Summary
KBNERR's Education Program was busy this spring! Students and teachers were supported through Seldovia Science Fridays, a field trip to Gull Island, Orchids in the Classroom, and Teen & Jr. Birders Shorebird Festival activities.
Photo: Seldovia Community members and students explore Kachemak Bay
Science Fridays:
Have you ever been to Gull Island? Well, the students in Seldovia did last May through our Science Friday Program. Scien Fridays are a collaboration between multiple environmental organizations through the Kachemak Bay Environmenta Education Alliance (KBEEA). On Fridays throughout the school year, KBNERR and other organization staff visited Seldovia homeschool students and students at Susan B. Anthony school to provide hands-on science activities. In the spring, we were able to end the successful school year with a celebratory trip to gull island. We had visiting scientists from USGS, EpScor and AUK Consulting to teach us about bird monitoring and marine science. Over 40 community members participated in the event – spotting kittywakes, seals, puffins, and otters!
Cultivating Communities: Orchids in the Classroom:
What does it take to grow a native Alaskan orchid? Students from Seldovia, McNeil Canyon, West Homer Middle School and Connections teamed up with KBNERR, the Pratt, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center to find out! This research was designed to help the Smithsonian discover more about the fungal partnerships of Alaska native orchids. Each classroom monitored Spiranthes Romanzoffiana and Platanthera Dilatata seeds with 2 different fungus. Plants were measured every two weeks throughout the school year. At the end of the school year, students looked at their data, and transplanted the sprouts into soil to be planted out in the fall. Students were proud of their plant success and enjoyed hearing data and stories from the other classrooms!
Photos: Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Staff teach local area students about native Orchids in their classrooms and in nature throughout Homer and Seldovia
Shorebird Festival – Jr. Birder and Teen Birders growing into conservationists and biologists
This year KBNERR took a leadership role in creating a comprehensive Teen Birder program for the popular Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival. This included popular past events like Teen Bird Trivia and the Discovery Lab as well as the new Teen Bird Evolution Video Game Challenge. The biggest hit of the weekend was our new Kittiwake Monitoring Station. Teens joined the local KBNERR education team to help with population counts of kittiwakes on the spit. As one youth stated “ I had no idea I would like counting birds this much!”
Photo: Teen and Jr. Birders monitor and count Kittiwakes on the Homer Spit in May 2025.
