After-school fun with pinnipeds

Suzie Harrison

School’s out for the day, and children are left with a choice. They

can take the TV-watching, sedentary, nonthinking route, or they can

opt to engage their brain at an after school program like the Friends

of the Sea Lion Marine Mammal Center’s Kid’s Club.

Kid’s Club is the center’s after-school program for children 8 to

12. It meets one Friday a month after school from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.,

September through May. Its first session will be on Sept. 26.

It’s the third year for the club, which has many return students,

who’ve either been at Camp Pinniped, their summer education program,

Kid’s Club or both, said Beate Litz, education director, and Kirsten

Sedlick, education coordinator.

“Kid’s Club is like summer camp during school,” Sedlick said.

“There are nine Fridays that we’ll meet, and Kid’s Club members

receive free admission to our annual holiday event and get to

participate in the Laguna Beach Patriot’s Day Parade.”

Litz said that the kids have won a few parade categories in the

past. Class size is limited to 25 club members. Each month has a

different topic. They’ll learn about pinnipeds, sharks, sea birds,

sea jellies and other fun ocean friends.

In a typical meeting they will get a mini-lecture about the topic

that day, which Sedlick promises is very entertaining.

“There will be different experiments, art activities, dissection

and games related to the topic to meet the needs of every kid,”

Sedlick said.

The students start learning all about seals and sea lions,

including the scientific terms and physiology.

Litz stressed that the animals are just a glance away.

“Kids get to see natural behavior like the sea lion sunning itself

-- holding up his flipper, it heats up the rest of the body through

thermal regulation,” Litz said.

Although a lot of the format is the same as summer camp, there

will be new activities to keep them engaged.

“We’re always upbeat, we want them to go away at least learning

one thing new,” Sedlick said. “They’re like sponges, they absorb so

much. It’s amazing. They love to learn about the ocean and its

creatures.

Friends of the Sea Lion is a nonprofit organization, an active

rescue, treatment and rehabilitation facility for seals and sea lions

and whales and dolphins that are stranded along Orange County’s

coast.

“They learn the effects of the environment to the mammals and

become stewards of ocean environments,” Litz said.

The club members get to see the sea lions’ progress. Litz said she

enjoys watching the children’s excitement about being able to get

involved.

The money generated from Kid’s Club tuition goes directly to

support the animals in the center.

“It’s great when the parents know and see where the money goes and

how they are helping these animals,” Litz said.

The price of the program is $150 per child, $135 for members and

$160 for new members, which includes membership. For information,

call Litz or Sedlick at 494-3050.

Friends of the Sea Lion is at 20612 Laguna Canyon Road. The

center’s Web site is at https://www.fslmmc.org.