Education & Outreach Activities
Part of Turtle Cove's mission is to provide education and outreach activities to students, teachers, and community members. These activities engender support for preserving the current wetland ecology and for future wetland restoration.
Field Trips for Students & Other Groups
Using the pontoon boat, our staff take students of all ages, Kindergarten through college, on tours of the marsh and swamp areas. These field trips involve hands-on activities where students test water quality, plant trees, or conduct field surveys of specific animal and plant species. Canoes are also available for field trips. We can trail up to 10 canoes for a field trip anywhere around the basin. We also have canoes stationed at Galva Canal and at the main research facility in Pass Manchac. Check out our brand new Self-Guided Boardwalk Tour at Turtle Cove.
Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) Environmental Education Grant
In conjunction with GOMA, this project seeks to create an environmentally literate public who are good stewards of the Gulf and associated watersheds. Innovative, field-based and classroom opportunities will be provided for K-12 teachers, students and families in southeast Louisiana. Teachers, other educators and students have been attending Turtle Cove field trip tours where they learn about the impacts of coastal wetland loss, collect and analyze water quality data, perform flora/fauna identification analysis and participate in demonstrations in wetland restoration projects (plantings and Christmas tree deployments) that have been and will continue in the spring. Included in these trips is a ride through the Manchac Wetlands on the Turtle Cove Pontoon Boat, where passengers are able to view first-hand the characteristics and beauty of Southeast Louisiana wetlands. A major component of each field trip in the new Self-guided Boardwalk Tour in the marsh behind Turtle Cove, where individuals learn detailed information on about 55 different flora/fauna species that inhabit the surrounding ecosystem. Families have also been asked to attend and participate in the field trips. During the upcoming months many more field trips and a Teacher Workshop will be held at Turtle Cove facilities in accordance with this grant. Click here to view more about upcoming workshops.
Field Training Program for Young Scientists
Funded through a NOAA grant, we are proud to offer a new field training program for young scientists. This program is appropriate for high school students (and related groups) seeking advanced skills in wetland science. Contact Rob Moreau [rmoreau@selu.edu] for more information.
Teacher Workshops
Although the hurricanes prevented us from hosting many of our planned teacher workshops, we still facilitate single-day workshops. These workshops have focused on field collection techniques, using digital photography to document wetland ecosystems, and introductions to the Lake Pontchartrain system. Weekend-long workshops will resume next summer in 2010.
Learn more about teacher workshops
Ecosystem Tours for Community Members
Designed for community members, ecosystem tours are a new addition to Turtle Cove. These tours enable community leaders and interested citizens to experience the wetland first-hand, learning the rich history of the area, its economic impact, and its current health. If your group would like to experience an ecosystem tour with Turtle Cove, contact Rob Moreau [rmoreau@selu.edu]. Turtle Cove also partners with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum to offer these tours from their Madisionville dock.