Grant: 16-014E
Project Title: Carpenter House Marine Environmental Education Center Lighting Display
Project Manager: Dr. Derek Burkholder
Organization: Nova Southeastern University (Research and Educational Institute)
Grant Amount: $12,500.00
Completion Date: 2020-01-03

Summary: Nova Southeastern University and Broward County Parks Department are entering into a partnership to open and operate a Marine Environmental Education Center at the Carpenter House facility in Hollywood Florida. The center will largely focus on Sea Turtles and will feature a large in ground saltwater pool that has been renovated and retrofitted to house a sea turtle (pending permit approval), and a small interpretive center. This project will replicate the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s Sea Turtle Friendly Light mobile display as a permanent display in the Marine Environmental Education Center. The project will also develop two additional wall mount interactive displays to show different fixture and bulb types and how they rank in their impact on not only sea turtles, but also Sky Glow, energy efficiency, and even public safety in the areas where they are used. The wall mount displays will provide an interactive component to the exhibit to help develop and maintain interest in the information that is being presented. The displays final development and construction will be carried out by Wilderness Graphics in Tallahassee, Florida. MEEC staff on site will complete installation.

Results: The 3 Sea Turtle Friendly Lighting Displays have been designed (with comment from Sea Turtle Conservancy), constructed and installed (by Wilderness Graphics) on site at the Marine Environmental Education Center (MEEC) at the Carpenter House. All items have been purchased, constructed, and the displays were installed at the end of February and on site and ready to go for the Grand Opening of the MEEC on March 3, 2017. Since opening we have had over 5000 guests through the center who have been able to enjoy the displays on site.