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USGS Activities Rock the Waquoit Bay Watershed Block Party on Cape Cod By Julia Knisel September 2005 in this issue:  previous story | next story Above: Julia Knisel and Brian Buczkowski point out features along a beach profile to prepare enthusiastic children for a grain-size-analysis activity. Photograph by Liz Beaulieu. Above: Rita Sherwood, daughter of USGS employee Chris Sherwood, examines the grain size of two beach samples, while Brian Buczkowski sieves a third sample. Photograph by Chris Polloni. Above: Julia Knisel, Kathy Scanlon, Erin Heffron, Brian Buczkowski, Liz Beaulieu, Nancy Soderberg, Dirk Koopmans, and Chris Polloni pose before packing up for the night. Photograph by Laura Catanach. The Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, located on the south shore of Cape Cod, MA, hosted its annual Watershed Block Party on August 2, 2005. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contractors (Liz Beaulieu, Brian Buczkowski, Erin Heffron, Julia Knisel, and Dirk Koopmans) and employees (Chris Polloni, Kathy Scanlon, and Nancy Soderberg) from the Woods Hole Science Center joined volunteers from the reserve and many other local organizations to educate more than 400 of their watershed neighbors. Chris set up his flight simulator to provide virtual rides over Waquoit Bay. Children and adults waited in line to ride over the bay, and to fly though the Puerto Rico Trench in three dimensions with the "bat mouse" (see related Sound Waves article, "Woods Hole Science Center Participates in an Open House at USGS Headquarters." Kathy entertained patient passengers and pilots with sea stories. After landing, visitors browsed numerous USGS maps and publications on local geology, ground water, and watersheds, which were provided by Nancy. Many visitors were intrigued by a tunicate sample that Erin had collected earlier in the day; Erin showed visitors a species of tunicate that is a nuisance around Cape Cod. At another USGS table, Liz, Brian, and Julia conducted a grain-size-analysis activity. Children first learned to identify features along a beach profile and then sieved three samples that had been collected across a local beach. The power of wave and wind energy became clear as the three samples were compared. Dirk led eager visitors down to the beach, where he had installed wells to teach about ground water. Visitors drew water from the wells and took salinity readings. Quartz pebbles were provided as souvenirs to all who were interested in seeing them glow! Woods Hole Science Center Participates in an Open House at USGS Headquarters November 2004 Woods Hole Field Center U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Woods Hole, MA in this issue:  previous story | next story

September 2005 Mailing List: Sign up to receive monthly email updates: print this issue in this issue: Cover Story: USGS Provides Aid in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Coastal Impacts of Hurricane Katrina Hydrologic Impacts of Hurricane Dennis ATRIS Used to Survey Sea Floor in Dry Tortugas National Park Using Genetic Modeling to Assess the Health and Status of Manatee Populations USGS Activities Rock the Waquoit Bay Watershed Block Party Balancing Wildlife Needs and Wetland Restoration in San Francisco Bay Journalism Interns Help Get the USGS Word Out 2005 Meeting of the Digital Library for Earth System Education Workshop on Integrating Modeling and Laboratory Gas Hydrate Studies Steven Schwarzbach Appointed Director of USGS Western Ecological Research Center Woods Hole Science Center Hosts Visitor from India September Publications List

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