hpwren
HPWREN News

August 15, 2008

Women Scientists in Action: Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Hosts HPWREN LIVE and National Park Service StSS Collaboratory Activity

By Kimberly Bruch, HPWREN and StSS

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center summer campers recently participated in a Sea to Shining Sea (StSS) Live Interactive Virtual Explorations (LIVE) activity between the Cabrillo National Monument intertidal area and a lecture hall at the Science Center.

Participants at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center end of the StSS LIVE event included San Diego State University Adjunct Geology Faculty Norrie Robbins (shown here), Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Education Manager Debbie DeRoma, Science Center Education Coordinator Amanda Lincoln, Science Center Instructors Elena Banks and Cerise McLaren, HPWREN Principal Investigator Hans-Werner Braun, HPWREN Volunteer Photographer Monika Braun, HPWREN LIVE and StSS Coordinator Kimberly Bruch, Mountain Empire Science Teacher Roger Wynn, and approximately 25 5th-8th-grade girls.



The Women Scientists in Action camp's special event included:

- a talk regarding the geology of the Point Loma intertidal area by San Diego State University Adjunct Faculty Norrie Robbins;

- an StSS LIVE activity led by Cabrillo's Chief of Natural Resources Management and Science Andrea Compton and Park Ranger/Volunteer Manager Marcy Marquez; and

- hands-on activity stations for the students regarding marine sealife and vegetation as well as the geology of the intertidal area.

Participants at the Cabrillo end of the StSS LIVE activity (from left to right): Cabrillo's Chief of Natural Resources Management and Science Andrea Compton, Park Ranger/Volunteer Manager Marcy Marquez, Cabrillo Historian Bob Munson, HPWREN Network Administrator Jim Hale, and California Mediterranean Research Learning Center Director Susan Teel (taking the photograph).



A portion of the activity focused on the HPWREN-connected real-time cameras, which allow people from around the world to view Zones 1, 2, and 3 of the Cabrillo intertidal area.

This screen shot from the activity shows Cabrillo's Chief of Natural Resources Management and Science Andrea Compton speaking to the Science Center students in real-time from Zone 1 as well as an image from an HPWREN-connected real-time camera focused toward Zone 3. While Zones 1 and 2 are accessible by Cabrillo intertidal area visitors, Zone 3 access is restricted.



Upon completing the interactive session, the students filled out informal surveys regarding their thoughts on the activity. Several of the respondents suggested improvement in video resolution while others said that they felt the entire presentation was "fantastic", "great", and "good".

Several of the informal survey respondents commented that they most liked the real-time crab shown from the intertidal area during the presentation.



Sea to Shining Sea is a project funded by the National Park Service and is building on lessons learned from the HPWREN LIVE pilot project.

Main HPWREN web site (includes information for acknowledgments/disclaimers and feedback/contact)