Let's Go Tidepooling!

Join Carol Steingart of Coast Encounters for a morning of romping in the tide pools! Well peek under rocks and seaweed, learning how to identify over 30 intertidal plants and animals while exploring this ecosystem in a way that is both safe and respectful to the wildlife living there.

Carol will talk about how critters can thrive in such a rough and ever-changing environment, and what types of survival skills they have developed in order to live in between the 10-foot tides of Maine. Though some crustaceans are a little nippy, Carol will show you how to handle them safely. You will find nothing poisonous or toxic in this region; in fact, many plants and animals are edible!

Staying together in a group, Carol will identify the marine life she and participants discover, pointing out cool facts and giving everyone a chance to carefully hold the creatures and make close examinations, before returning them back to their homes.

Complimentary water shoes will be loaned to those without them. The minimum age for participants is 18. The maximum group size is 10. Participants need to have the balance and mobility necessary to navigate safely over extremely slippery rocks and seaweed. Since the critters are below our feet, there will be a lot of bending over, crouching, and squatting.

Please note: This program will be held off-site in Kennebunkport--not Laudholm Beach at the Wells Reserve.

About the Presenter

Carol Steingart is an award-winning marine science educator who has been leading intertidal programs for over 25 years. She fell in love with the marine world when she first went to the Shoals Marine Laboratory as an undergraduate at the University of New Hampshire in 1977. Having grown up on the flat, sandy beaches of Long Island, NY, she was immediately captivated by the rocky shoreline of Maine and the critters under the rocks. After working in the freshwater streams of New Hampshire in the 70s, and in the music recording engineering field in the 80s, she returned to her passion in the tide pools of Maine when she was asked to bring in some sea creatures to her daughters second grade class. Her presentation on tide pool critters was so good, the teachers asked her back year after year.

Today, Carol offers unique intertidal excursions on the Maine coast to small groups and brings the tide pools to schools and other locations. Whether she is leading excursions to the rocky shore or carting intertidal critters to classrooms, libraries, assisted living facilities, or parties, kids and grown-ups love Carols enthusiastic approach to hands-on learning. Carol holds a bachelors degree in environmental conservation from the University of New Hampshire. She is a lifetime member of the National Marine Educators Association and was the 2022 award recipient for marine education excellence.