This week, 15 Year 10 Animal Husbandry students along with Mrs Jessica Palermo and I, spent four days at the Woodbridge Marine Discovery Centre on our Dominic College Marine Camp. Students learned about marine biology and obtained their boat licenses. The Centre is located right on the water on the D’Entrecastreaux Channel and is an interactive real life hands on learning centre for all ages from pre-Kinder to University level studies.
During these days, students engaged in many hands on experiences to enhance their learning of marine science.
Students took part by patting and catching draught-board sharks, handling sea urchins, sea cucumbers, hermit crabs and sea sponges in the Centre. We went to sea on the research vessel Penghana and completed a benthic dredge, animal identification and abiotic data collection (salinity, light, pH, turbidity and temperature).
We even caught a sting ray and shark on the long line!
To obtain their boat license each student had to pass a theory test with 95% pass rate, then successfully complete a practical test out on the water.
By far, each night the major highlight of the camp was the delicious food cooked for us by the wonderful Mrs Ros Hawkins!
‘An amazing experience to try things we wouldn’t usually have done.’ Tannah Bogacz-Cross
‘We got the chance to go for our boat license, something I thought we would never do and we also got to learn a lot about marine life.’ Alyssa Haremza
‘Handling and looking at sea urchins, crabs and other Marine life is a great way to learn and understand them.’ Kasey Nikel
Ms Jane Myers - Director of Science K-10