Ocean Fun Days coming to Sandy Hook

Ocean Fun Days will offer two days of free, family-oriented activities with an environmental and educational focus at Sandy Hook on June 9 and at Island Beach State Park on June 8.

This popular event will feature ecofriendly, hands-on programs and activities that help explore and celebrate the wonders of the Shore. Visitors can drag a seine net, go on a guided beach hike, learn about seaside birds and much more.

Ocean Fun Days is presented by the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium (NJSGC) in conjunction with several partners.

Each day will include dozens of exhibitors, displays and demonstrations that promote natural resources and energy conservation and offer eco-tours, and fun activities for children showcasing the beaches and bays of the Jersey Shore.

Both locations will feature an energysaver’s scavenger hunt, and all children that complete the hunt will receive a prize. Su- perstorm Sandy and building for a more resilient and energy efficient future are the theme for this year’s Ocean Fun Days Science Fair. Student scientists from Monmouth and Ocean counties will be present to explain their projects to the public.

The Sandy Hook event based at Fort Hancock will welcome back the NOAA/James J. Howard Marine Fisheries Lab Open House, which will open its doors to the public for tours and the opportunity to meet NOAA lab scientists.

The New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium is an affiliation of colleges, universities and other groups dedicated to advancing knowledge and stewardship of New Jersey’s marine and coastal environment. For more information, visit www.njseagrant.org.