Summer Camp with Sharks

SUMMERTIME IS ALSO SHARK SEASON AND FLORIDA IS HOME TO OVER 50 SPECIES OF SHARK THAT LIVE OFF THE COAST. AND EVEN IN BAYS AND SHALLOW ESTUARIES. A SUMMER CAMP ON SANIBEL ISLAND OFFERS KIDS A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE CREATURES OF THE OCEAN. WGCUS CULTURE AND CONNECTIONS. REPORTER ELIZABETH ANDARGE HAS THE STORY. >> IT'S GOT TO BE HARD TO CUT THROUGH BECAUSE THERE'S CARTILAGE RIGHT HERE. AND I PROMISE IF YOU JUST KEEP GOING AT IT, YOU'LL GET THROUGH IT. >> THAT'S KIND OF DISGUSTING. >> 14 YEAR-OLD VANESSA MUSSER IS DESCRIBING THE SITE. IT DIDN'T SMELL LIKE ROSES EITHER. HENCE THE PARKING LOT PUT. LET'S BACK UP AND START WHERE THESE KIDS TO THE CLASSROOM. GRAPHS AND A QUICK GAME TO SEE WHO IS PAYING ATTENTION. BRITTANY, LAST OR EDUCATION OUTREACH COORDINATOR FOR CROWE, THE CLINIC FOR THE REHABILITATION OF WILDLIFE EXPANDS THIS CAMPER AT NOW IS WHAT WE SPRING CAMP, WHICH MEANS IT IS A MIX OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS. >> AND WHERE THEY DO A LITTLE BIT MORE, IT'S NOT JUST SUMMER CAMP ACTIVITIES THERE ALSO ACTIVELY TRYING TO LEARN AS MUCH AS THEY MAY 5, THAT. >> AFTER THE EDUCATIONAL PORTION, THE KEEPER SCRUB THEIR GLOVES AND IT TOOK OUT THEIR SCALPELS FOR SOME HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE. DISSECTING USDA APPROVED SHARKS. THAT'S ACCORDING TO JORDAN. BRYANT CROWE, EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATIONS INTERN. ALL OF OUR LAB DISSECTIONS, EVERY ANIMAL OR ORGANISM THAT WE RECEIVE IS LAB GROWN OR SPECIFICALLY RAISED IN A LAB SETTING. >> FOR THE INTENSE OF EDUCATION, WE ALSO WANT TO SHOW THEM THE COMPLEX ANATOMY BECAUSE WE CAN. >> CONNECT. THAT'S WHAT OUR VET MARION'S SEE AND 2 AT CROW THEY GO. AND AND EVEN DURING A DISSECTION, IT'S REALLY EASY TO CUT SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT TO CUT. IT'S REALLY HARD TO GET THROUGH THE SKIN. IT'S ABOUT HAVING THEM HANDS-ON WITH THAT. WE CAN POINT OUT THESE ORGANS GUIDING THEM THROUGH IT. BRIAN SAYS THE GOAL IS TO WIN THEM OVER. >> THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS UNDERSTANDING WHY WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT THEM AND WHY THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO THE ENVIRONMENT. THEY UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE OVER 100 MILLION SHARKS ARE KILLED EVERY SINGLE YEAR. AND SO TO ME, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO JUST SPREAD AWARENESS TO SPREAD EDUCATION AND AN INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT SHARKS ARE NOT ACTUALLY SCARY. >> RESEARCH PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL MARINE POLICY TRACK SHARK DEATHS FROM WORLDWIDE COMMERCIAL FISHING BRYANT HOPING IT'S ENOUGH TO CHANGE SOME MINDS AT AN EARLY AGE. >> IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE KIDS HOW TO HAVE COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS JUST IN GENERAL AND JUST LIFE. AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A WAY TO DO THAT IS SEEING THE PURPOSE OF THIS ANIMAL AND UNDERSTANDING THAT THE REASON IT DIED WAS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. >> BRYANT ALSO WANT TO TICK OFF A FEW BOXES OF HER OWN. >> IS I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY TOUCHED A SHARK. AND SO BEING ABLE TO FINALLY TALK ABOUT THE SKIN THAT I TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME AND FEELING IT'S MOVED MIS THE MINUTES ROUGHNESS ALSO JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE THE INSIDE SEEING IT'S FINE AS WELL AS IT'S I IT'S HARD HOLDING ITS HEART IN MY HAND. THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY AWESOME. SO THE SUPER SPECIAL MOMENT FOR ME, I MAY HAVE TAKEN MORE FROM IT THAN THE KIDS, BUT AS LONG AS THEY TOOK SOMETHING FROM IT, I'M HAPPY >> FROM US OR SHE TOOK SOMETHING FROM MID TO MAYBE NOT WHAT SHE EXPECTED WALKING IN. IT WAS REALLY COOL TO BE ABLE TO SEE. >> INSIDE OF THE SHARK AND SEE HOW LIKE OLDEST PRINT PARTS WORK TOGETHER AND LIKE A LOT OF THE ORGANS DIDN'T LOOK HOW YOU THINK THEY WOULD. >> FOR WGCU NEWS. I'M ELISABETH ANDARGE