Join us on Fridays and Sundays for Science on the Bayshore! During these workshops, we will be teaching bite-sized, hands-on, fun lessons about a variety of science topics.

What is Science on the Bayshore?

Science on the Bayshore is an educational series focused on providing families with hands-on, educational programming. Each workshop is 45 minutes long, and there are 2 workshops each Friday and Sunday with a 15 min break in between. We rotate workshops each week to make it easier to meet your schedule. Our classes are ongoing, so you can attend any Friday and/or Sunday session that works for you!

  • Classes are $10 per day (which includes 2 workshops), or get a season pass for $35 and attend all of the classes.
  • Hands-on
  • All ages welcome, however students under the age of 7 may not understand all of the content
  • Workshops occur rain or shine and may be outdoors, so please dress appropriately!
  • All minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian

Please pre-register before attending our classes. Signing up is fast and easy! Click here to book!

Workshop Dates and Times

  • Workshops take place Fridays and Sundays.
  • Two workshops per day: 1st workshop 1:00pm – 1:45pm and 2nd workshop 2:00pm – 2:45pm.
  • Please see our calendar below for specific workshop dates and times.
Day Workshop 1        1-1:45 Workshop 2        2-2:45
Friday 7/7   Renewable resources Oysters and fisheries
Sunday 7/9 All about oysters! Watersheds and pollution
Friday 7/14 Wetlands walk Plankton and food webs
Sunday 7/16 Adaptation/Build a bird Climate change
Friday 7/21 All about Oysters Birds on the Bayshore
Sunday 7/23 Tool Time Adaptation/Build a Bird
Friday 7/28 Oyster packing and shipping Birding
Sunday 7/30 Wetlands walk! Plankton and food webs

Our Workshops 2022

All About OystersLearn all about a keystone species in the Delaware Bay: the oyster! Participants will learn about the importance of the oyster in the Delaware Bay, explore its life cycle, and will even get to observe its anatomy in a live dissection! We will then do an activity called “shell bagging”, in which we create oyster habitat that will be used to restore oyster beds in the Bay.

Watersheds and PollutionHow do our actions impact the environment? How does pollution travel such large distances? What can we do to help? During this presentation, we will be exploring these topics by demonstrating different types of pollution, what they do, and how they get into the watershed. Then, we will discuss different ways that individuals can make choices to impact the environment in a positive way.

Renewable Resources – Did you ever wonder where your electricity comes from? Or how about the materials for the items we use in our daily lives? Or the food we eat? We will discuss the different sources of energy we use and what makes them renewable. The ocean and intertidal communities are full of resources and methods to satisfy our energy demands which can help us make the shift away from fossil fuels and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Oysters and Fisheries – What is a fishery? Here we will talk about the important role the oyster plays in the commercial seafood industry. Oyster fisherman knew over a hundred years ago that the population of oysters in the Delaware Bay needed to be protected from overfishing. We will see how fishing methods have evolved over time, how humans have compensated for exploited fisheries to meet worldwide food demand and solutions to prevent the loss of our ocean resources.

Adaptations – There are millions of species of animals in the world, and each one of them has special adaptations to set them apart from all the rest. From physical adaptations such as beaks, claws, and blubber, to behavioral adaptations such as pack hunting and hiding, there are tons of ways that animals have evolved to get ahead. During this workshop we will explore some of the behaviors and physical characteristics of predator and prey animals, using our local wetlands inhabitants as examples.

Climate Change – Hurricanes, wildfires and floods! Oh my! In this unit, we will discuss the natural consequences of climate change and the mechanisms that drive them. We must know the difference between climate and weather, the risks we face as a coastal community and how human activity has contributed to these risks. Finally, we will talk about solutions and simple changes to our everyday lives that can help turn the tide on a warming planet.

Wetlands Exploration – Come take a walk with us! We will be taking a short (approximately 1 mile) walk through our salt marshes. As we walk, we will discuss the importance of wetlands, what species can be found there, and some of the threats that they face.

Plankton and Food Webs – While most of us are familiar with the large fish and invertebrates found in the ocean and bays, few of us think about some of the smallest organisms of all: plankton! In this workshop, we will learn all about what plankton are, why they are important, and we will even get to look at some under a microscope!

Wetlands and People – Why is it that nearly a third of the world’s population lives within 60 miles (100km) of a coastline? What impacts does that have on the fragile wetlands ecosystem? Here, we will explore the important role the wetlands play in protecting our coastal environments, the animals that call it their home and our responsibility to preserve them.

Oyster Processing, Packing and Shipping – How did oysters from the Delaware Bay end up on menus from restaurants in Kansas City? In this unit, we will learn about the people and practices of harvesting oysters and the steps taken along the way from the bay floor to your front door. We will visit the preserved shucking houses and shipping sheds where oysters were prepared for their journey over the rails.

Birding – Let’s visit with the birds who call the Delaware Bayshore their home! First, we will learn to identify our resident bird species and learn the difference between native and migratory species. We’ll touch briefly on nesting behaviors, competition and human impacts. Then, we will don our binoculars and go out to the marsh to see what we can find!

Tool Time – New Jersey is steeped in maritime history; from the notorious pirate Blackbeard, the hundreds of merchant shipwrecks along our 120 miles of coastline to the numerous settlements that became bustling port cities. Shipbuilding is at the very core of our coastal existence and remains a large part of it today. Let’s learn about the world of wooden ship construction by exploring the tools used, the methods and principles of what makes a seaworthy vessel.

If you have any questions about our education programs, please email us at education@bayshorecenter.org or call us at (856)785-2060.