GERMANTOWN ACADEMY

Nine middle school students and three teachers from the Academy’s science camp had a three day experience packed with activities. Starting before sunrise they did most of the traditional activities such as clamming (caught 50), fishing (caught snapper blues, sea bass and even one small king fish), crabbing (scooped lots of mature females which they returned to the bay), kayaking (paddled to the dike at Island Beach), snorkeling (swam against a strong current on both sides of the channel in murky water), and more. In addition they found time to dissect squid, make fish print T-shirts, and play electric clam. They used the squid ink to print their names on their Sedge journals in which they wrote each night. For all their efforts, the group was treated to the best display of planktonic bioluminescence seen yet this summer. Getting off the island in a hurry due to the passing remnants of Hurricane Katrina, the group stopped off at Island Beach to see the wild, wind whiped surf and then went to the Cooper Nature Center at Cattus Island to do some seining.
Jim Merritt

Newark Academy

Eighteen students in grades 9-12 spent the weekend at Sedge with four of their teachers. Although this was a large group, everyone worked together to share resources. They found places to sleep (on the porch, in the front room, and even on top of the picnic table). Because we didn’t have enough kayaks we used the Mother Ship (our 22’ aluminum canoe) to carry extra people, crab nets, clam rakes, and other gear as we paddled through the Marine Conservation Zone. The group had a special treat when John Wnek (MATES teacher and Ph.D. researcher) demonstrated how his research with the Diamond Backed Terrapins is progressing. It was a warm day and he was able to capture one day old hatchlings which he showed to the students. Special thanks to the students who helped Jim Merritt sort and count the seed clams which are growing on our shellfish lease. Despite the fact that a few sea stars seem to be able to find their way into the protective bags, a high percentage of the original 10,000, 12mm. clams are still alive.