On Friday 2/21/2020, Pack 107 experienced a fun filled night immersed in all things related to marine biology and marine life. There were 2 other cub scout packs at the event, one from Rhode Island, and another from Connecticut.
The cub scouts and their families were split into smaller groups and spent the evening rotating through 4 different learning stations.
At the Beluga Whale class, the cub scouts learned about the Beluga whale’s special adaptation of echolocation, the Beluga’s anatomy, habitat, and their preditors.
At the Invertebrates class, the cub scouts learned about the sea creatures which have different exoskeletons. They had the opportunity to touch and feel a live sea urchin, spider crab, sea star, green crabs, and horseshoe crab to name a few. They also had the opportunity to explore different exoskeletons and shells.
At the penguin class, the cub scouts learned characteristics about the penguins that make them part of the bird family. They learned that penguins are only found in continents south of the equator. Some penguins live in warmer climates, while others live in the cold Antarctic.
The most memorable and exciting part of the overnight experience was the class that talked about mollusks, and why a squid is considered a mollusk. Mollusks are invertebrates that have a soft body and a hard exoskeleton. The cub scouts were grouped in buddy pairs and they got to be marine biologists performing squid dissections. They learned the inner and out anatomy of the squid, which has a hard cartilage beak and a clear sliver of cartilage called the cuttle that is found inside the body of the squid. This is why a squid is classified as a mollusk.
After the learning sessions, the group returned to the main aquarium building to prepare their sleeping space near all the aquarium displays. Lights out at 11pm.
The next morning, wake up call was at 6:30 am when we had to pack up, and go for a morning tour of the outdoor exhibits, which included the Beluga whales, the seals, sea lions and African penguins.
After the outdoor tour, we were treated to a hot breakfast buffet of eggs, bacon, sausage,potatoes, pastries, juice, coffee and tea.
After breakfast, we had a final clean up, and group photo moment. We all visited the Mystic Aquarium gift shop and waited for the opening to the public at 9am to visit all the exhibits.
There was so much to see and a lot of the cun scouts and their families returned to the indoor and outdoor exhibits to watch the animal feedings and to go to the touch tanks to touch sharks and stingrays. They also caught the sea lion live show, and visited the dinosaur and frog exhibits before heading home.
A big thank you goes out to Mr. John Bubriski, den leader of the Wolves and our pack IT chairperson, for making this event happen, for all the behind the scenes organization and communications in the last few months. This event was a huge success, and special memories were made for years to come.
If this is something you would like to do in the future and want to find out more about scouting with Pack 107, please feel to reach out to us for more information.
Grafton Cub Scout Pack 107 