Fishing, Science, and Fun: Successful Outreach Strategies at the Aquatic Visitors Center

Today’s youth have fewer opportunities to experience the outdoors and learn about our aquatic resources. Ohio Sea Grant Extension (OSGE) addresses this problem at the Aquatic Visitors Center (AVC) in Put-in-Bay, Ohio. The AVC is a converted state fish hatchery that focuses on place-based Lake Erie education with an end goal of increasing stewardship of the resource.  It is made possible through a partnership of OSGE and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources-Division of Wildlife.  The AVC promotes four interconnected themes:  Lake Erie ecology, Lake Erie management, Lake Erie research, and Lake Erie sport fishing. Displays and activities are designed to address these themes in interactive ways, helping to connect the learner to the content.  Visitors to the AVC may view live Lake Erie specimens under microscopes and in aquaria, as well as learn about the historic hatchery, Lake Erie food webs, sustainable fisheries, and participate in hands-on science programs.  Kids under 16 can borrow equipment and fish for free, often resulting in catching their first fish.  Over 13,000 people visited the AVC in 2010.  According to preliminary survey data with 1 being very unlikely and 5 being very likely, visitors indicated that they were very likely to pay more attention to Lake Erie issues (M = 4.23, SD = 0.95) and to share information they learned with others (M = 4.34, SD = 0.88) as a result of visiting the AVC. Initial feedback and the numbers of individuals reached support a continuance of this outreach effort.