Marine Ecology Program
BOOK NOW for 2025!! + New program for homeschool families and groups!
Fill in this google form to apply: MEP Application
NEW IN SUMMER 2025: MEP for Homeschool families and groups! Click here to apply
Join us for a one-day or overnight Marine Ecology Program (MEP) for school and youth groups! The MEP is suitable for all learners and can be customized to suit the needs of your group and grade level. We recieve school students, summer camps, university classes, and adult groups interested in seeing and learning about coastal wildlife.
MEP activities include tidepooling, marine mammal surveys, and learning about the history of sea otter hunting at Fort Ross. Visit activities to learn more.
We excited to be introducing a new program on mole crabs thanks to LiMPETS Sandy Beach Monitoring program designed for middle and high school students. We now also offer LiMPETS Rocky Intertidal Monitoring Program for high schoolers. These are fantastic community science programs for your students to collect data in the field that directly contributes to research.
For more information and questions, email mep@fortross.org
Our goal is to make our program accessible to all schools. We offer financial assistance is available to schools with low income families. Visit pricing to learn more
If organising transport is challenging, we may be able to come to you. We offer in-class programs to schools in the Bay Area, Sonoma and Marin counties.
Science in nature's classroom:
Situated on a pristine stretch of Sonoma County coastline, Fort Ross boasts abundant marine mammals, rocky intertidal zones, sandy beaches, and waters now protected by Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary.
Led by our knowledgeable intructors, the MEP is a hands-on educational program on coastal ecology. MEP students explore the coast, see wildlife including marine invertebrates and mammals, and can experience what it is like being a field biologist.
From exploring the effects of climate change and human impacts on the local environment, our activities are designed to inspire conservation and tackle the urgent environmental issues affecting our coastline.
This intersection of natural and cultural history
Fort Ross also has significant cultural history, with its historic buildings and exhibits telling the story of 19th century seafaring and fur trading. At Fort Ross, we witness the human impact of resource exploitation and its subsequent intermittent recovery. We teach ocean stewardship and resource management through the long lens of history.
Marine Ecology Curriculum (under construciton)
Marine Ecology Program Manual (under construction)
Overnight programs
Overnight programs have the added bonus of a more relaxed program with lots of time for coastal activities, exploring, and the unique experience of sleeping in a historic Fort.
The Fort closes to the public at 4:30 pm. After that, you can set up your sleeping areas, cook dinner, and have a campfire in the fire pit. Students, chaperones, and teachers have the option of sleeping in four buildings including the barracks, the block houses and the Kuskov house. If the sky is clear, the stars on the coast can be incredible. For more information about staying overnight, email mep@fortross.org
Example Itinerary
FRC’s Marine Ecology Program provides an experiential and exciting outdoor educational field trip for students, including:
- Learning how to engage in hands-on marine mammal observation, identification, and survey,
- Exploring the diverse and fragile intertidal zone and its beautiful life forms,
- Keeping a field journal to record scientific data, thoughts, and sketches,
- Studying current and historic ecological interconnections,
- Discussing the importance of biodiversity and marine conservation,
- Team building and collaborative learning in an outdoor classroom setting
- Groups spending the night will camp at one of the beautiful State Park campgrounds, or sleep inside the buildings of the historic fort compound if available.
Teacher Testimonials
MEP 4.3.23
We had an amazing day at Fort Ross. The instructors were very knowledgeable and taught us so much. We were able to see California and Stellar Sea Lions as well as Harbor Seals. I also found the information on the trade so interesting!
MEP 11.20.15 & 11.21.15
What a phenomenal opportunity! The Marine Ecology Program, offered at the historical Fort Ross, is an incredible opportunity for youth of different ages to immerse themselves in nature while learning about marine biology, biodiversity and history through experiential education. My students from San Francisco International High School were truly inspired by the incredible beauty of Fort Ross, by the mystery and importance of marine creatures great and tiny, and by the realization that the kids can discover so much more when they leave their comfort zones behind. It was a pleasure to watch students enjoy and grow from the MEP experience. I am grateful to the Fort Ross Conservancy staff and educators for working closely together with myself and our school to make this a beautiful, educational and memorable experience for all involved!
Vlada Teper
San Francisco International High School Teacher
I M U Peace Club Advisor
MEP 3.8.16 Arena Union 7th & 8th grade
Thank you so much for the amazing program that you provided for our students. Everyone had such a fantastic time. It was such a hands on experience that really gave students an opportunity to use some of their knowledge in the field. They loved using the notebooks to write down data. We talk about collecting data frequently in science class, and they do this for their science projects, but this was an opportunity to see how scientists can do this in the field. They absolutely LOVED the atmosphere in which you presented the inside lessons. They felt more involved in the presentation/slideshow and loved the community feeling and layout of the room.
Thank you so much for being flexible and working with us trying to navigate around mother nature. We were disappointed to have to cancel the first day and overnight portion of the trip, but were thrilled with how much you fit into the second day for us.
We are going to plan another tide pooling field trip soon and I cannot wait to see the amount of information they have retained.
We would gladly recommend this program to any school looking to inform students about marine mammals, the impact of humans on our local ecosystem, the historical significance of Fort Ross, coastal invertebrates and a general understanding of this unique, and culturally and historically rich place in which we live. Again, thank you Sondra, Charon, and Hank!
Cristin Allen
7th & 8th Grade Teacher
Student Testimonials from Past Marine Ecology Programs – October 2014
“I enjoy the walks, hearing the seashore, and the wildlife we were able to see.” – Renzo
“I think it was very interesting the way the Russians influence both the history and ecology of Northern California.” – Spencer
“Fort Ross has so far been amazing. Fresh air, cool breeze, and not a single car or skyscraper in sight. The most memorable moment of all was climbing up onto a stony hill and standing at the very top looking out towards the sunset. The wind was blowing, the sun was going behind the horizon, and the sky was tainted in different shades of orange, blue and green hues.” – Andy Zhang
“The scenery – it’s unlike all the things I see daily. It’s nice to have a break. Physically, I am exhausted. I am ready to pass out. But it’s fun. I met new people.” – Sophia
“I thought the fur pelts and the cannons were the coolest part.”- Isiah H
“This trip taught me that people, even faced with different forms of living, can still come together in harmony.” – Josh
“This trip taught me to look deeper than just the surface. It’s like the ocean … beneath lies a whole universe.” – Brianna
“When walking along the cliffs looking for seals and wildlife, I actually felt like I didn’t have to think about the crazy city. The question on my mind, is: ‘what is the difference between Russian Orthodox and Lutherian Orthodox? They seem to both have beautiful things to them and I would love to learn more. Tomorrow is more time to learn and its also a weekend; in a way it’s like I’m not skipping school and I just have living homework.” – Luis A.
“Instead of sitting in a crowded room and being given a sheet to do, we get to move around and be outside.” – Jordan Marble
“I believe that outdoor classes are much better than indoor classes because it gives us a constant change of scenery.” – Josue P.
“The thing I wished I could have learned more about is the Kashia. The Native American Culture is beautiful to read about.”- Luis A.
“I would love to spend more time out here and learn about the world and how it works outside of the city and my daily life.” – Josh C.
“Learning outside is way better than learning inside because when you are outside, you get a better perspective on the setting because you actually get to experience nature as a whole.” – Czarina A
Photos by Paul C. Miller and Song Hunter
