![](https://scripps.ucsd.edu/sites/scripps.ucsd.edu/files/basic-page/field-collections/field-body-images-and-text/2017/visit_web2.jpg)
Through discovery labs and beach expeditions, young visitors to Birch Aquarium get to explore how sea creatures feel, move and behave in different habitats, from kelp beds to sandy shores and tide pools. Students in more than 400 classes in underserved schools across the county also take advantage of specially equipped educational outreach vans that allow them to interact with fish and other critters, learning about topics like biodiversity, adaptation and anatomy.
“As the public exploration center for the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Birch Aquarium provides unique learning opportunities by engaging visitors directly with marine life,” said Harry Helling, director of Birch Aquarium. “Private support, including generous gifts from loyal members like Mr. Swantz, is key to achieving our mission of wide-reaching ocean science education.”
For nearly two decades, Swantz was an active supporter of Birch Aquarium. He settled in San Diego in the late 1950s and owned an accounting firm. Throughout his life, he maintained a strong connection with the ocean and enjoyed discovering the natural world around him. As a passionate advocate of science education, he made time to take his daughter, Jennie, to the beach and tide pools to instill an appreciation for the sea and its creatures. He passed along the same sense of wonder to his granddaughters when they would visit each summer from New York.
“He loved exploring more than anything, seeing what there was to find,” explained Jennie. “He was impressed with the research at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the educational exhibits at Birch Aquarium. He wanted to help support and grow these programs.”
![Jennie, Karana and Aurora learned about how the aquarium has been raising seahorses in captivity.](https://scripps.ucsd.edu/sites/scripps.ucsd.edu/files/basic-page/field-body-images-and-text/2017/visit_web.jpg)
Jennie, Karana and Aurora recently traveled to Birch Aquarium at UC San Diego to present the gift from Swantz’s trust. Their visit included a guided journey through the museum exhibits, from Scripps Oceanography research on climate change and coral health to a hands-on exploration of life aboard the new R/V Sally Ride. The morning also included a special behind-the-scenes tour, with an opportunity to touch a baby leopard shark in the education classroom; feel a jellyfish and learn how they are bred; and greet an octopus who was eager to reach out—with all eight arms—to his newfound friends.
The experience was memorable for both Karana and Aurora, both of whom are interested in studying and working with animals. Karana shared that biology is her favorite class, and her goal is to pursue a career in captive wildlife care and rehabilitation, particularly for elephants or big cats. And on her recent 12th birthday, Aurora snorkeled with leopard sharks at the beach in La Jolla—a signature program run by Birch Aquarium—and has her heart set on being a marine biologist.
Having the opportunity to interact with ocean life brings science alive to students. Generous gifts like the one from Swantz enables Birch Aquarium to motivate a new generation to understand and appreciate the vibrant marine life that exists along our coastline and around the world. To learn more about supporting educational programs at Birch Aquarium, go here.
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