CAMBRIDGE – The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory invites the public to a free open house on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The theme for this year’s event is “Explore the Shore through Science.”

Meet the team of scientists and explore the Shore using their research in fun, interactive exhibits. Learn about healthy marshes, how oysters clean the water and build resilience to sea level rise and climate change, dive into the largest oyster hatchery on the East Coast, and more during a day of free activities for all ages. Children will receive a free T-shirt for completing the scavenger hunt.

“This is the best day of the year for the community to learn about the science of the Bay. Everyone at the lab is on deck to explain their research with activities and displays that make it easy to understand,” said Horn Point Laboratory Director Mike Roman.

From the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, scientists engage in world-renowned research in oceanography, water quality, restoration of sea grasses, marshes and shellfish, and expertise in ecosystem modeling.

Visitors to the open house will explore the shore through hands-on exhibits created by the lab’s faculty and students:

• Build a healthy marsh and learn who are our best partners in this effort.
• See an animation of the travels of oyster larvae as they move from the reef where they spawned to their new, permanent home reef.
• Match up a DNA sequence to microscopic creatures important to the food chain.
• Play in a digital sand box to create shorelines and model weather’s impact with laser imaging.
• Meet and talk to graduate students about their environmental career goals.
• Dunk the scientist into the dunk tank.
• Build an oyster castle and learn how these growing living building blocks create habitat for marine creatures and protect against sea level rise and climate change.
• At the children’s activity booth, create eco-friendly animals that live in our waters. Play games that teach fun facts about the Bay. Go on a scavenger hunt through the exhibits to learn how the Bay’s lasting health starts with each of us making a cleaner environment today.

The open house is for all ages and will take place rain or shine. The Horn Point Laboratory campus is located at 2020 Horns Point Road on Route 343 outside of Cambridge. Activities will be outside or open to air. Masks are strongly encouraged.

For more information, visit umces.edu/hpl/openhouse or contact Carin Starr at cstarr@umces.edu or 410-221-8408.