Junior Rangers Enjoy Science Education at ARM Facility on Cape Cod

 
Published: 25 April 2013
Children and adults join in the balloon launch countdown at the ARM Mobile Facility site at Cape Cod National Seashore. Weather balloons are launched at regular intervals four times per day throughout the one-year campaign.

School break means vacation, and around Cape Cod, that often means a trip to the seashore. On April 17, families looking for fun and educational outdoor activities spent several hours at Cape Cod National Seashore’s Highlands Center for Junior Ranger Day. They were drawn to an event announcement in the park activities newsletter that read, “Kids can participate in a weather balloon launch countdown with park rangers at a special atmospheric observation station located in the park. Fun weather activities will be offered before and after….”

Since July 2012, the ARM Mobile Facility has been operating at the park’s Highland Center for the year-long Two-Column Aerosol Project. Through an agreement with the park’s education team, ARM has supported science education activities with an onsite ranger, Cathy Skowron, throughout the deployment. Skowron and park education specialist Barbara Dougan coordinated the Junior Ranger Day as one of their last educational activities, as the agreement ends in April and ARM Mobile Facility operations come to a close at the end of June.

ARM Education Ranger Cathy Skowron describes the weather balloon’s sensor package, called a radiosonde, to an interested youngster. The ARM Mobile Facility is visible in the background.

A total of 43 junior (and not-so-junior) rangers—25 children and 18 adults—from areas north and west of Boston, as well as local families from one end of the Cape to the other, participated in the event. In addition to the balloon launch, learning activities included:

  • Observing the Water Cycle
  • Name that Cloud
  • Temperature Matters
  • It’s Leafing Out: Observing Plants

“Adults were just as interested as the children and took notes on each activity so they could repeat the activities with scout groups and share with teachers. They were also pleased to hear that the ARM education website provides even more weather and climate activities for them to use,” said Dougan. “The program was applauded by all,” she added.