Green crabs, water quality testing, aquaculture, and marine debris: local students got a hands-on introduction to the science happening in their own backyard. See how QBC is expanding K–12 education and inspiring the next generation of coastal stewards.

QBC is expanding its school-aged education programming, bringing hands-on marine science directly to local students. This spring, our team visited West Bath Elementary School, Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary, and the Harpswell Community School with a series of interactive lessons designed to connect students to the waters in their own backyard.

Activities included “Trash Talks” about marine debris and how long common items take to degrade, aquaculture anatomy lessons with our partners at Herring Gut Coastal Science Center, live green crab identification and data collection exercises, and water quality testing demonstrations.

The goal is simple: inspire curiosity, build environmental stewardship, and show students that science can be both relevant and fun. Along the way, only a few students got pinched by green crabs (yikes!) and everyone learned something new about Maine’s coastal ecosystems.

We’re excited to continue growing these programs and creating more opportunities for young people to explore marine science.