Today our team of university students had the privilege of meeting and working with a wonderful Girl Scout troop as we assisted in catching and tagging sharks off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Throughout the day, I just had to know more about how these Girl Scouts who are going into 6th grade were able to score such an amazing opportunity to work with Dr. Derek Burkholder and his crew aiding in shark research on their vessel. As I was a Girl Scout myself when I was younger, then a Girl Scout leader for a brownie troop for a couple years when I got older, I introduced myself to the troop’s leader, Jen, and asked her how her girls, all newly bridged cadets, became involved in a shark tagging activity. The short answer was Sharks4Kids.
Sharks4Kids is a non-profit organization that was founded by Jillian Morris and whose VP and science director is Dr. Derek Burkholder. Their goal is to educate new generations about sharks and shark conservation and create new shark advocates. Jen let me know that she and her daughters used to attend an event called “Shark Days” hosted here in Florida by Sharks4Kids before the pandemic began. They are also familiar with the online curriculum and education programs that Sharks4Kids offered before and during the pandemic. Sharks4Kids, Jillian, and Dr. Burkholder had even fostered such a passion for shark conservation in Jen’s daughter, Sophia, that for her Silver Award project for Girl Scouts she made a YouTube channel where she posted bilingual videos in both english and spanish featuring shark facts, information on shark conservation, information on shark finning, and so much more. I encourage you to check out Sophia’s wonderful and accessible project here!
After learning from Jen that Sharks4Kids had offered the opportunity for her lovely girls to join Dr. Burkholder on today’s excursion free of any charge courtesy of the non-profit, I asked Dr. Burkholder a couple questions about the organization. He let me know that the majority of work that they do in Florida is done in schools where children may be underprivileged and that outreach and education is important for Sharks4Kids. However, today was not the first time the organization has done education and outreach with the Girl Scouts in the area, as Jen had also told me. What I can tell you is that growing up as a Girl Scout in New Jersey, we did not have the ability to go out and tag sharks like the lucky Girl Scouts in Florida do. And though the day may have been a little rough on some stomachs due to some seasickness, we got to meet some wonderful young ladies today who see sharks as the respected ocean ally that they are and not a marine animal to be feared or eliminated.
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