To keep the summer momentum going, Earth Team embarked on a coastal adventure to Monterey Bay. Eleven interns, three leaders, and one very good dog named Zodi set out to investigate the question: How do coastal ecosystems function, and what role can we play in protecting them?
1. Issue Definition: Understanding Coastal Ecosystems and Conservation Challenges
Before hitting the road, interns were introduced to the central question guiding the trip: What makes coastal ecosystems like Monterey Bay so ecologically important, and how are they impacted by human activity? This trip was an opportunity to investigate ocean conservation in action, focusing on biodiversity, human interaction with marine life, and sustainable stewardship. The team previewed sites they’d explore and developed guiding questions:
- What species live in coastal ecosystems?
- How are conservation groups like the Monterey Bay Aquarium working to protect them?
- What can we observe directly in the field to better understand these systems?
2. Outdoor Field Experience: Aquarium, Camping, and Tidepool Exploration
Stop One: Monterey Bay Aquarium
Interns began their inquiry at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They observed local species up close: sea otters, leopard sharks, rockfish, and moon jellies. At the touch pools, they engaged directly with organisms like rays and sea stars.
The highlight was a behind-the-scenes tour of the Jelly Lab, where naturalist Tara Mann introduced the kreisel tanks used to cultivate jellyfish. Interns examined moon jellies and sea gooseberries at various life stages, even gently handling a jelly under supervision. This experience connected them firsthand to the fragility and wonder of marine life.
Stop Two: Camping at Veterans Memorial Park
After a full day at the aquarium, students set up camp, many for the first time. They cooked dinner together, shared stories around a beach bonfire, and reflected on the day’s learning under the stars. This informal setting helped interns process their experience, build peer relationships, and deepen their sense of place. As intern Karla shared, “This trip helped me connect with nature and people. It was exciting and new.”
Stop Three: Point Piños Tidepools
The next morning, interns met up with naturalists Skylar and Hunter to explore the tidepools of Point Piños. With guidance on how to tread lightly and observe carefully, they discovered sea slugs, sea stars, and other creatures thriving in the intertidal zone. They also spotted sea otters offshore, closing the loop with their aquarium experience. Being in the field allowed interns to connect ecological concepts with tangible ecosystems.
3. Synthesis & Reflection
Throughout the trip, interns shared their reflections in group discussions. They drew connections between aquarium exhibits and wild habitats, between conservation science and daily choices, between their own sense of awe and the responsibility that follows it. One student, Lily, captured the feeling: “This whole trip was amazing and extremely memorable. The aquarium and the bonfire were key highlights.”
The informal moments like cooking together, watching stars, and walking on the beach created space for processing big questions including: What’s my role in protecting the ocean? And what does environmental leadership look like? With each experience, students deepened both their ecological literacy and their personal connection to the coast.
4. Action
This experience didn’t end with the trip. Interns returned energized, with plans to share what they learned through community events, peer presentations, and upcoming stewardship projects. The camping trip served as both a culmination of a year’s learning and a launching point for deeper engagement in environmental action throughout the school year.
Special thanks to Tara Mann and the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Free to Learn program, Skylar and Hunter for guiding our tidepool experience, and our funders—the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and the California Coastal Commission’s Whale Tail Grant—for making this transformative trip possible.
