. Her customer service skills are evident whenever visitors walk in the door! Laura started at NMLC as a youth volunteer helping with education, animal care, and the Discovery Center. This is her third year as Discovery Center staff.

Discovery Center manager Jackie Niles just graduated with a marine biology degree from the University of Rhode Island. Visitors appreciate her knowledge of and passion for marine animals as she shares information with everyone who walks in! Jackie started at NMLC as a volunteer and then was an education intern. This is her second year as Discovery Center staff.

Discovery Center manager Amanda Chilson is a junior majoring in biology at Roger Williams University. She is very knowledgable about the ocean and marine animals and eager to share what she knows with visitors! Amanda started at NMLC last year as a summer education intern. This is her first year as Discovery Center staff.

Jackie, Laura, and Amanda check out the sea turtle display.

My Senior Project

randerson24 — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:13:36 +0000

The critter tank as of 5/14/10

Hi everyone, my name is Robert Anderson and I am a senior at Cape Cod Academy. For the month of May, I will be volunteering at the National Marine Life Center for my senior project. At Cape Cod Academy the senior class is required to complete 80 hours and four weeks of community service in order to graduate. I chose to volunteer here at the National Marine Life Center because during the fall and winter of the past two years I have spent my Wednesday afternoons helping out with the Red-bellied Cooters and the Diamondback terrapins and I really enjoyed doing that. While here for my project, my main task will be getting the critter tank up and running for this summer. So far I have figured out the filtration system wasn’t working on the right side because the pump was broken, checked the tank for leaks, and set up the aeration system. Another thing I discovered is a way to keep rocks and other things from being sucked into the filtration system. I have also been creating new ways to identify the creatures which involves flipping a picture over to see the facts underneath. Once we obtain a new pump I should be able to get everything working and then hopefully we will be seeing some critters in the tank. Over the next four weeks I’ll keep posting updates, so check back for more.

February Vacation Week at NMLC

Kathy Zagzebski — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:31:32 +0000

This February Vacation week at the National Marine Life Center, there is something for everyone!

Dr. "Sea" Rogers Williams introduces visitors to the diamondback terrapin hatchlings.

Weekdays at 11 am, we offer an update about our patients and the opportunity to visit our headstarting diamondback terrapin hatchlings and red bellied cooter hatchlings. Free, suitable for all ages.

Children painting t-shirts during "Fins & Flippers Club"

Weekdays at 2 pm, we offer “Fins and Flippers” club where participating children listen to a story about marine animals and then do a related craft project. We request a $3 donation/child ($1 for members) to cover expenses. All ages welcome. Most suitable for ages 3-8.

From the Discovery Center, visitors can glimpse into the clinic where diamondback terrapin "Patty" is being treated.

Admission to the Marine Animal Discovery Center is FREE this week, and we’re open 10 am to 5 pm through Sunday, February 21. Stop by and learn more about marine animals, strandings, rehabilitation, and the National Marine Life Center!

For the love of turtles (and seals and dolphins and…)

Kathy Zagzebski — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:53:56 +0000

Diamondback Terrapin. Photo by Don Lewis, turtlejournal.com.

JOIN US on Saturday, February 13, 10 am – 2 pm, for our Open House celebrating turtles and other marine life!

Explore the Marine Animal Discovery Center, make a marine animal valentine, enjoy arts and crafts and games and refreshments, tour our new marine animal hospital. Visit Patty the Diamondback Terrapin and meet the eight red-bellied cooter hatchlings and eight diamondback terrapin hatchlings in “headstart”.

$5/person suggested donation, members FREE. Join as a member when you arrive and get in free! Your entrance and membership donations will help us open our doors to the marine animals we all love.

120 Main Street, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
(508) 743-9888

Join us for Harvest Splash

Kathy Zagzebski — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 23:08:24 +0000

Volunteer Linda talks with young Discovery Center visitors about Patty's care and treatment.

Join us this Thanksgiving Weekend for Harvest Splash! Tour our Marine
Animal Discovery Center for exhibits and information about marine wildlife, strandings, and rehabilitation. Peek into our Clinic for a glimpse at Patty, our recovering Diamondback Terrapin. Learn the latest about our new marine animal hospital. Take your photo as a whale, seal, or sea turtle. Enjoy arts and crafts and more!

While you’re here, browse through our Gift Shop. You’ll find great ocean-related toys, books, and artwork. We also feature eco-friendly items like totebags made from recycled materials. All Gift Shop proceeds used to care for sick animals, so you’re shopping for a great cause!

Debbie, Sue, and Karen

Free admission! Free refreshments! Free arts and crafts!

Open 10 am – 5 pm Friday 11/27, Saturday 11/28, and Sunday 11/29.

For information, call 508-743-9888 x312.
For directions, click here.

Happy 40th Anniversary to the Scallop Fest!

Kathy Zagzebski — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:23:44 +0000

The Scallop Fest is this weekend in Bourne! This year, the festival celebrates it’s 40th anniversary with an event that is bigger and better than ever! Enjoy a delicious scallop or herb-roasted chicken meal while listening to fabulous live entertainment. Browse the handicrafts at the Arts and Crafts fair. Enjoy the rides and games at the midway.

When you’re done with your meal and dizzy from the rides, walk on over to the National Marine Life Center. Our Marine Animal Discovery Center is open throughout the weekend! Featuring exhibits about marine animals, plenty of artifacts, arts and crafts projects for the kids, as well as eco-friendly, marine-themed gifts and souvenirs, the Discovery Center is fun for the whole family.

What's in the box? Find out at the National Marine Life Center's Marine Animal Discovery Center!

Kids Who Care

Kathy Zagzebski — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:33:32 +0000

Today National Marine Life Center was blessed when a group of children brought in a wonderful gift. Aaron, Natalie, Gabe, and Emily had visited NMLC’s Marine Animal Discovery Center throughout the summer with their nanny, Mary Lou. They enjoyed the crafts that they made at “Fins and Flippers” and decided they wanted to do something to help the turtles in our new hospital. They formed a group called “Kids Who Care” and set up a lemonade and arts and crafts stand near their homes in Wareham, with proceeds to go to NMLC. Natalie’s favorite craft was making paper sea turtles!

Aaron, Gabe, and Natalie

Emily

I confess to having tears in my eyes when Aaron handed me the decorated Huggies box filled with quarters and dollars. On the kids part, they were pleased that their gift will help purchase life-saving food and medicine for our sea turtle patients this fall.

To paraphrase Margaret Mead, never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed children can change the world….

Natalie models a crown she made to sell at the crafts table.

Story Time and Paper Bag Whales @ NMLC

theturtleguy — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:13:06 +0000

Okay. It’s summer vacation and it’s raining outside. Did I say, “Raining?” It’s pouring. The kids are nursing yesterday’s sunburn from 12 hours on the beach. And you can’t stand one more rerun of SpongeBob SquarePants. What is a formerly sane parent going to do? Who you gonna call?

The smart answer is “the National Marine Life Center at 508-743-9888″ to learn about the day’s happening events at the Discovery Center. If you called this morning, you would have heard about Story Time with a whale of a tale read by Amanda Chilson, followed by that hands-on adventure of creating Paper Bag Whales coordinated by NMLC education director Joanne Nicholson and ably assisted by interns extraordinaire Chelsea Scudder and Amanda Chilson.

Before you reach Story Time and the Whales, you’ll be greeted at the door by Laura Doucette, Discovery Center manager, who’ll make certain that your every expectation is met and exceeded. Turtles and seals and whales, oh my!

After satisfying your curiosity for knowledge about marine animals and how they are rescued and rehabilitated, you’ll settle down in Story Time Corner, framed by the exquisite Critter Tank and the Giant Whale Fluke in the background. Amanda opens her book …

When Story Time is done, kids from four to ninety-four meander into the Activity Center where everything lies in readiness to create Paper Bag Whales. Never been whaling before? Never mind. Joanne and her team will guide you through this wholesome adventure.

Could there be a more perfect adventure than Whale Watching at the National Marine Life Center on a rainy day on Cape Cod? I think not.

Fins and Flippers at NMLC

theturtleguy — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:20:47 +0000

Summer education programs have begun at the National Marine Life Center at 120 Main Street in Buzzards Bay. “Fins and Flippers” kicked off this morning in the Discovery Center with kids and parents having a great time assembling sea turtles from recycled CDs. A donation of $3 for non-members and $1 for members is suggested for this exciting children’s activity. For more information, click here to visit Summer Education Programs on this web site.

“Fins and Flippers” at the National Marine Life Center