Become a UNH Marine Docent Volunteer

By Kirsten Weir, NH Sea Grant

Are you interested in learning more about the marine environment? Looking for a way to give back to the community? Do both by becoming a University of New Hampshire Marine Docent.

The Marine Docent program, now in its 27th year, is a network of more than 150 volunteers who educate the community about coastal resources. Docents work with 15,000 people each year, leading Sea Trek educational programs in schools and throughout the community, teaching about marine exploration at sea aboard a UNH research vessel, and volunteering at the Seacoast Science Center and the Great Bay Estuarine Research Reserve’s Sandy Point Discovery Center.

To prepare for their roles as educators, Marine Docents are trained in local history and science by UNH faculty, extension educators and other experts in the marine field. Training takes place both inside the classroom and out, with a variety of fun field trips to sites around the Seacoast. The five-month training program begins in September, with courses held Tuesday and Thursday mornings. To learn more about becoming a Marine Docent, please attend an informational meeting Thursday, Aug. 18, at 9:30 a.m. The meeting will be held at the NH Sea Grant office at Kingman Farm, on Route 155 in Madbury.

No prior experience is required to become a Marine Docent. Ideal candidates possess a keen interest in the marine environment, a sense of stewardship for the marine world, and a desire to share their knowledge with children and adults in the community.

The Marine Docent Program is sponsored by NH Sea Grant and UNH Cooperative Extension. For more information or directions to Kingman Farm, please contact Mark Wiley or Barbara Pinto-Maurer (phone: 603-749-1565; email: mark.wiley@unh.edu or barbara.pinto@unh.edu).