A Box of Chocolates

Today was another perfect day at the WaterFront Center: the sun was shining, the weather was hot, and the breeze was on! It was a busy day, since today began the start of the second session of our Junior Summer program, and I was lucky enough to get to spend time with many different groups as they began a week of marine education and sailing on the high seas!

Patrick and his High School sailors having a great time this afternoon

The high school sailors spent their morning learning about plankton and other animals - up close and personal. Using microscopes, slides, and their sense of curiosity, the four high school sailors examined plankton and small creatures to get a better sense of how they survive in the waters of Oyster Bay. One of the coolest animals they got to see under the lens was a tiny baby horseshoe crab - half the size of a pencil eraser - and its developing outer shell. Eggs, shrimp, and tiny plankton were also the subject of investigation, and the high school sailors were excited to see such interesting organisms from a whole new perspective.

Nick examining some sea lettuce for miniscule eggs on its surface.

What’s not to smile about!? Squirt examining some plankton this morning.

Meanwhile, next door, the Skippers were busy at work identifying different kinds of seaweed that they had found walking on the beach: the Skippers found sea lettuce, coralina, and other kinds of seaweed, and identified different characteristics that allowed them to pinpoint exactly what kind it was and where it could be found. They then dried it out using newspapers and a little elbow grease, which allowed them to more clearly see all of the details, and examined each piece a little more closely!

Identifying seaweed this morning with the Skippers

After spending some time learning about the ocean’s plant-like inhabitants, I tagged along with Andrew, Sabrina, and their group of Bay Buccaneers, who were headed inside from the heat to make a craft. I got to know this energetic group while sitting down and making my very own beach visor - very fashionable this season, I hear - using little styro-foam sea creatures. Everybody’s visor came out very stylish, and decorated with all of the wonderful animals they’ll spend this week learning about!

Then it was time to head down to the beach with the Sound Swashbucklers, headed by Julie and Kirsten, who were ready to whip out their nets and see what they could catch! With the help of their instructors, the kids went seining and used their dip nets to see what they could find, and were pretty successful. Along with the usual handfuls of mud snails, the kids caught some small fish, a crab that could fit in the palm of their hands, and the molt of a small horseshoe crab. The swashbucklers were excited about their cool finds, and took the opportunity to learn about some of Oyster Bay’s most permanent residents. It was a great time, and I learned a lot as well.

A few of the girls and their dip net full of cool ocean life!

Examining their finds, the Swashbuckling team came across a crab and a horseshoe crab’s molt

Juliana and the small crab that was found.

Julie shows the kids a handful of mud snails that were caught in the seine net.

After lunch the breeze picked up and it became the perfect afternoon for sailing, which is exactly what everyone was headed to do - and it was the perfect way to cool off from the midday heat. The High School group was out enjoying an afternoon on the Sonars, while the PiXel group got an introduction to rigging and capsizing off of the floating dock - not a bad way to cool off! The Optis had some great breeze for basic sailing, and practiced tacking and to perfection.

Squirt enjoying her time out on the water with the rest of the High School sailors.

The Opti group spending some quality time practicing sailing.

The PiXel group practicing rigging off the floating dock this afternoon - the first step to being a great sailor!

All in all it was a fantastic start to the second session, and a day well spent with a lot of enthusiastic and adventurous Junior Summer participants! I can’t wait to spend more time getting to know everyone!