The world's first floating
wetland classroom...teaching
how to make the Elizabeth River swimmable and fishable by 2020. Video by
Hampton Roads Community Foundation 2010
NOW BOOKING...2011-2012
Student Field Trips
Powered by sun and wind and equipped
with live wetlands, an enclosed classroom, composting toilets and a
rainwater filtration system, the 120 by 32 foot
Learning Barge is designed to both
model and teach ecology and sustainability
to the next generation of lower Chesapeake Bay stewards. The mission is
to help teach how to help make the Elizabeth River swimmable and
fishable by 2020.
Over 10,000, K-12 students
have visited the Learning Barge since 2009.
The Learning Barge is going strong thanks to continuing, generous
donations from the waterfront community. She received a haul-out and a
new paint job at Colonna's Shipyard in the summer of 2011. MHI painted
the deck during her summer yard period and hosted the barge for a week
of field trips at their Midtown Pier Facility in the fall of 2011. The
barge will be at BAE Systems through the winter. BAE has donated winter
docking and maintenance work to the barge every winter since she was
built in 2009. As always, the barge would be going "nowhere fast"
without the tugboats of Robbins Maritime, Norfolk Tug, and Ireland
Marine. Spring field trips will start in April, 2012.
We are very excited about this
year's program, "RIVEROLOGY,"
offering up to 60 students at a time a closer look at the science of the
Elizabeth River. Lessons include
new hands-on activities, three new
stations, SUN, WIND and RAIN
focusing on solar and wind technology, renewable resources and rain
re-use and a new cutting edge
topic, Biomimicry, the practice of
taking design advice from nature and applying it to "green" innovations.
Here's what teachers are saying:
"So interactive. Kids stayed engaged. Wonderfully
organized, taught and reinforced... Tied to the SOLs, just awesome."
...J. Boyer, 5th Grade Teacher, Ocean View Elementary School, Norfolk -
Post-survey.
"All your activities relate to my science curriculum and the 4th grade
study of the Chesapeake Bay... Children learn best by doing and you
provided us with the opportunity to experience many hands-on activities.
My favorite field trip ever."
...Latasha Chambers, 4th Grade Teacher, Williams School, post-survey,
Learning Barge.
"Not just an education, an experience...The live critters were a big hit."
...Frank Blacklowe, 4th Grade Teacher, Christ the King, evaluating his
Learning Barge field trip.
The barge will be
docked at various locations
including near the port highlighting
the working river. Check out the map for the barge's latest location and
download
Field Trip Summary for the barge's docking schedule.
The
best way to schedule a field
trip is to download and fill out the
Field Trip Request
form and email to Robin
Dunbar, Education Director, at
rdunbar@elizabethriver.org.
If you prefer, you can also call Katie Duckett at 757-399-7487.
The Learning Barge exists today and continues to do her work thanks to
the generous sponsorship of numerous organizations and individuals.
Special thanks go to
Dominion Virginia Power,
the lead sponsor
of the vessel
at $375,000,
and
Lowe's
for
providing $125,000 to build an enclosed river lab onboard.
