Opening Ceremony of the Marine Environmental Education Center at the Carpenter House

Program Features Captain, Our Resident Green Sea Turtle On Site

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WHO: Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Broward County Parks and Recreation, Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program, Marine Environmental Education Center

WHAT: Opening Ceremony of the Marine Environmental Education Center at the historic Carpenter House

WHERE: The Carpenter House, 4414 Surf Road, Hollywood (Hollywood North Beach Park)

WHEN: 9 a.m. – noon Fri., March 3

WHY: Thanks to a partnership between NSU and Broward County Parks and Recreation, the Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) was born. The facility is located on the historic grounds of the Carpenter House on Hollywood Beach.

The opening ceremony will feature brief presentations by guest speakers, followed by tours of the Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) led by students from NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. Those scheduled to speak include:

• NSU President Dr. George Hanbury;
• Broward County Vice-Mayor Beam Furr;
• City of Hollywood Mayor Josh Levy;
• Halmos College Dean Dr. Richard Dodge;
• and Director, MEEC, Dr. Derek Burkholder.

The Master of Ceremonies will be Dan West, Director, Broward County Parks and Recreation.

The Carpenter House was originally built in 1941 by Lieutenant Commander Henry Carpenter Jr., who, along with his wife June, were known for their environmentalism and community service. The Carpenters wanted to sell the property to Broward County for preservation and environmental education. In 2010, renovations of the historic house and accompanying saltwater pool began. Following detailed restorations to the house and the addition of a state-of-the-art filtration system to the swimming pool, the MEEC is ready to open at the Carpenter House. The facility will provide outstanding marine education, interactive learning, and research with a focus on endangered sea turtles. This mission will carry on the traditions of the Carpenters and engage the community to learn about their local environment.

Although education will be the focus at this new center, a very large draw will be the center’s ability to care for a rehabilitated sea turtle. Captain, a green sea turtle, was hit by a boat in 2010 and entered rehabilitation in Georgia. Unfortunately, after years in rehab, veterinarians decided that because of a floating issue and partial paralysis to her rear flippers, Captain would never be able to survive in the wild (that’s why she has those attachments at the bottom of her shell – helps with her buoyancy.) Thankfully, the creation of this new center gives one of the many non-releasable sea turtles a “forever home” and a chance to teach younger generations about the importance of caring for the environment.

For more information, including bios on the staff working with the MEEC as well as Captain our resident green sea turtle, please visit us online at:

• The Carpenter House
• Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC)
• Captain the Sea Turtle’s Bio
• Broward County Sea Turtle Conservation Program
• NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography

 

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.

About NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography: The college provides high-quality undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) and graduate (master’s and doctoral degrees and certificates) education programs in a broad range of disciplines, including marine sciences, mathematics, biophysics, and chemistry. Researchers carry out innovative basic and applied research programs in coral reef biology, ecology, and geology; fish biology, ecology, and conservation; shark and billfish ecology; fisheries science; deep-sea organismal biology and ecology; invertebrate and vertebrate genomics, genetics, molecular ecology, and evolution; microbiology; biodiversity; observation and modeling of large-scale ocean circulation, coastal dynamics, and ocean atmosphere coupling; benthic habitat mapping; biodiversity; histology; and calcification. The college’s newest building is the state-of-the-art Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, an 86,000-square-foot structure filled with laboratories; offices; seminar rooms; an auditorium; and indoor and outdoor running sea water facilities. Please visit cnso.nova.edu for more information.

 

Media Contacts

 

Joe Donzelli | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-2159 (office) | 954-661-4571 (cell)
jdonzelli@nova.edu | www.nova.edu

 

Cyndy Baker | Broward County Parks and Recreation Division
Public Communications Group
954-357-8117 (office)
CyBaker@Broward.org

 

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