The Coastal Institute at Camp Ocean Pines

08/12/2019

Do you love the coast? Do you want to share that love with 4th-12th grade students through trips to the tide pools, nature hikes, kayaking, and more?

We are seeking one more qualified candidate to join our Naturalist team this fall. Our fall 2019 season runs from September 3rd through November 22nd and includes one week of paid training along with the opportunity to attend a one week professional development course free of charge.

Please help us spread the word! And if you know someone who is interested in applying, you can direct them here:

Do you love teaching outdoors, getting elbow deep in algae and digging through decomposing logs to see what you can find?  Do you have a fascination with the natural world?  Come teach hands-on marine science and forest ecology on the central California coast at The Coastal Institute at Camp Ocean...

05/15/2018

Check out our newest blog post all about the elephant seals that call the central coast their home!

Here at the Coastal Institute, we are fortunate enough to have some pretty incredible neighbors: Northern elephant seals!  These majestic marine mammals are a pretty common site in central California as a handful of established rookeries are found along our beautiful coast. Elephant seal r

04/06/2018

Are you an outdoorsy central coast resident looking for something to do next weekend? Come get your Wilderness First Aid certification here at camp! We have an instructor coming up from southern California to lead a training for some of our camp staff April 14-15 and are opening the course to the public. Find out more here:

This Wilderness First Aid Course will run from 9 am-6 pm on Saturday April 14 and Sunday April 15.  The course will be led by an instructor from 4Points Expeditions and participants will leave with their SOLO Wilderness First Aid certification.   Registration includes lun

04/03/2018

If sand dollars were really worth a dollar a piece, we'd make some good money during our kayaking trips to Morro Bay! The beaches there are full of sand dollars, both fuzzy brown/purple living ones and dead white ones that have been bleached by the sun. Did you know that sand dollars are related to sea urchins and sea stars? @ Morro Bay, California

03/30/2018

One of our naturalists took this photo of a beautiful full moon over camp! Full moons cause spring tides - extra high and extra low tides - which means extra good tide pooling for our groups!

03/28/2018

There's a new bird at camp! This is our juvenile male Harris's hawk. Last week he taught his very first lesson and soon we hope he'll be able to fly while teaching! We are currently accepting name suggestions, so comment if you have one... @ Camp Ocean Pines

02/03/2018

Meet our spring 2018 team! With three returning naturalists (Bill, Holly, and Alex) and four new faces (Eric, Christian, Erin, and Alec) this is our biggest team ever! Our Coastal Institute naturalists have spent the past two weeks training on all of our lessons and activities and getting the camp ready for our first school to arrive. We are all excited to kick off a great season of learning, exploring, and having fun! 🍄

01/22/2018

Did you know that Camp Ocean Pines is located at the boundary between two Marine Protected Areas? This informative video gives a great overview of California's network of MPAs - the largest in the world!

California's marine protected areas (MPAs) are home to a breathtaking diversity of ocean and estuarine habitats and species. Watch this video to learn how MP...

12/19/2017

If you enjoyed our newest video about what lives underneath rotting logs, check out our blog post about it!

Did you know that "FBI" stands for more than just a top-secret governmental agency? "The FBI" is also a key component in the decomposition that takes place within a forest. Without nature’s department of decomposition, organic material would never break down resulting in a sign

12/19/2017

Have you ever wondered what kind of critters live under fallen, rotting logs? Watch this video to find out - then go explore your local forest and see what you can find!

12/15/2017

Sea stars are the true stars of the ocean! Watch our newest video to learn more about these incredible invertebrates ⭐️

12/14/2017

Do you love the coast? Do you want to share that love with 4th-12th grade students through trips to the tide pools, nature hikes, kayaking, and more?

We are seeking one more qualified candidate to join our Naturalist team this spring. Our spring 2018 season runs from January 22 through June 8 and includes one week of paid training along with the opportunity to attend a one week professional development course free of charge.

Please help us spread the word! And if you know someone who is interested in applying, you can direct them here:

Do you love teaching outdoors, getting elbow deep in algae and digging through decomposing logs to see what you can find? Do you have a fascination with the natural world? Come teach hands-on marine science and forest ecology on the central California coast at The Coastal Institute at Camp Ocean.....