Programs Blog

June 30, 2025

Author: Stella T., Portland, Oregon

Location: Woodwell Climate Research Center

Hello Blog! 

Today we began our second week with a full day of class spent on our Oceans & Society course. After a late wake-up and slow morning, we went on a short walk two doors down to the Woodwell Climate Research Center (#1 Climate Research organization in the world!). The main building was an old estate turned into a research center with walls of windows and reclaimed wood frames, which both contributed to their mission of sustainability. This included their rooftop solar panels and unmowed meadow out in front, all seen from the rooftop stop on our tour. Afterward, we checked out the map table and headed to the renovated carriage house for a discussion on modern science communication, which closed out the visit. 

A quick lunch of sandwiches back at the cottages led to spending time in the classroom learning Cape Cod history, from colonization to today. This included running around the lawn as Britain and the colonies, sending resources and trading with one another, and examining paintings to understand the shift in seeing the sea as a commercial resource to a vacation spot. 

When classes wrapped for the day, both cottages spent their free time mostly indoors, relaxing and waiting out the heat of the day. 

After dinner, the cooler evening weather brought us all outside and to Racing Beach, only a short walk from campus. There, we collected shells and rocks to paint at a later date, and watched a cloudy, non visible sunset. The students who didn’t mind being cold out of the water (myself included) spent time wading in the ocean. We discovered a friendly hermit crab and fish, who walked around on our hands and swam by our feet, respectively. All together, week two is off to a great start!