CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Cunningham Middle School students got to learn what it takes to rescue wildlife with experts from the Texas State Aquarium Thursday.
The aquarium's Wildlife Rescue On the Road program leads STEM based lessons for students, going through procedures of rescuing different types of wildlife such as manatees and turtles.
Texas State Aquarium president and CEO Jesse Gilbert said the program is an asset for the state of Texas not just in saving wildlife, but in inspiring the next generation of scientists.
"Well I think it's vitally important that we make sure that students understand the resources that are here in Corpus Christi," said Gilbert. "But also, that might be the next marine biologist participating in this course, that might be the next medical doctor that's going to help treat the citizens of Corpus Christi, or that might be the next wildlife rescuer. So it's important that we continue to invest in our community to make sure this community stays resilient just like the wildlife."
Gilbert said the Texas State Aquarium's Wildlife Rescue Program is the leading program of its kind in the United States and added that it's all due to the great support its partners like reliant energy.
Reliant Energy's community relations specialist Sidney Evans said the community has made the program such a success.
"Reliant, we're so fortunate to be in a community that supports the places where we live and work, in this case, the Texas State Aquarium," Evans said. "Literally one of the best aquariums in the country I believe. So, it just became natural that when we had an opportunity to sponsor Wildlife Rescue on the Road, we just jumped all over it."
The Wildlife Rescue on the Road program travels statewide. It will be at Cunningham Middle School again on Friday.
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