Nothing sparks an interest in nature and science like an up-close meeting with live animals. An aquarium educator will introduce students to live crabs and snails. Children will count their legs, describe their body shapes and explain how they feel. Finally, they’ll collect their ideas and observations on an “I Notice, I Wonder” chart.

To help us learn about animals all over the world, we will visit the animals we have in our care at the Aquarium. Just like scientists, we will study the animals in their habitat to understand how they are able to survive and discuss what may happen if their home changes. This program will help complete requirements 1, 2, and 4 of the Animal Habitats Badge.

During our guided exploration of the aquarium, we will learn more about the animals we have on exhibit and how the natural world is important for animals and humans. We will discuss some real-world issues that are affecting nature, and what we as a community and individuals can do to help conserve our amazing planet. This program will help complete the requirements for the Senior Voice for Animals badge, Ambassador Water badge, Junior Eco Trekker badge, and Senior Eco Explorer badge.

We will talk about the care our pets need and how we provide that care to aquarium animals. We will discover how we feed our sharks and tortoises and learn about activities we do to keep the animals healthy and safe. This program will help complete requirements 1, 3, and 5 of the Brownies Pets Badge.

Scientists need our help! Start by learning about some of the community/citizen science projects The Maritime Aquarium is partnered with, as well as take some real data. We will go outside (weather permitting) to take a plankton and water sample from the dock, use microscopes to observe the plankton and record our observations. Then, by observing animals throughout the aquarium, we can brainstorm how we would study them in their natural habitat with our own community/citizen science project! This program will help complete the requirements for the Think Like a Citizen Scientist Journey.

We want future generations to experience the same diversity of species we enjoy today, which requires human attention to maintain balance and dynamics. Wildlife management is the science and art of managing the animals and fish that we share the planet with. Utilizing the Aquarium’s unique settings, scouts will study animals and fish by observing organisms living in different habitats. Activities include a fish dissection and a 30-minute walking tour of the area around the Aquarium.