Family Day Fun
Some intrepid explorers and I exploring Jules Lagoon
By Mary Quinn
According to Rachel Carson, famous conservationist and marine biologist, the Florida Keys are unlike any other place in the world, which we are inclined to agree with here at MarineLab. We are lucky to live somewhere with so many unique ecosystems, but what most people don’t realize about the Keys is that it’s really just a small town. Community is important to us, so when we get the opportunity to give back to our neighbors, we get excited! And one of our absolute favorite things to do is to host our Family Days.
Making new friends during Invertebrate Diversity lab
One day a month, we invite everyone and anyone to our Key Largo campus to come get the full MarineLab experience. Anne den Otter, Outreach Coordinator, heads the planning committee and ensures that no matter how many of these events you attend, each one will be unique. Each month is different, but all answer to the same mission: to give each budding scientist that visits an experience that will foster their love of learning, and help them explore the world around us!
While our mangrove habitats may not be as flashy as some other ecosystems, cool critters still abound
The best part of Family Days? There’s something for everyone! Since each month has a different theme, there is guaranteed to be one that speaks to you. Some of our past events have included a snorkel trip to Florida Bay, a land-based lab sampler which gave all our attendees a taste of the MarineLab curriculum, a snorkeling seminar in Jules Lagoon, and a shore snorkel excursion into Largo Sound. Not interested in snorkeling? We also have boat-only programs that consist of a cruise through some of our favorite well-loved ecosystems, like this upcoming month’s! While our boat-based days have an age requirement of 7 and up, other months all ages are welcome.
This scientist came prepared with his own floats!
However, my favorite part of our Family Days is getting to see our small-town community in action. During one of my first solo day-programs when I was first starting at MarineLab, I was lucky enough to spend the day with a family from West Palm beach. Since then, they have attended every single Family Day with us, driving two hours down and back just for our event! They have returned each month with new stories and accomplishments; I have gotten to hear about their school years in real time, from one kid’s time in debate club, to the other one finally making her varsity swim team, and each time it reminds me how special our job is. I have been working at MarineLab for over a year now, and can’t even begin to count how many of these stories I have, all because of our Keys community and the special bond we all hold.
This family has been visiting us since the beginning of 2022, and brought new friends with them this time!