Division of Marine Fisheries' Junior Marine Patrol camp offers hands-on learning
So far this week, eighth grader Morgan Wallace learned how to tie knots, identify fish, and drive a boat.
'It's fun. It's like not really hard or it's not like a boot camp, but it's really fun,' Eighth Grader at G.R. Whitefield, Morgan Wallace, said.
She's one of 15 students this year in the Junior Marine Patrol Academy, hitting the water.
'It's really important to teach our youth how to protect the things in our environment. We have to set limits on fish. We have to set limits on different things so that the resource will last into future generations,' Marine Patrol Officer Candace Rose said. 'It's really good for the kids to learn that at a younger age, and that's why Marine patrol officers are here. We are the enforcement portion of that protection, so we can make a rule, but you need someone that can actually go out and enforce it.'
Marine Patrol Enforcement Officer Erik Smith enjoys seeing the students come out of their shells throughout the week.
'I've been a marine patrol officer for 21 years. I grew up here in the state of North Carolina,' Marine Patrol Officer Erik Smith said. 'I grew up enjoying the resource. And I think it's very important to expose our younger generations to what we do as enforcement officers and why we do it.'
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