Mona McCrea

Subject(s):: Science, Geography
Curriculum Strands:: Human environments (Geography), Natural environments (Geography), Environmental awareness and care (Geography/Science), Living things (Science)
Counties catered for:: Dublin, Wicklow
Classes catered for:: All Classes

Book in-person visit

Mona McCrea is an experienced marine zoologist and environmental scientist, dedicated to marine environmental education. She is passionate about the marine environment and offers a fun learning environment where children can explore and discover Ireland's seashore flora and fauna. Mona aims to make marine biology accessible to children of all ages, encouraging them to put on their wellies and get outdoors. Mona’s ambition is to develop children’s interest in the marine environment, giving them a lifelong curiosity and appreciation for marine life and thereby fostering wider environmental awareness.

The majority of Mona's work is with students in 4th – 6th class. However, she can tailor workshops to teach children from junior infants up.

Explore the marine ecology on your local seashore

This workshop takes a full day, and combines a hands-on, classroom based workshop and a field trip to the local beach.

Introduction to Ireland’s marine ecology - In class - approx. 1.5 hrs

This workshop is conducted in the class room. Students will be taught about the amazing marine wildlife we have in our waters. They will then be shown different types of Irish shores (rocky, muddy/sandy, shingle) and the different species that inhabit them. We will look at the different sampling methods required in each habitat. This will be in the form of a PowerPoint Presentation and with biofacts (plant and animal samples) for them to handle. Students will learn about tides and lunar cycles, what to look out for on the fieldtrip and how to look.

Field trip - approx. 1.5 hours on the shore

We will then visit the local beach at low tide. Students will explore and discover the biodiversity on the shore. On rocky shores they will search on and under rocks and seaweed and in rock pools, on sandy and muddy shores they will use digging and sieving sampling methods to find the animals and on shingle shores they will be beach combing along the seaweed line. The students will have buckets, nets, spades, sieves, scavenger hunt sheets, identification guides etc.

We will do a ‘show and tell’ at the end of the field trip to make sure everyone has seen all the species found.

Back at the school we will report any findings to citizen science projects, such as Purse Search Ireland (for Mermaids purses – shark and ray egg cases), etc.

Testimonials

"It was such a pleasure working with Mona. She has such a lovely manner with the children and they responded so well to her. The teachers loved having her visit too. We all felt we learnt so much about what is on our own doorstep but we don't investigate enough with the children." - St Sylvester's Infant School, Dublin
"Yet again, another amazing experience with Mona. Our children learnt so much from her. Mona has such a natural gentle way with the children and their enthusiasm! The information she shared was perfectly pitched at their age group and completely in line with the current and incoming new curriculum for local geography - natural heritage." - St Sylvester's Infant School, Dublin

Additional Information

Provides in-person visits
Caters for special needs
Provides practical/hands-on activities
Provides field trips

Contact Details

Mobile:: 087 6995699
Email:: seashoretrips@gmail.com
Website:: www.seashorekids.ie