Reef Relief's award-winning Discover Coral Reef Outreach Program is underway. During April and May, Reef Relief and the Discovery Glassbottom boat Tours introduce groups of students to the wonders of Key West living coral reefs. Students from Key West area schools (accompanied by chaperones and teachers) visit the Reef Relief Environmental Center and store to receive a video/demonstration/talk introducing the wonders of coral reefs to students.
After the talk, students, teachers and Reef Relief staff members visit the reef aboard the Discovery Glassbottom Boat Tours. While looking at the reef, students receive presentations by the Discovery staff identifying fish, corals, and other marine-life.
For many students, this is a first time visit to the reef. Reef Relief staff then goes to each school. A slide show presentation describing the value of coral reefs, threats to them, and ways they can be saved, is followed by a discussion period. Specially designed educational materials by Reef Relief— Reef Relief Teacher Kits, Coral Reef Guides, and South Florida Water Wonderland Guides— are provided free to each class.
Over 400 fourth grade students from Sugarloaf, Poinciana, Gerald Adams, Glynn Archer and Sigsbee Elementary schools are participating in this program. A very special thanks to the Discovery Glassbottom Boat Tours for providing over 16 trips (30 students each trip) to the coral reef, the Monroe County Public School System for providing transporation for the students, and to the teachers and chaperones accompanying students on the reef trips.
Reef Relief would also like to thank the Hyatt Key Wets Resort & Marina for providing hotel staff to assemble educational materials, chaperones and for helping plan and man booths for our Earth Day events. And thanks to the Hyatt Key West Resort & Marina and of course, a very special thanks to the Discovery Glassbottom Boat Tours for helping us make this very important Reef Relief outreach possible.