Left and middle : During the Crystal Cove Marine Protected Area Science Cruise , students test water quality , use a net to catch plankton for closer examination and more . Right : children immersed in one of the many educational experiences that take place through Crystal Cove Conservancy
COMMUNITY SCIENTISTS Since then , the Crystal Cove Conservancy team has launched a series of educational experiences for K-12 “ community scientists ” in the backcountry , on the beach and out on the water within the Crystal Cove State Marine Conservation Area .
For example , aboard a fishing vessel , the students measure water quality , use nets to capture plankton to examine under a microscope and utilize underwater cameras to look at changes in local fish populations . Once they ’ re back in the classroom , students analyze the data they collected and share those findings with the state park . In other programs on land , students measure the shape of Crystal Cove ’ s beach and also monitor the size and shape of waves .
Over the years , fifth graders have been able to take part in a multiweek investigation into the restoration process by weeding non-native plants and experimenting with the space between seedlings and established shrubs , watering and measuring the seedlings during the spring months ; high school interns can sign up for a yearlong ecological restoration experiment . Middle schoolers can build a computer model of the ecosystem and code their own environmental sensors to gather data at the park for examining the role of microbiomes , decomposition and the carbon cycle in restoration . “ Our programs have evolved into much more than field trips to the park ,” says Erick Valdez , who worked in the conservancy ’ s education program
for six years — most recently as manager — before leaving for another job over the summer . “ They are weekslong investigations into the issues threatening protected lands and waters that begin with professional development workshops that prepare teachers to use the Next Generation Science Standards-aligned curricula in their classrooms and in the field here in the park .”
The Crystal Cove Conservancy currently works with UC Irvine School of Education to develop relevant and important curricula aligning with those standards and measure the impact with pre- and post-program assessments .
For The Trouble With Trash , one of the newest programs for kindergarten through second grade , students examine the effects of trash at the beach and in other ecosystems . Teachers lead this lesson in their classrooms with materials provided by the conservancy , then students may take a field trip to the state park . For the pre-assessment , students are asked to draw a picture of someone solving a problem in nature . They often draw a grown-up , park ranger or cartoon mascot ( the conservancy ’ s unofficial mascot named Steve the Crab ) tackling the issue . However , in the post-assessment , they tend to draw themselves solving it .
LEARNING LADDER The conservancy holds diversity and inclusion as one of its highest tenets . “ We intentionally partner
with schools in disadvantaged communities . Nearly three-quarters of our students come from our most underserved Title 1 schools ,” Valdez says .
In fact , in 2022 , the conservancy ’ s STEM education programs served more than 10,000 students ( about 74 % were from low-income areas ); for many , this involved not only their first visit to Crystal Cove State Park , but to any beach even though they live just a few miles from the coast .
The programs are built as a learning ladder so students can return year after year to deepen their understanding of issues while developing critical science skills as well as bonding with the natural world .
“ I bring all my AP Environmental Science students to the MPA cruises every year ,” says Dolores Dang-Wright , a teacher at Dana Hills High School , whose advanced placement students have participated in a range of Crystal Cove programs offered over the years .
“ In APES , students need to know about the coast , how people affect the coast , water quality , food webs , biomes and different habitats . The MPA covers all of those topics and more . Every trip is different . You can ’ t predict what you ’ re going to see .”
Dang-Wright adds that many students don ’ t even realize they ’ re immersed in an outdoor classroom and learning rather than just enjoying a day at the beach . Take , for instance , a student who wrote “ Was really fun , I like how we focused
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