Please call or email for latest availability.

July 7.... FULL
July 14.... 2 spots left
July 21.... 2 spots left
July 28....10 spots left
August 4....5 spots left
August 11....FULL

Cost is $425 and includes a T-shirt!

Program runs M-F 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
(Drop-off after 8 a.m. and pick-up by 4:30.)

BOAT CAMP's week long children's day camp is filled with lots of fishing, swimming, and hands-on exploration, including:

• Marine Biology
• Coastal Ecology
• Environmental Conservation
• Island Exploration
• Scientific collection and analysis
• Oceanography
• Maritime History
• Hands-on boat navigation and marine electronics
• Team building activities
• Gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing
• LOTS of fishing and swimming
• and a beach and grill party on Fridays!

In addition, kids aged 12 and older also participate in a safe-boating and navigation class taught by BOAT CAMP crew; successful completion results in a Mass. State Safe Boating Certificate issued by the Mass. Environmental Police.

Our children's day camp curriculm expores the unique natural history and ecology of the Merrimack River, Ipswich Bay and the Gulf of Maine in the context of the seven essential principles of Ocean Literacy developed in 2006 by a collaborative of national marine science and education professionals and sponsored by the National Geographic Society and NOAA. We endeavor to lay the foundation for all of our participants to become ocean literate individuals, children who have an understanding of the ocean's influence on them and their influence on the ocean.

The Seven Essential Priciples of Ocean Literacy are:

1. Earth has one big ocean with many features.
2. The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth.
3. The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.
4. The ocean makes Earth habitable.
5. The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.
6. The ocean and humans are inextricably linked.
7. The ocean is largely unexplored.
   

Our crew to child ratio is always 6:1.  All of our college-aged crew and CITs are former ERICA LEE campers, and are majoring in either biology or the maritime trades. Among the adult educators onboard, there is always at least one certified, working public school teacher (often there are two or even three). The structure of our days and evolution of our activities is founded on an educational platform that respects and understands a variety of learning styles. No prior boating experience is expected or required.

Your week aboard will involve many full and busy days. The map below shows where the ERICA LEE spends her time as sea conditions and weather allow. (Many of the purple circles are actual fishing spots from summer 2007.) This includes trips to:

• The Isles of Shoals and Smuttynose Island
• Plum Island's barrier beach
• The tidal flats of the Merrimack River estuary
• Thacher Island and its North Tower lighthouse
• Rockport, MA (for flounder fishing and ice cream!)
• Annisquam River & Wingaersheek Beach
• Ipswich Bay, Jeffreys Ledge & the Gulf of Maine