INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Local children of families in need will learn about ocean science this summer, thanks to a partnership between FAU’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) and the Harvest Food & Outreach Center in Fort Pierce.
The event took place on Monday, July 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Harvest Food and Outreach Center, 2520 Orange Ave., in Fort Pierce. Field trips for the children to the HBOI Ocean Discovery Center, 5600 U.S. 1 North in Fort Pierce, will take place on Fridays, July 17 and July 24.
The program at the Harvest Food and Outreach Center includes a public open house featuring members of the HBOI Marine Mammal Team who will give public tours of the HBOI Marine Mammal Ambulance, provide interactive experiences for families and share information about the marine mammals in the Indian River Lagoon and beyond.
“We are always excited when we can introduce ocean education and our work at Harbor Branch to a new audience,” said Jim Masterson, Ph.D., program director. “We are grateful to Norm and Sandy Stevenson, whose generosity is allowing us to build a new, long-term relationship with the children and families served by the Harvest Food & Outreach Center.”
The collaboration is designed to support the educational programming for the children of Harvest Food and Outreach Center clients, and is being facilitated by Harvest Food board member Norm Stevenson, and his wife, Sandy.
“All children should have the opportunity to discover the wonders and possibilities of the world they live in,” said Stevenson. “We are proud of the work of both organizations, and are pleased to play a part in making it possible for the children of Harvest clients to learn about our oceans and estuaries firsthand with HBOI.”
For more information, contact Carin Smith at (772) 242-2230 or carinsmith@fau.edu.
