In response to the COVID-19 closures, The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is streaming two of its popular educational programs for free to families and individuals each week.
Contributed photo / Maritime AquariumNORWALK — In response to the COVID-19 closures, The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk is streaming two of its popular educational programs for free each week.
Students, families and individuals can take part in a virtual “citizen science” class on Wednesdays at 4 p.m., while a story-time program for younger children will go online at 10 a.m. each Friday. Both of the 40-minute live-streaming programs are free, but do require advance reservations to receive a needed link.
The free public programs are:
“Citizen Science” at 4 p.m. each Wednesday (recommended for ages 12 and up). Even while practicing social distancing, there are still opportunities to observe nature during a walk around your yard or even to look out the window for birds, squirrels and other animals. Participants will be introduced to apps like iNaturalist that can be used to record what they see, thereby contributing to scientists’ knowledge of our local environment. Plus, they’ll learn how to identify birds and to contribute information to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird project.
“Fish Tales” at 10 a.m. each Friday (for preschoolers). During this interactive story time, an aquarium educator will lead young children and their parents/caregivers through songs, rhymes, dances, book readings and maybe even a visit with an animal ambassador. There’s a limit of 20 log-ins per session.
To join in, visit maritimeaquarium.org/experience and click on Virtual Programs. Registered participants will receive an emailed link that will “go live” at the designated time.