Beachcombing suggested for families with cabin fever
Who says coronavirus can't be a fun excuse for an educational family outing on the beach or a virtual penguin visit while schools are closed?
Weather permitting, the Connecticut Sea Grant Program based at the University of Connecticut at Avery Point in Groton is suggesting local families consider visiting nearby beaches to photograph or collect different types of seaweeds and shells and note the shorebirds and beach plants.
Mystic Aquarium, now shuttered, is offering daily 11 a.m. Facebook Live broadcasts about animal care and a live feed from its African penguin exhibit at MysticAquarium.org.
The idea for both institutions is to encourage as much learning from home as possible. The aquarium, for instance, offers downloadable activities on its website as well as a new pen pal program that allows families to ask questions of staff members by writing PenPal@MysticAquarium.org.
"Our doors may be closed, but we are still here for our animals and our community," senior trainer Josh Davis said in a release.
No doors will lock families out of visiting their favorite shoreline areas, and the Sea Grant program pointed out that a recent visit to Waterford Beach demonstrated the rich collection of seaweeds, wildlife and shells that are widely available locally. After a beachcombing visit, families can use the downloadable resource "Living Treasures: The Plants and Animals of Long Island Sound" at longislandsoundstudy.net, as well as three pamphlets at publictrustfoundation.org to identify specimens and species.
"We don't want people going stir-crazy," Kris Magnussen, supervisor of communicable diseases at Ledge Light Health District, said in a release. "It's good to be outside."
The only provisos: Stay 6 feet away from others during your outdoor adventures, and be sure to practice good hygiene before and after your trip, especially hand washing.
The Sea Grant program is urging residents to send photos from their outings to be posted on the organization's website at seagrant.uconn.edu. Send photos to judy.benson@uconn.edu.
A limited number of print copies of Living Treasures is available for free during the coronavirus outbreak by emailing a request to judy.benson@uconn.edu.
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