[ SUNDAY TRAVEL ]

MAUI OCEAN CENTER The Maui Ocean Center's Junior Naturalist Program gives teens a hands-on look at life as a marine biologist and gives them a greater appreciation of ocean life.

Maui Ocean Center
builds sea awareness

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By Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
Special to the Star-Bulletin

Fourteen-year-old Darrin Neagoy participated in the Maui Ocean Center's Junior Naturalist Program last summer because he wanted to learn how to raise fish for his aquarium. "Now," says the eighth-grader at Horizons Academy of Maui, "I want to become a marine biologist."

It's a goal that thrills MOC's director of education, Hannah Bernard. "Maui Ocean Center is dedicated to building awareness and respect for Hawaii's precious undersea world," she says. "While we hope that the young people we work with will enjoy their time with us and learn to understand the ocean more, we love to see them take the opportunities we provide them to run toward a bright future for themselves as well."

During the Junior Naturalist Program, youngsters age 13 through 19 learn firsthand about Hawaii's fascinating coral reef ecosystem and the duties of a marine biologist. Workshops are scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. on June 19, 21, 26, 28 and July 3 and 5.

Maui Ocean Center Where: 192 Maalaea Road, Maalaea, Maui Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 365 days a year; extended hours in July and August Call: 808-270-7086 Admission: $18.50 for adults, $12.50 for children 3-12, $16.65 for seniors On the Net: www.mauioceancenter.com

The Junior Naturalists then apply what they've learned in the classroom by volunteering at the Maui Ocean Center for four hours per week from July 6 through Aug. 23. Their chores run the gamut, from preparing food for marine animals and cleaning their aquariums to meeting visitors and answering questions about the center and its exhibits.

Upon completion of the program, graduates will receive a Junior Naturalist certificate and T-shirt, a free snorkeling trip and an invitation to a private "Night with the Sharks" event at MOC. Cost of the program is $60 per child, and registration is required.

Meanwhile, MOC's summer Keiki Ocean Activities (KOA) program will keep kids age six through 12 happily occupied with a variety of fun activities, including discovering how the mano (shark) senses vibration, studying the endangered honu (green sea turtle) and learning about the intelligent hee (octopus). They'll also be able to touch sea stars, meet Maui Ocean Center naturalists and scuba divers, and more.

KOA workshops will be held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m., beginning on June 18 and ending on Aug. 22. Led by a Maui Ocean Center naturalist, each session will revolve around a different subject. The fee is $8 per session plus MOC child's admission of $12.99 ($6 for kamaaina kids).

According to Bernard, Keiki Ocean Activities and the Junior Naturalist Program are two ways MOC is fulfilling its mission to "actively foster understanding, wonder and respect for Hawaii's marine life. We believe that this knowledge and appreciation will empower us all to preserve our fragile ocean environment for generations to come."

Call 270-7085 for more information about the two programs.

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Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based free-lance writer.