Green Girls investigate Coney Island beaches

On July 14, 25 young women waded in the waters of Brooklyn and answered a burning question…What is really in the water off Coney Island? Through City Parks Foundation’s Coastal Classroom, the middle school girls discovered what lives beneath the waves at Kaiser Park in Coney Island.

Wearing chest waders, youngsters gathered water samples to test and used seine nets to collect and identify aquatic species.

The young women are participants in City Parks Foundation’s Green Girls Summer Institute, a program focused on enriching science learning and addressing environmental justice issues, through field trips, community service projects in parks, and citywide exploration.

City Parks Foundation’s Coastal Classroom is an educational year-round program. Water-based lessons focus on river ecology, water quality, urban waterfront restoration and preservation. Marine-biologists-of-the-future investigate and test water quality variables, ecology sampling of local flora and fauna invertebrates, and learn about aquatic habitats and the impact of pollution on the environment.

Green Girls enjoy intensive summer experiences in a three-week institute to educate them about New York City’s vast natural and cultural resources and promote leadership skills. The curriculum addresses a variety of science subjects, including environmental education, ecology, biology, geology, zoology and botany. They explore their personal potential and learn about the career opportunities that are available in the sciences.

Green Girls is supported by Time Warner Cable through the company’s Connect A Million Minds initiative, which was created to inspire the next generation of problem solvers by connecting young people to the wonders of science, technology, engineering and math. www.ConnectAMillionMinds.com.

Founded in 1989, City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. CPF works in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs, and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level.

CPF’s programs and community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City. For more details, please visit www.CityParksFoundation.org.