Celebrating 50 years of Science for All: Horn Point Laboratory Hosts Open House October 14

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) invites the public to its annual free Open House on Saturday, October 14,2023, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mark your calendar and Save the Date! This year’s Open House is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Horn Point Laboratory.

The theme is “Science for All!” with 50 years of science for the Chesapeake Bay and the diverse marine and human life it supports.  Meet the Horn Point Lab’s team of scientists and explore the Bay using their research in fun interactive exhibits. Learn about healthy marshes, how oysters clean the water and build resilience to sea level rise and climate change, dive into the largest oyster hatchery on the east coast, and more during a day of FREE activities for all ages. Children will receive a free t-shirt for completing the scavenger hunt. 

“This is the best day of the year for the community to learn about the science of the Bay. Everyone at the lab is on deck to explain their research with activities and displays that make it easy to understand,” said Horn Point Laboratory Director Mike Sieracki. 

From the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Horn Point scientists engage in world-renowned research in oceanography, water quality, coastal resilience and sea level rise, restoration of sea grasses, marshes and shellfish, and expertise in ecosystem modeling.

Visitors to the Open House will explore the shore through hands-on exhibits created by the Lab’s faculty and students:

• Build a healthy marsh and learn who are our best partners in this effort.
• See an animation of the travels of oyster larvae as they move from the reef where they spawned to their new, permanent home reef.  
• Match up a DNA sequence to microscopic creatures important to the food chain. 
• Play in a digital sand box to create shorelines and model weather’s impact with laser imaging.
• Meet and talk to graduate students about their environmental career goals.
• Build an oyster castle and learn how these growing, living building blocks create habitat for marine creatures and protect against sea level rise and climate change.
• At the children’s activity booth, create eco-friendly animals that live in our waters. Play games that teach fun facts about the Bay.  Go on a scavenger hunt through the exhibits to learn how the Bay’s lasting health starts with each of us making a cleaner environment today.

FREE and fun for all ages the Open House will take place rain or shine. The Horn Point Laboratory campus is located at 2020 Horns Point Road on Route 343 outside of Cambridge, Maryland. 

For more information, visit umces.edu/hpl/openhouse or contact Carin Starr at [email protected], 410-221-8408.