Coast Day in Lewes to include family-friendly activities Oct. 3

Coast Day provides a hands-on view of the ocean and coastal environment and is sure to capture the imagination of people of all ages. But if there’s one group that’s sure to enjoy this special day, it’s children.

Sponsored by the University of Delaware’s (UD’s) College of Earth, Ocean and Environment (CEOE) and the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, Coast Day is a free event that celebrates Delaware’s coastal resources and UD’s marine research. It will be from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 3, rain or shine, at UD’s Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes.

Families making the trip to Coast Day will want to make the information table at Cannon Lab their first stop. There they can pick up their Coast Day events program and treasure hunt map, which lets kids answer questions related to Coast Day events and win cool prizes.

Families can use the event program and see which activities are especially kid-friendly. Exhibits and demonstrations that kids will love are marked with a special pink children’s activity icon. These activities include opportunities to do things such as touch live animals at the marine critter touch tanks, learn all about Delaware rocks and fossils, and see robots used to perform marine science research. Several exhibits focus on this year’s Coast Day theme, Making the Most of Our Coast, and explore the fascinating science behind UD’s new 2-megawatt wind turbine. Another lets kids 12 and under sign a safe boating pledge and receive a personal floatation device, available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Coast Day is supported by Gamesa Corp., Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, OSG Ship Management Inc., PNC Bank, UTEC Survey Inc., and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For more information about Coast Day, visit decoastday.org
. For more about the college, visit www.ceoe.udel.edu
. To learn more about Delaware Sea Grant, visit www.deseagrant.org
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