Tide rolls in at Bristol Public Library

On Wednesday, more than 500 children and adults turned out to learn about life under the sea through interactive presentations, crafts and an aquarium-filled truck at the Bristol Public Library.

“People that don’t live at the ocean, still need to learn about the ocean,” said Diane Nelson, a marine biologist at East Tennessee State University who spoke to the kids on sea life and used stuffed animals to reinforce her key points.

One of the stuffed animals looked like a 6-foot great white shark. Nelson unzipped the shark’s stomach in front of the kids, then pulled out some of the items the shark had eaten, which probably killed it. The items ranged from a jelly-fish, a turtle and a baby dolphin to plastic bottles, plastic bags and Mardi Gras beads. 

“All of us need to be careful about what we put in the ocean,” Nelson said. “It’s the humans that cause the pollution. It’s the humans who cause many of the [sea] animals to be endangered.”

At the end of one of her presentations, Nelson said, “The kids have been wonderful. They have been very responsive to the questions I have asked.”

The kids also made crafts in the children’s section of the library during the event.

“I want her to appreciate the ocean,” Darrell Wilson said of his reason for bringing his granddaughter, Kaitlyn Woodby, to the event.

Five-year-old Kaitlyn had just finished watching Nelson’s presentation and was painting a seahorse and a starfish in the crafts section.

Kaitlyn said her favorite part of the presentation was the shark.

Outside the library, in the parking lot, kids were able to venture into a truck filled with four aquariums featuring habitats found in the Chesapeake Bay, on the coasts of Virginia and Maryland.

The truck is part of the “Ocean in Motion” program at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Center in Virginia Beach, Va., said Cassandra Drake, the aquarium’s outreach instructor who helped man the truck throughout the day.

Kimberly Owens, another educator at the aquarium, said the program travels year round to libraries, schools and other organizations. This summer they planned to host the event at about 30 libraries. Today, they plan to be at the Johnson City Public Library.

“The kids have been pretty excited,” Owens said Wednesday at the Bristol library, adding that most of the kids like the two small live sharks and the puffer fish in the truck.

“They’re awesome,” said Jordan Cross, 11, a middle-school student who had just walked out of the truck.

Cross was with a group of kids on a field trip from Lee Street Baptist Church’s child care center, which cares for children from kindergarten through seventh grade. 

Debbie Snowden, an assistant teacher at the center, said she liked the event because it was hands on.

“They get the experience of seeing the sharks,” she said. “Some of these kids will never get to visit these places and this allows them to see the wildlife.”

The kids also were able to touch starfish, clams, mussels and seashells provided by the Virginia Aquarium.

Children’s librarian Michelle Page said the event was the finale for the library’s six-week summer reading program, and corresponded with this year’s theme of “Make a Splash.”

“It’s a very unique experience for the kids in this area,” Page said, because this area does not border any sea or ocean.

The Friends of the Library helped plan and volunteer at the event along with about 10 other volunteers, she said.

Becky Wilkerson, from the Friends of the Library, said more than 500 people showed up to the event, between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. “We are quite pleased” with the turnout, she said. “It’s what we were hoping for.”

atunnell@bristolnews.com | (276)645-2568