On July 16th, our Education Curator, Amelia Rodgers (middle in photo), was presented the Marine Education Award at the National Marine Educators Association annual virtual conference. Members of our Educators Advisory Council and Aquarium team members were at the Aquarium to cheer her on! The award celebrates distinguished performance in marine education by professionals who are not classroom teachers and demonstrated innovation in introducing marine science into materials, activities, and/or topics.
Amelia started here in March 2019 and hit the ground running even before we opened. She designed from scratch what would be our education programs, planned logistics and communications for school field trips and programs, created content for the Conservation & Education Center exhibits, and so much more. In 2020 everything had to change due to the pandemic, so Amelia started over and created a virtual summer camp on a month's notice (receiving rave reviews!) and designed engaging virtual education classes for K-12 students starting in fall 2020. There was definitely a need as we "sold out" of our virtual classes this spring! Also, in spring 2020 when students were at home learning, Amelia created activity sheets and quizzes to augment the Aquarium's Facebook Live videos happening twice a week for 2 months. She also created an activity packet that were distributed (in partnership with KidSmart) to 18,000 students in under-resourced communities
It's Amelia's attention to detail, passion for animal welfare and conservation, and desire to help kids reach their full potential that makes her the perfect person to manage our aquatic-science education programs. We are so fortunate to have Amelia on the Aquarium Foundation team!
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Aquarium Field Trips and Education Classes available for Fall 2021 |
We look forward to welcoming enthusiastic K-12 students and teachers for Aquarium field trips and STEM education classes this fall! Schools can request a field trip now at the link below, and we will be adding our class descriptions in a few weeks for our on-site education classes. |
We will also be offering our 30-minute virtual education classes again this fall. Virtual classes include live presentations with ambassador animals, footage of our marine animals, a pre-recorded virtual tour of the Aquarium, and a follow up activity!
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Board of Directors
Steve O'Loughlin, Chair
George Bauer
Maxine Clark
L.B. Eckelkamp, Jr.
Robert Guest, Secretary
Jim Lally
Bob O'Loughlin, Treasurer
Melissa Paz
Peggy Ritter
Thom Sehnert
Executive Director
Diane Bauhof, CFRE
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Thank you to
our donors!*
Major Gifts
Blueprint4Summer
First Bank
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Spectrum Brands
Global Waters Circle Members
LaVerne Lorenzini
Brian & Nora McMorrow
Kellie & Eric Vahey
Douglas & Lynn Yaeger
Aquarium Friends Circle Members
Marjorie & Michael Anderson
Dana Hines
Jim & Pat McAtee
David Palatnik
Sgroi Family
Donations
Derek Austill
Diane & Mike Bauhof
LeighAnne Bernard
Katherine Bonan
Sarah Bundy
Pamela Casey
Alissa Duel
Dana French
Ryan & Allie Frillman
Suzie Gallatin
Bob & Carolyn Guest
Todd & Katie Hotaling
Linda & Jesse Hunter
Katie Joseph
Katherine Kirby
Jim & Laura Lally
David Merrifield
Lindsay Parker
Jodi Payne
Jennifer Redden
Dr. Charles & Dr. Liz Schmitz
Darlene & Bill Skaggs
Kelly Skaggs
Erin Toohey
Andrew Vrabel
Katherine Wales
Margaret Zakutansky
*List includes gifts of $250+ received between 4/1/2021 and 6/30/2021
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Thank you to Chase for being our 2021 Community Education Programs partner, including Camp Fins & Friends this summer! |
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Make waves with us... and make a difference! Support the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation today and help us advance our work to engage, enlighten, and educate the community!
At the Aquarium, visitors explore life under the sea and beneath a river’s surface. Some 13,000 animals live at the Aquarium, from beautiful sea turtles to elegant stingrays, primitive paddlefish to playful otters. There’s so much to entertain and fascinate your whole family.
In fact, no one in our diverse community should have to miss out on such an amazing, one-of-a-kind place! That’s why the work of the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation, the nonprofit partner of the Aquarium, is so critical. We’re committed to ensuring this extraordinary educational and inspirational setting is accessible to everyone.
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We invite you to consider making a donation to support the Aquarium Foundation's education programs and free Aquarium visits for underserved families. Right now, your gift will go twice as far with a match – dollar for dollar – by two of our Foundation board members, Bob O’Loughlin and George Bauer, up to $250,000.
For a limited time, as a thank you for donations of $50 or more, you’ll receive an exclusive St. Louis Aquarium Foundation reusable straw in a keychain case, all sustainably made out of wheat straw!
You may make a gift online through our website at the link below, in person in the Conservation & Education Center, or via stock transfer. Please contact the Foundation office at (314) 923-3926 or info@stlaquariumfoundation.org for stock transfer instructions or to make your gift over the phone. Thank you for your consideration of support!
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Message from Amelia
Amelia Rodgers is the Education Curator for the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation. Each newsletter will feature an article from Amelia focusing on an educational and/or conservation topic.
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Camp Fins and Friends Brings Lots of Summer Fun!
Summer 2021 at the St. Louis Aquarium is lively and full of summer campers! We are excited to be hosting our first in-person youth summer camp for ages 6 to 11 – Camp Fins & Friends sponsored by Chase! Up to 20 new campers each week spend the day learning about marine biology, exploring the Aquarium, and enjoying the other attractions at St. Louis Union Station.
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Programs like camp are an important part of our mission and provide youth with the opportunity to discover marine animals and ecosystems that we don’t find here in the Midwest. We encourage campers to get curious, ask questions, and think critically. This style of teaching asks kids to make connections, recognize patterns, and understand the how and why behind the information they learn. In other words, we strive to create an environment where kids can begin to think like scientists. |
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We are grateful for the support of Chase for sponsoring summer camp, providing each camper with a reusable water bottle and an Aquarium Foundation Junior Biologist Learning Kit to do more aquatic-science fun at home! And a huge thank you goes to the Hunter Family Foundation and Blueprint4Summer for providing 25 free summer camp experiences for kids who otherwise would not be able to experience our camp.
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We also could not have done it without our amazing and dedicated Education Volunteers who provided many shifts throughout the 8 weeks to help our campers have the best experience possible. Special thanks to these summer camp volunteers: |
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Disha Bera
Paul Biggs
Secret Bohm
Mary Brockhaus
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Sue Hendricks
Hilliard Hicks
Michol Kobylski
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Christy Moore
Kris Shannon
Sandy Weis
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The St. Louis Aquarium Foundation plans to host winter break camp, single-day camps on school holidays, and other educational programs in the future. Be sure to follow us on Facebook to see announcements about future programs!
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Donor Spotlight:
Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District
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Roland Biehl, Environmental Specialist with MSD, in the
Conservation & Education Center Rain Garden
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MSD Partnership Features Ways YOU Can Make a Difference
We would venture to say that the majority of St. Louisans don’t think much about their wastewater and especially the rainwater that enters the storm drains in our neighborhood. Well, until there’s a problem, that is. One basement sewer backup or a blocked storm drain inlet, and suddenly it’s a top priority!
These important issues are what The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Project Clear (MSDPC) focuses on every day. Founded as a special district under the state constitution in 1954, MSDPC combined operations for 79 separate sewer districts that had been serving the St. Louis region. In 1989, they took on the management of the area’s stormwater sewer and treatment systems, assuming responsibility for one of the most complex sewer systems in the United States. Unlike many municipal areas where the water, wastewater, and stormwater are functions of city government, the St. Louis area is managed through MSDPC, which is a separate utility and not part of St. Louis City or St. Louis County governments.
“MSDPC does amazing work year after year to keep our storm water and sewer system running efficiently, but we can’t do it alone. We strive to educate the community about how each of us – including companies and municipalities – contribute to the health of our waterways,” explains Crystal Howard, MSDPC Public Affairs Specialist. “Through this partnership, the Aquarium Foundation is able to help us reach more people and effectively help MSDPC continue to improve our region’s water quality and thus provide healthy ecosystems too.”
MSDPC is a sponsor of the Get Involved! Action Kiosks in our Conservation & Education Center (CEC). This exhibit features an interactive map where guests learn about ways to get involved in environmentally-focused activities and events in the region. Visitors can enter their email address and have a search result emailed to them to review later or use a QR Code to open it right on their phone. In addition, MSDPC features eight “pins” on the map to learn about individual ways we can each help. These tips also are featured on our website – go take a look!
MSDPC is also a sponsor of our outdoor Rain Garden exhibit in the CEC. On signage, we feature information about MSDPC’s small and large grant opportunities for individuals, developers, and organizations to request funding for rainscaping their properties. Also, visitors can scan the QR Code on the door leading back inside, and it’ll take you right to their website to learn more about creating a rain garden.
The St. Louis Aquarium Foundation is grateful for the support and partnership of the MSDPC to help teach and remind everyone that each individual’s actions can affect the health of our local waterways, which in turn affects animal habitats and our environment.
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Volunteer Spotlight:
Hilliard Hicks
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Hilliard (or more affectionately known as "Hilly" to our summer campers) has been volunteering with the St. Louis Aquarium Foundation since October 2020. He has spent time volunteering both inside the Aquarium and in the Conservation & Education Center, and most recently has assisted with our Camp Fins & Friends.
Hilliard has a masters degree in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and specializes in macroalgae and coral ecology. As a marine biologist living in the Midwest, there are not a lot of opportunities to see marine life and connect to the ocean, so deciding to volunteer with the Aquarium Foundation was an easy choice. He loves being able to share his expertise with guests at the Aquarium and piquing their curiosity about the ocean and what they can do to protect it.
His favorite part of volunteering with the Aquarium Foundation so far has been working in the Conservation & Education Center at the conservation cart. He says, "There are guests who come into the Aquarium with very unique questions, and inspiring them to care about the ocean is why I chose a career in marine biology and to volunteer with the Foundation." Additionally, he points out that "a lot of children from the city are not used to seeing someone who looks like me as a scientist, and I would like to help change that perception."
His favorite habitat at the St. Louis Aquarium is the leafy and weedy sea dragons. Sea dragons typically live in kelp forests, one of Hilliard's favorite scuba diving environments, and he highly recommends it for any scuba enthusiasts out there.
When asked about his volunteer experience, he said "volunteering is a lot of fun and you get to see some cool behind-the-scenes things. It’s nice to see how the Foundation continues to grow and engage guests with new exhibits."
We are grateful to have such wonderful volunteers like Hilliard to inspire and engage guests in water conservation and education initiatives!
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Interested in volunteering?
Learn more and complete an application here!
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Events and How to Get Involved: |
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Making Waves Gala
November 18, 2021 | 6-9 pm
St. Louis Union Station
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You can help make waves for education, access, and water stewardship through the mission of the Aquarium Foundation at an amazing evening of cocktails and dinner with your friends and colleagues, unique Aquarium highlights, and a special guest to be announced soon! You won't want to miss this fin-tastic event! View sponsorship and VIP ticket information here. Individual tickets will go on sale in September. |
Chair:
Linda Hunter
Honorary Chairs:
Robert O'Loughlin & Steve O'Loughlin
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Thank you to everyone who made our virtual auction so INK-credible! |
A special thank you to our auction chair, Kellie Vahey, our Development Advisory Committee, and the following companies and individuals for donating goods or services for auction packages: |
- Charcu in the Lou
- The Cheshire Inn
- Christina White Salon
- Coca-Cola
- Curio Press
- The Diamond Family
- First Bank
- Gateway Kartplex
- Gateway Mortgage
- Goodies with Glam
- Joya
- Katherine Alexander Art
- Kendra Scott
- Kennelwood Pet Resorts
- Linda & Jesse Hunter
- The Little Medical School
- Lodging Hospitality Management
- Massage Luxe
- Purina Farms
- Peggy & Jerry Ritter
- Pure Barre
- Red Fitness Lounge
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- Schlafly
- The Smokehouse Market
- St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station
- STL Barkeep
- St. Louis Blues
- St. Louis Cardinals
- St. Louis Cosmetic Surgery
- St. Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
- The St. Louis Wheel
- Super Smokers BBQ
- Tegethoff Development
- Tetra
- Third Wheel Brewing
- White Box Catering
- Y-Kiki Divers
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Animal Spotlight:
Sharks!
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Didn't get enough of Shark Week? Well don't worry, it's always shark week at the St. Louis Aquarium, so let's take a look at a few of our shark residents - the smallest and largest shark species at the St. Louis Aquarium. |
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Whitespotted Bamboo Shark
Chiloscyllium plagiosum
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Diet: Small, bony fish, and crustaceans
Size: 24-36 inches (61-91 centimeters)
Habitat: In-shore on rocks and coral reefs
Range: Shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific region (India, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Indonesia, and Madagascar)
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
White-spotted bamboo sharks are nocturnal bottom feeders. Like the nurse sharks, they have two barbels near their mouth to help detect prey hidden in the sand. Because of their size and flexibility, they can fit between coral branches and hide in crevices within reefs.
While most shark species give live birth to their young, white-spotted bamboo sharks are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs.
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Atlantic Nurse Shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum
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Diet: Spiny lobsters, shrimps, crabs, sea urchins, squids, octopus, snails, bivalves, fish, and stingrays
Size: 90-120 inches (229-304 centimeters)
Habitat: Continental and insular shelves
Range: Coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean
IUCN Status: Insufficient Data
Nurse sharks are also nocturnal, typically sleeping in shallow caves and crevices during the day before scouring the seafloor at night for crustaceans and mollusks. As bottom feeders, nurse sharks do not pose much threat to humans.
Unlike many other shark species, nurse sharks have developed a "buccal pump" that allows them to pull water in through their gills so they can breathe without moving (most sharks have to keep moving to breathe).
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The white-spotted bamboo sharks can be found in our shark and ray touch pool and the nurse sharks live in the Shark Canyon habitat. Come visit the Aquarium to see and learn more about these and all of our shark species! |
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St. Louis Aquarium Foundation | 314.923.3926 | info@stlaquariumfoundation.org
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