WEST PALM BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2025) — Department staff wrapped up the second Lake Worth Lagoon Estuary Exploration trip of the 2025–2026 school year on Oct. 14 with students and teachers from Palm Beach Gardens High School. The Hakuna Matata catamaran carried the group through Palm Beach County’s biggest estuary for two hours while they learned about the lagoon’s creation process and operational mechanisms and conservation efforts.
The lesson contained hands-on work. To show the variety of life in the lagoon, staff collected animals for students to observe on deck. Hermit crabs. Blue crabs. Several species of fish. Everything was safely transferred to containers so the students could get a close look while the boat motored between stops. Students recorded their observations by filling out worksheets that distinguished between swimming animals and stationary organisms. They created a fast documentation of their observations through this process.
The teachers maintained their quick teaching pace by leading students through worksheet activities which linked their observations to what they learned in class. The speed remained constant. Observe, record, ask questions. Then repeat at the next spot.
The tour included an overview of Department restoration work in the lagoon which demonstrated both completed and ongoing projects and their significance for water quality and wildlife preservation. The staff used these examples to connect with the decisions people make in their everyday lives on dry land. Litter, fertilizer, storm drains. Small actions that accumulate through time produce major changes in the world. The program has two main objectives which are to teach students about their impact on the lagoon and to develop their skills as future guardians of shared aquatic resources.
This is a partnership effort tailored to Title 1 middle and high schools. It’s run by the Department with The School District of Palm Beach County and Visit Palm Beach. Access matters, so the schools received free transportation to the West Palm Beach docks, and thanks to Visit Palm Beach, the ride aboard the Hakuna Matata was free as well.
The weather conditions worked in our favor for the operation. Calm water. Good light for spotting movement below the surface. It was, in the words of staff, a great day to be outdoors sharing the beauty and wonder of Lake Worth Lagoon with the students. The program uses a basic yet successful approach which involves taking students to the water to show them actual specimens while linking these experiences to habitat preservation efforts.
Lake Worth Lagoon functions as an active educational environment which provides students with a two-hour boat tour that teaches them about the local ecosystem and community duties and restoration importance. For background on the lagoon and ongoing projects, the public can learn more at the program website, pbclakeworthlagoon.com (learn more: pbclakeworthlagoon.com
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