By: Bryce, Mary, and Sophie

The students woke up tired from attending karaoke the previous night! Glowing lights and joyful vibes had filled the atmosphere as they sang their hearts out. 

In the morning, the group made another trip to Friday Harbor Labs, where they participated in the conservation and research of eelgrass. Here, they met up with conservation research scientists Mitch and Sage to assist in their ongoing project.

First, the group mixed several differing substrates to help analyze which was best for eelgrass growth. These substrates were placed into jars and were ready to house the eelgrass.

Delicately, the group used tweezers to pick up the seedlings from their germination bin. They were careful to only pinch the eelgrass at the spot right above the seeds, noting how fragile the small plants were.

Following a pattern of three seedlings per jar, the group of students efficiently planted 144 jars of eelgrass over the course of the morning. With these seedlings, Mitch and Sandy are working on a project that aims to reintroduce eelgrass back into natural ecosystems with the hope of seeing eelgrass meadows thriving again.

In the afternoon after lunch, the group resumed their efforts and began finalizing their pilot project proposal presentations. These proposals aim to provide insights into the future development of environmental protection strategies, focusing on innovative solutions and public awareness of climate impacts in the world. 

After working on their tasks for the afternoon and enjoying the town, the students enjoyed a pesto pasta salad with watermelon, tofu, and chicken with the company of Dr. Mike Kuperberg. He was a biologist at Florida State University for 25 years, with 20 years of experience in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. Now, Dr. Kuperberg is the executive director at the Whale Museum with the goal of educating his community through the power of storytelling. After the presentation, the students enjoyed their final night together as a whole group!