The Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority has hired a director of science education. Christie Barchenger has been entrusted with the challenging task of developing maritime and ecology science programs for kindergarten to twelfth grade students in Grays Harbor County and Pacific County.
The Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority (GHHSA) is a nonprofit organization founded on the occasion of the Washington State centennial celebration in 1986. Its mission is to promote and preserve Grays Harbor’s maritime history and traditions. In 1989, the tall ship Lady Washington was built. This replica of the 18th century tall ship involved in the exploration of Grays Harbor by Captain Robert Gray, acts as the Harbor’s ambassador at sea. She was joined in 2005 by a second tall ship, the Hawaiian Chieftain.
The GHHSA’s purchase of the 38-acre former Weyerhaeuser saw mill on Aberdeen’s south shore has created possibilities for year-long educational programs and more. Under the name Seaport Landing, the new site is being developed as “a world-class mixed-use waterfront development embracing and reflecting the rich history and character of Grays Harbor and the Olympic Peninsula.” The Seaport’s new website shows colorful illustrations of the future site.
The Bellevue-based Magic Cabinet Foundation recently awarded a three year $500,000 grant to the GHHSA under which Christie Barchenger was hired to develop an onsite, year- round science education program.
It is hard to imagine a better way to study maritime science than the current GHHSA’s programs on board the tall ships. The Two Weeks before the Mast Program and the three hour Voyage of Explorer’s Program teach students of all ages about maritime history, historical navigation and what it takes to be a deck hand. However, the tall ships only spend one month out of the year in Aberdeen. Barchenger will make it possible for students to learn year round at Seaport Landing.
Landlubber Christie Barchenger grew up in Illinois. She has just returned from a tall ship sailing trip to find her sea legs. A post graduate student in science education at the University of Washington, Barchenger came to Grays Harbor when her fiancé was hired as a doctor at Grays Harbor Community Hospital. “We love it here,” she says. “We are both from small towns and were tired of Seattle.” She is now employed full-time as Science Education Director at the Seaport and is contemplating returning to her PhD studies.
Barchenger’s background includes an masters in science education, teaching 8th grade science in rural Mississippi and a position as field director for World Teach in Bangladesh where her duties included teaching, training writing tutors and budgeting at the Asian University for Women. She is tackling the task in front of her with great enthusiasm and confidence.
“Before I begin to plan any programs, I need to know what people want,” Barchenger points out. For this purpose, she has contacted every school district in Grays Harbor and Pacific counties. She has interviewed teachers. She has created a survey through social media to collect community input. As her plans take shape, she will need to submit them to the grantors for approval.
Community teachers are interested in guest lessons. There will be a menu of field trips. Barchenger is reaching out to homeschoolers. They will have access to equipment unaffordable for a single household. “I think homeschool parents will welcome the opportunity to have somebody else teach for a day,” she smiles. “We will have themed community science days with topics like razor clams, salmon or how ships float. We are open to suggestions. I want all our science programs to be hands on.”
The Seaport has already been working on ways to extend deck hand training throughout the year. Sheltered under the roof of the former Weyerhaeuser warehouse stands a contraption called the ‘mini mast’. This section of a tall ship mast with rigging planted onto a wooden platform is a great example of the hands-on learning Barchenger has in mind. The mini mast makes it possible for students to learn how to furl sails out of the rain all year long.
“This area has so many opportunities for ecology science education,” Barchenger explains. “The Chehalis River is the largest watershed in the state. There are so many ecosystems coming together here: the river, forest, estuary, and ocean.” She is pleased to be working on a salmon program with Amanda Gunn, Grays Harbor College biology instructor and manager of the recently reopened nearby John M. Smith Aquaculture Center on Lake Swano. She is also working with the Chehalis Basin Partnership, Chehalis Basin Land Trust and Grays Harbor Conservation District.
“This is an exciting time for Aberdeen and the Harbor. Things are happening,” Barchenger emphasizes. “I want our program to be another piece of a growing puzzle of community engagement and educational opportunities for all ages, of science as it impacts our everyday lives.”
The new GHHSPA science education program is planned to kick off at Seaport Landing, 550 N. Custer Way, South Aberdeen, in early 2017.
Contact Christie Barchenger at 360-532-7960, science@historicalseaport.org or follow the Grays Historical Seaport on Facebook for the latest updates.
