Student volunteers and exhibitors watched over a sea of excited elementary students as they moved from one exhibit to the next Thursday getting their hands dirty and learning about the environment.
Elementary kids from East and West Baton Rouge Parish schools participated in Ocean Commotion 2003.
Ocean Commotion is a day of learning and activities sponsored by LSU and Sea Grant Louisiana.
“We’re trying to teach kids around here about the coast,” said Jeffrey Coreil, a biological sciences sophomore and student volunteer. “It is also good because it gets the LSU community involved.”
Kelly Kinler, a biological sciences junior and member of Tri Beta, was watching over students visiting exhibits Thursday afternoon.
“They told us to watch and keep the kids going from project to project,” Kinler said.
There were 55 exhibits set up throughout the foyer inside the PMAC. The LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Basic Sciences and AgCenter had exhibits at the event.
Agaha Grass, a coastal resources scientist in the Department of Natural Resources, said it is a good thing that kids can come out and learn about serious environmental issues affecting Louisiana.
“We want to raise awareness with the kids and teachers about the loss of our wetlands,” Grass said.
LSU AgCenter’s “Crawl Trail,” a long net set up for kids to crawl through, attracted many of the attendants.
Children actively participated in some other exhibits as well. The Oysters on the Half Shell exhibit offered kids the chance to learn how people make a living in the oyster industry.
Kids stepped onto a stool and used a tong to pick up oysters out of a pile.
Another exhibit carried with it a distinct odor that had kids lined up to see the display. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries displayed various species of Louisiana fish, packed on ice, that kids could touch.
Wildlife and Fisheries, along with the Alligator Advisory Council, also had an exhibit where children could learn about the Louisiana fur and alligator industries and also touch real skins and furs.
Jena Duplessis, a music senior and student worker at Sea Grant, stood in front of a large blob of plastic filled with air that represented a whale. The Sea Grant volunteers were teaching kids how whales eat.
“I enjoy how active the kids are with the different exhibits. They’re learning a lot,” Duplessis said.