On May 1, nearly 10,000 students from across South Florida learned about weather and billfish at the eighth annual CBS 4 Weather Day. This event took place prior to the Miami Marlins game at Marlins Park. Elementary and middle school students came from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties to the ballpark and took part in a fun-filled, science-focused educational field trip.
A number of the local CBS 4 meteorologists and NOAA hurricane experts spoke during the pre-game program designed to teach kids some basic concepts of weather and how these topics relate to living in South Florida. The students also learned about marlin, not the baseball players, but the actual fish.
TBF’s Peter Chaibongsai and UM’s Dr. Sean Bignami hanging out with Billy the Marlin before the event. Photo courtesy of Laura Bracken.
The Billfish Foundation’s Peter Chaibongsai collaborated with the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science to develop a presentation on billfish. Dr. Sean Bignami presented, with the help of Billy the Marlin, a very fun and entertaining lesson on billfish growth and conservation. Dr. Bignami explained that billfish, like blue marlin, are extremely popular with recreational fishing community and he spoke about conservation efforts – TBF’s Tag & Release Program – to learn more about billfish, like blue marlin.
Following the lessons on weather and marlin, the kids were invited to stay and watch the game against the New York Mets. Not a bad day at school, we would say. You learn about weather, fish, and then enjoy a day at the ballpark! To learn more about TBF’s education program please contact us or visit our website.
