Friday, December 7, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Manchester High School
October 12-14,2007
When the students from Manchester HS arrived at the Island Beach State Park launch area the wind was gusting to over 40 mph. Rather than risking life, limb and the pontoon boat, Jim decided to do a program on Island Beach that afternoon and then go to Sedge the following morning. Joined by Dr. Stan Hales, Director of the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program, we spent the afternoon in and around the Forked River Interpretive Center. After a tour of the building we hiked to the beach on the self-guided nature trail. It was chilly in the wind but this experience gave the students a better appreciation of the need to dress properly for the weather conditions.
All the students returned early the following morning and we were on the water in kayaks by 9:30 am (Sedge time.) Because we were a strong paddling group, we were able do our usual full day trip to Barnegat Inlet complete with lunch on the jetty rocks. (Fisherman on the jetty seemed oblivious to the eye shadow war paint on some of the boys’ faces.) We headed back stopping on our way to dig some soft- shelled clams in the water that continues to be in the high 60’s.
Dinner consisted of home made macaroni and cheese and meatballs with some of our usual seafood that we caught like clams and crabs. In addition, we experienced a new first on Sedge Island. We cooked and ate mud snails. Boiled with garlic and lots of spices and then dipped in butter, these snails were (in the opinion of some of the students) “delicious.” Everyone admitted that even though they were tasty, they were a lot of work for so little meat “worse than crabs.” A star lit sky encouraged some of the students to sleep out on the deck. The temperature dipped into the 40’s but some stuck it out for the entire night.
Special thanks to Shang Jen and Jake Raabe for helping out over the weekend. Other than a visit to Sedge with the Rutgers University Outdoor Club, Shang had spent very little time on the island. Sang helped with everything from teaching to cooking and cleaning. Jake, who has been coming to Sedge to since he was nine years old, helped many of the students learn to fish and throw a cast net
When the students from Manchester HS arrived at the Island Beach State Park launch area the wind was gusting to over 40 mph. Rather than risking life, limb and the pontoon boat, Jim decided to do a program on Island Beach that afternoon and then go to Sedge the following morning. Joined by Dr. Stan Hales, Director of the Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program, we spent the afternoon in and around the Forked River Interpretive Center. After a tour of the building we hiked to the beach on the self-guided nature trail. It was chilly in the wind but this experience gave the students a better appreciation of the need to dress properly for the weather conditions.
All the students returned early the following morning and we were on the water in kayaks by 9:30 am (Sedge time.) Because we were a strong paddling group, we were able do our usual full day trip to Barnegat Inlet complete with lunch on the jetty rocks. (Fisherman on the jetty seemed oblivious to the eye shadow war paint on some of the boys’ faces.) We headed back stopping on our way to dig some soft- shelled clams in the water that continues to be in the high 60’s.
Dinner consisted of home made macaroni and cheese and meatballs with some of our usual seafood that we caught like clams and crabs. In addition, we experienced a new first on Sedge Island. We cooked and ate mud snails. Boiled with garlic and lots of spices and then dipped in butter, these snails were (in the opinion of some of the students) “delicious.” Everyone admitted that even though they were tasty, they were a lot of work for so little meat “worse than crabs.” A star lit sky encouraged some of the students to sleep out on the deck. The temperature dipped into the 40’s but some stuck it out for the entire night.
Special thanks to Shang Jen and Jake Raabe for helping out over the weekend. Other than a visit to Sedge with the Rutgers University Outdoor Club, Shang had spent very little time on the island. Sang helped with everything from teaching to cooking and cleaning. Jake, who has been coming to Sedge to since he was nine years old, helped many of the students learn to fish and throw a cast net
AMC Blog
September 21-23,2007
Several members of the Appalachian Mt. Club leaving after work on Friday were caught in a traffic jam on the Parkway that was made worse by an accident. As a result some people arrived after dark and had to be transported by boat to Sedge in the dark. This did nothing to dampen the spirits of the group as they joined the others for a late (and as usual delicious) dinner.
A few of the group are part of the “regular crew” of paddlers but there are always a substantial group of members who are new to the area and in this case, new to touring kayaks. This did not present a problem, as the experienced kayakers gave plenty of assistance and encouragement to those less familiar with the sport. Combined with an intimate tour of the salt marsh in the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone this provided plenty to do during the day light hours on Saturday even though it was too windy to do much open water paddling.
Saturday night the wind dropped and we went for a night paddle. Seven people took out the big canoe and one person paddled his kayak. After a quick circumnavigation of Sedge Island the group decided to paddle straight east into the reflected light of the moon on the tranquil water. We paddled among the Buster Islands in water that was so still that we could see the rings left on the water surface from fish feeding in the shallow water. We were on the water for more than an hour.
Sunday remained calm so we headed west out on to more open water. We circled Gull Island where there are still some pelicans hanging out on the sand bars. We continued west to the newest dredge island where we frequently see kite boarders launching and then skimming across the shallows on the south side of the island. No one was around when we got there so we took a hike into the center of the island. We wondered how many gulls must use this island based on the number of bird bones bleaching in the sun. Several people actually got sunburned as the air temperature was in the 80’s allowed us to paddle in t-shirts and shorts.
Several members of the Appalachian Mt. Club leaving after work on Friday were caught in a traffic jam on the Parkway that was made worse by an accident. As a result some people arrived after dark and had to be transported by boat to Sedge in the dark. This did nothing to dampen the spirits of the group as they joined the others for a late (and as usual delicious) dinner.
A few of the group are part of the “regular crew” of paddlers but there are always a substantial group of members who are new to the area and in this case, new to touring kayaks. This did not present a problem, as the experienced kayakers gave plenty of assistance and encouragement to those less familiar with the sport. Combined with an intimate tour of the salt marsh in the Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone this provided plenty to do during the day light hours on Saturday even though it was too windy to do much open water paddling.
Saturday night the wind dropped and we went for a night paddle. Seven people took out the big canoe and one person paddled his kayak. After a quick circumnavigation of Sedge Island the group decided to paddle straight east into the reflected light of the moon on the tranquil water. We paddled among the Buster Islands in water that was so still that we could see the rings left on the water surface from fish feeding in the shallow water. We were on the water for more than an hour.
Sunday remained calm so we headed west out on to more open water. We circled Gull Island where there are still some pelicans hanging out on the sand bars. We continued west to the newest dredge island where we frequently see kite boarders launching and then skimming across the shallows on the south side of the island. No one was around when we got there so we took a hike into the center of the island. We wondered how many gulls must use this island based on the number of bird bones bleaching in the sun. Several people actually got sunburned as the air temperature was in the 80’s allowed us to paddle in t-shirts and shorts.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Southern Regional High School
October 9-11, 2007
Fifteen students and two teachers made up the first group of Southern Regional High School students to ever participate in a three-day program at Sedge. The warm Fall weather continued allowing us to kayak comfortably to Barnegat Inlet and have lunch on the jetty. Several of the girls got to talking to one of the fisherman. After hearing that they were “camping at Sedge Island” he gave them a good-sized black fish to “cook over the camp fire.” We did cook this fish and added it to the other things that we had caught like soft clams, snapper blues, and ribbed mussels [Note: even with tomato sauce they are the only shellfish that I don’t like.) One of the big hits for that night’s dinner was the fresh tuna caught by Mr. Dorris a few days earlier. We ate it blackened, grilled and raw in Tuna Tar Tar.
The warm water allowed four of the students to snorkel comfortably in the thorofare near the house. Several members of the group were very experienced and they managed to catch crabs using short hand tongs. Other students stood by on the dock catching small sea bass with hook and line. Later that evening we lounged on the upper deck to see shooting stars, and lay on the dock to view spectacular bio-luminesence in the water.
Just as we were ready to leave to return home, thunder began to rumble in the distance. Although the full intensity of the storm didn’t hit until everyone was safely on the bus, we did get a bit wet on the crossing to Island Beach State Park.
Fifteen students and two teachers made up the first group of Southern Regional High School students to ever participate in a three-day program at Sedge. The warm Fall weather continued allowing us to kayak comfortably to Barnegat Inlet and have lunch on the jetty. Several of the girls got to talking to one of the fisherman. After hearing that they were “camping at Sedge Island” he gave them a good-sized black fish to “cook over the camp fire.” We did cook this fish and added it to the other things that we had caught like soft clams, snapper blues, and ribbed mussels [Note: even with tomato sauce they are the only shellfish that I don’t like.) One of the big hits for that night’s dinner was the fresh tuna caught by Mr. Dorris a few days earlier. We ate it blackened, grilled and raw in Tuna Tar Tar.
The warm water allowed four of the students to snorkel comfortably in the thorofare near the house. Several members of the group were very experienced and they managed to catch crabs using short hand tongs. Other students stood by on the dock catching small sea bass with hook and line. Later that evening we lounged on the upper deck to see shooting stars, and lay on the dock to view spectacular bio-luminesence in the water.
Just as we were ready to leave to return home, thunder began to rumble in the distance. Although the full intensity of the storm didn’t hit until everyone was safely on the bus, we did get a bit wet on the crossing to Island Beach State Park.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Montclair Cooperative School
October 3-5,2007
Fourteen 6th graders and five adults arrived at Sedge to find that electricity was in very short supply. As the summer progressed our aging solar system has been delivering less and less power. This has made it necessary for the propane fired electrical generator to come on much more than usual. Finally the entire system went down.
The students and adults were unfazed by lack of electricity. They used flashlights for all their lighting needs. They judiciously used their bottled water for drinking. Knowing that the pump for our well is run by electricity, they even rationed some of their bottled water for a final dish washing after initially cleaning the dishes in the bay. Perhaps it was because they were so careful human generated light that they were treated to two of the most spectacular natural light shows of the year.
On the first night we spent over an hour on the upper deck observing the sky. We were able to observe a number of shooting stars and several satellites. Marie, the MCS science coordinator, did an incredible job of pointing out constellations. She had us pay particular attention to the three stars in the summer triangle. She will continue to observe these when she leaves Sedge Island. She will then join sky watchers all over the world as they email comments on their observations to a special database. This is a one of the initial efforts to monitor the amount of light pollution around the globe.
Not to be out done by light in the sky we also had an incredible light show in the water. Just after dark on the second night, we walked out on the dock. The bioluminescence was incredible. Stirring the water with a hand or crab net resulted in a trail of glowing plankton. Several students held and then jiggled, comb jellies that had ingested plankton. These immediately lit up in their hands. This is real magic!
All this was in addition to the usual kayaking, fishing, crabbing and claming in water that continues to be warm and clear. We wonder how long this Indian summer will continue?
Fourteen 6th graders and five adults arrived at Sedge to find that electricity was in very short supply. As the summer progressed our aging solar system has been delivering less and less power. This has made it necessary for the propane fired electrical generator to come on much more than usual. Finally the entire system went down.
The students and adults were unfazed by lack of electricity. They used flashlights for all their lighting needs. They judiciously used their bottled water for drinking. Knowing that the pump for our well is run by electricity, they even rationed some of their bottled water for a final dish washing after initially cleaning the dishes in the bay. Perhaps it was because they were so careful human generated light that they were treated to two of the most spectacular natural light shows of the year.
On the first night we spent over an hour on the upper deck observing the sky. We were able to observe a number of shooting stars and several satellites. Marie, the MCS science coordinator, did an incredible job of pointing out constellations. She had us pay particular attention to the three stars in the summer triangle. She will continue to observe these when she leaves Sedge Island. She will then join sky watchers all over the world as they email comments on their observations to a special database. This is a one of the initial efforts to monitor the amount of light pollution around the globe.
Not to be out done by light in the sky we also had an incredible light show in the water. Just after dark on the second night, we walked out on the dock. The bioluminescence was incredible. Stirring the water with a hand or crab net resulted in a trail of glowing plankton. Several students held and then jiggled, comb jellies that had ingested plankton. These immediately lit up in their hands. This is real magic!
All this was in addition to the usual kayaking, fishing, crabbing and claming in water that continues to be warm and clear. We wonder how long this Indian summer will continue?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Nutley High School
September, 2007
Indian summer continued with the arrival of the AP Biology class. Due to the low water it was impossible to transport everyone and all the gear to Sedge. As a result, six of the students (several from the Nutley Girls Crew Team) paddled from Island Beach to the island in the big canoe. Soon after the group assembled, we paddled kayaks into the marsh to explore the warm, clear water. The osprey are now gone but two peregrine falcons are still utilizing the new igloo house on the hacking tower.
Taking advantage of the unusually warm water and air, it was peasant to get wet as we paddled to the dike and then hiked to the ocean. AP Biology teacher Mr. Bania, who works in the summer as a Seaside Park life guard, joined most of the students for a dip in the 72 degree surf before lunch on the beach. We stopped to go clamming in one of the creeks on our paddle back to Sedge. Digging by hand in the shallow water, we were rewarded by finding 100 clams of various sizes. Some of these clams were served up for dinner along with crabs and bluefish that we had also caught.
The warm days were complimented by cool nights. Most students slept out under the stars. The only problem was that the moon was so bright it was difficult to pick our constellations. It wasn’t really much of a problem.
Indian summer continued with the arrival of the AP Biology class. Due to the low water it was impossible to transport everyone and all the gear to Sedge. As a result, six of the students (several from the Nutley Girls Crew Team) paddled from Island Beach to the island in the big canoe. Soon after the group assembled, we paddled kayaks into the marsh to explore the warm, clear water. The osprey are now gone but two peregrine falcons are still utilizing the new igloo house on the hacking tower.
Taking advantage of the unusually warm water and air, it was peasant to get wet as we paddled to the dike and then hiked to the ocean. AP Biology teacher Mr. Bania, who works in the summer as a Seaside Park life guard, joined most of the students for a dip in the 72 degree surf before lunch on the beach. We stopped to go clamming in one of the creeks on our paddle back to Sedge. Digging by hand in the shallow water, we were rewarded by finding 100 clams of various sizes. Some of these clams were served up for dinner along with crabs and bluefish that we had also caught.
The warm days were complimented by cool nights. Most students slept out under the stars. The only problem was that the moon was so bright it was difficult to pick our constellations. It wasn’t really much of a problem.
NJ Kayak
September 2007
Fall at the Jersey Shore doesn’t get much better than this. The water was warm (72F) and clear (visibility 10’ off the dock.) The air was warm (80F) and clear (bright blue sky with unlimited visibility.) On arrival the group found the tide had blown out so fat that it was impossible to bring the pontoon boat across the sand bar to reach the IBSP dock. Alton used the small jon boat to shuttle the gear to Sedge as the group paddled out. This was just the first paddle in a series of adventures on the water.
On the second day we paddled south along High Bar Harbor to Viking Village in the town of Barnegat Light. We ate lunch at a picnic table in the center of the tourist shops. Later we paddled past the land based shellfish nursery near the public landing area. Before heading across Barnegat Inlet, the group got into a line with Bill at one end and Jim at the other so that we could minimize potential interference with boat traffic. We paddled straight across the inlet to the dike at Island Beach State Park. Several of the paddlers took advantage of the small waves in the inlet to do some kayak surfing.
Slurping raw clams and oysters and then cracking and picking blue crabs preceded Carmen’s delicious dinner (steak and chicken kabobs.) The night was so cool and clear that half the group slept on the front porch. They were rewarded with a spectacular sunrise. Unfortunately the fish were not up so early and no one caught anything. It was a gorgeous morning and after cleaning up the group paddled over to Island Beach. They hiked on the trail near the Forked River Interpretive Center, and then hung out on the beach before returning home. Another perfect weekend “Down the Shore.”
Fall at the Jersey Shore doesn’t get much better than this. The water was warm (72F) and clear (visibility 10’ off the dock.) The air was warm (80F) and clear (bright blue sky with unlimited visibility.) On arrival the group found the tide had blown out so fat that it was impossible to bring the pontoon boat across the sand bar to reach the IBSP dock. Alton used the small jon boat to shuttle the gear to Sedge as the group paddled out. This was just the first paddle in a series of adventures on the water.
On the second day we paddled south along High Bar Harbor to Viking Village in the town of Barnegat Light. We ate lunch at a picnic table in the center of the tourist shops. Later we paddled past the land based shellfish nursery near the public landing area. Before heading across Barnegat Inlet, the group got into a line with Bill at one end and Jim at the other so that we could minimize potential interference with boat traffic. We paddled straight across the inlet to the dike at Island Beach State Park. Several of the paddlers took advantage of the small waves in the inlet to do some kayak surfing.
Slurping raw clams and oysters and then cracking and picking blue crabs preceded Carmen’s delicious dinner (steak and chicken kabobs.) The night was so cool and clear that half the group slept on the front porch. They were rewarded with a spectacular sunrise. Unfortunately the fish were not up so early and no one caught anything. It was a gorgeous morning and after cleaning up the group paddled over to Island Beach. They hiked on the trail near the Forked River Interpretive Center, and then hung out on the beach before returning home. Another perfect weekend “Down the Shore.”
Monday, September 24, 2007
Rutgers University Outing Club
September 7, 2007
The Rutgers Outdoor Club arrived at the Island Beach State Park Sedge dock just as it was getting dark and starting to rain. Tony ferried them to Sedge in two groups. The thirteen students were a varied group from freshmen to seniors, majoring in anything from English Literature to Astro-physics. We listened with interest to the NOAA weather report that predicted a major change when a cold front passed through the next day.
The forecast proved to be true. After a rainy early morning, the skies cleared, the temperature dropped, and the wind increased. Rather than paddling to the dike and then being forced to fight a strong wind on the return trip, we chose to stay in the confines of the marsh. We paddled through mosquito ditches and natural waterways with a long lunch break in the shelter of John Yoder’s house. A highlight of the trip for some was the digging of soft clams in the Horsefoot Slough.
When we returned from our paddle everyone seemed to want to do something different. Three students went snorkeling. Four students fished. Six students went clamming. Tom Virzi arrived in the late afternoon and talked about his research work with American Oyster Catchers as he helped the students identify a variety of shore birds on a distant sand bar.
The highlight of Sunday was the opportunity to paddle around Sedge Island. Five students chose to paddle in the North Canoe, while others returned to the kayaks. We also had a visit from John Wnek who dug out some of the Diamond Backed Terrapins who had hatched but were still in th
The Rutgers Outdoor Club arrived at the Island Beach State Park Sedge dock just as it was getting dark and starting to rain. Tony ferried them to Sedge in two groups. The thirteen students were a varied group from freshmen to seniors, majoring in anything from English Literature to Astro-physics. We listened with interest to the NOAA weather report that predicted a major change when a cold front passed through the next day.
The forecast proved to be true. After a rainy early morning, the skies cleared, the temperature dropped, and the wind increased. Rather than paddling to the dike and then being forced to fight a strong wind on the return trip, we chose to stay in the confines of the marsh. We paddled through mosquito ditches and natural waterways with a long lunch break in the shelter of John Yoder’s house. A highlight of the trip for some was the digging of soft clams in the Horsefoot Slough.
When we returned from our paddle everyone seemed to want to do something different. Three students went snorkeling. Four students fished. Six students went clamming. Tom Virzi arrived in the late afternoon and talked about his research work with American Oyster Catchers as he helped the students identify a variety of shore birds on a distant sand bar.
The highlight of Sunday was the opportunity to paddle around Sedge Island. Five students chose to paddle in the North Canoe, while others returned to the kayaks. We also had a visit from John Wnek who dug out some of the Diamond Backed Terrapins who had hatched but were still in th
Monday, August 27, 2007
Germantown Academy
August 22-25
The No’easter that hit the Jersey Shore in August of 2007 continued to provide cold, rainy, windy conditions for the students from the Germantown Academy Summer Camp. We managed to paddle several miles one day. We explored the continually narrowing channels in the Spizzle Creek area of Island Beach State Park eventually reaching a dead end where several mosquito ditches joined.
The high point of the trip for many of the students was the fishing. We caught plenty of small blue fish. Some pesky six-inch sea bass would steal bait as fast as it could be put on the hook. But the best catch was the twenty one and nineteen-inch fluke that were landed right off the dock. These we ate along with the blues, crabs and clams. In addition, one diner consisted of squid that the kids had dissected several hours earlier.
The No’easter that hit the Jersey Shore in August of 2007 continued to provide cold, rainy, windy conditions for the students from the Germantown Academy Summer Camp. We managed to paddle several miles one day. We explored the continually narrowing channels in the Spizzle Creek area of Island Beach State Park eventually reaching a dead end where several mosquito ditches joined.
The high point of the trip for many of the students was the fishing. We caught plenty of small blue fish. Some pesky six-inch sea bass would steal bait as fast as it could be put on the hook. But the best catch was the twenty one and nineteen-inch fluke that were landed right off the dock. These we ate along with the blues, crabs and clams. In addition, one diner consisted of squid that the kids had dissected several hours earlier.
NJ Audubon
August 19-21, 2007
Three NJ Audubon Staff and nine teachers from local schools arrived at Sedge on a rainy afternoon. Little did we know that this weather pattern was to be the norm for the three days that they stayed on the island. We began with a paddle in the marsh, in the rain. There was no wind and since it was quite warm no one was uncomfortable. In fact many people remarked that the rain enhanced the experience. The colors seemed more vibrant. The green Spartina grass against the gray clouds was spectacular. The white feathers of the egrets stood out. Osprey wheeled overhead. Pelicans flew over in pairs and small groups.
Audubon leaders frustrated the group by forcing them to look closely at everything they saw. Rather than answering questions about what this or that was, the leaders would encourage the teachers to sharpen their scientific observation skills by making closer observations.
As the NorEaster built into a three day storm the wind rose making kayaking impossible for the remainder of their time at Sedge. Undaunted the group fished, clammed, crabbed and even hiked- all in the rain and wind. On the last day the boat trip back to Island Beach was the heaviest rain and the strongest wind. But the group took it in stride and before changing out of their wet clothes went on a hike to the beach to look at the storm surf.
Three NJ Audubon Staff and nine teachers from local schools arrived at Sedge on a rainy afternoon. Little did we know that this weather pattern was to be the norm for the three days that they stayed on the island. We began with a paddle in the marsh, in the rain. There was no wind and since it was quite warm no one was uncomfortable. In fact many people remarked that the rain enhanced the experience. The colors seemed more vibrant. The green Spartina grass against the gray clouds was spectacular. The white feathers of the egrets stood out. Osprey wheeled overhead. Pelicans flew over in pairs and small groups.
Audubon leaders frustrated the group by forcing them to look closely at everything they saw. Rather than answering questions about what this or that was, the leaders would encourage the teachers to sharpen their scientific observation skills by making closer observations.
As the NorEaster built into a three day storm the wind rose making kayaking impossible for the remainder of their time at Sedge. Undaunted the group fished, clammed, crabbed and even hiked- all in the rain and wind. On the last day the boat trip back to Island Beach was the heaviest rain and the strongest wind. But the group took it in stride and before changing out of their wet clothes went on a hike to the beach to look at the storm surf.
Friday, August 10, 2007
SEDGE LATE SUMMER UPDATE
Staff and Friends of Sedge Clean Up
What happens at Sedge when due to small enrollment our teacher workshop is canceled? The staff and friends get together and do some work. Tony poured new footings to support the front porch. Jim cut dead branches off the big pine tree to the west of the house. Jackie, Karen, Brett, Ryan, scrubbed house walls and floors and the Clivus floor. Jim and his guests from Michigan re-erected the Marine Conservation Zone sign. Brett’s mom scrubbed the kitchen sink. Everyone agreed that although the place looked good to begin with, it is now even better. THANKS EVERY ONE
Staff Update
Today I said good-bye to Brett who is soon to be heading back to school in Maine. It was a sad occasion. Brett is a great worker. He is well liked by everyone who works with him. Jackie thinks of him as the son she didn’t have. He will be missed. I sure hope he comes back next year but Katina has invited him to visit her in Greece for a month next summer so …
Sherry has been gone (she took a course in Maine for one month) and if she makes it back to Sedge it will be only briefly before she heads off to Cornell. Her smile and efficient way of doing things made her a very valuable asset at Sedge this summer. She will be missed by John Wnek as well as she was doing a scholarship project working with diamond backed terrapins.
Ryan was busy not only with his internship at Sedge. He spent much of the summer managing his new restaurant, the Seafood Coop. in Point Pleasant. In addition he worked on his scholarship project monitoring oysters and water quality in three locations around the Bay.
Alton has been the most consistent worker at Sedge this summer. His hard work and dedication was appreciated by all of us. Having graduated from Rowan, Alton is now looking for full time work with the DEP. He will be a valuable asset to anyone lucky enough to employ him. While I hope he gets a great job as soon as possible, I don’t want to lose him.
Samantha has been spending some of her summer up north helping with her family restaurant business. She loves teaching and is looking forward to helping out at Sedge in the fall when she returns to Stockton. A highlight of her summer was visit by her family. She proudly toured them around.
I’m having a great summer due in large part to the fact that I had such a wonderful staff. I spent time at Sedge with some great groups. I was able to offer a greater variety of programs because I had so much help. I was also able to spend lots of time at home. I got to the beach and did some great early morning surfing. I was able to spend time with my family and friends who visited from points far and wide.
Jim
What happens at Sedge when due to small enrollment our teacher workshop is canceled? The staff and friends get together and do some work. Tony poured new footings to support the front porch. Jim cut dead branches off the big pine tree to the west of the house. Jackie, Karen, Brett, Ryan, scrubbed house walls and floors and the Clivus floor. Jim and his guests from Michigan re-erected the Marine Conservation Zone sign. Brett’s mom scrubbed the kitchen sink. Everyone agreed that although the place looked good to begin with, it is now even better. THANKS EVERY ONE
Staff Update
Today I said good-bye to Brett who is soon to be heading back to school in Maine. It was a sad occasion. Brett is a great worker. He is well liked by everyone who works with him. Jackie thinks of him as the son she didn’t have. He will be missed. I sure hope he comes back next year but Katina has invited him to visit her in Greece for a month next summer so …
Sherry has been gone (she took a course in Maine for one month) and if she makes it back to Sedge it will be only briefly before she heads off to Cornell. Her smile and efficient way of doing things made her a very valuable asset at Sedge this summer. She will be missed by John Wnek as well as she was doing a scholarship project working with diamond backed terrapins.
Ryan was busy not only with his internship at Sedge. He spent much of the summer managing his new restaurant, the Seafood Coop. in Point Pleasant. In addition he worked on his scholarship project monitoring oysters and water quality in three locations around the Bay.
Alton has been the most consistent worker at Sedge this summer. His hard work and dedication was appreciated by all of us. Having graduated from Rowan, Alton is now looking for full time work with the DEP. He will be a valuable asset to anyone lucky enough to employ him. While I hope he gets a great job as soon as possible, I don’t want to lose him.
Samantha has been spending some of her summer up north helping with her family restaurant business. She loves teaching and is looking forward to helping out at Sedge in the fall when she returns to Stockton. A highlight of her summer was visit by her family. She proudly toured them around.
I’m having a great summer due in large part to the fact that I had such a wonderful staff. I spent time at Sedge with some great groups. I was able to offer a greater variety of programs because I had so much help. I was also able to spend lots of time at home. I got to the beach and did some great early morning surfing. I was able to spend time with my family and friends who visited from points far and wide.
Jim
NJ Kayak
8/3-8/6/07
NJ Kayak brought a group of it’s customers to Sedge in order to help its paddlers better appreciate the natural environment they frequently paddle in. Everyone had their own single sea kayak complete with spray deck. This, combined with their expertise, made it possible to paddle farther in more challenging conditions than the average Sedge group.
Bucking a strong incoming tide on the edge of the Oyster Creek Channel is never easy. Dealing with power boat traffic on a beautiful Saturday morning made it even more challenging. This group stroked hard to get to the outer side of the dike for some well deserved rest. A potential thunder storm made us leave the early but it never materialized.
Always a highlight for me is the ability to introduce people to new things. It was a real treat to watch one member of the group catch his first fish. A professor from Temple University was very proud when he landed not one but two bluefish. He ate ‘em too!
NJ Kayak brought a group of it’s customers to Sedge in order to help its paddlers better appreciate the natural environment they frequently paddle in. Everyone had their own single sea kayak complete with spray deck. This, combined with their expertise, made it possible to paddle farther in more challenging conditions than the average Sedge group.
Bucking a strong incoming tide on the edge of the Oyster Creek Channel is never easy. Dealing with power boat traffic on a beautiful Saturday morning made it even more challenging. This group stroked hard to get to the outer side of the dike for some well deserved rest. A potential thunder storm made us leave the early but it never materialized.
Always a highlight for me is the ability to introduce people to new things. It was a real treat to watch one member of the group catch his first fish. A professor from Temple University was very proud when he landed not one but two bluefish. He ate ‘em too!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Governor’s School for the Environment
This year four groups from the Governor’s School spent three days each at the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education center. Our entire staff (two program directors and four interns) had an opportunity to work with one or more of these groups. As even though some of the teachers had never been to Sedge before we all had a super time. The paragraph below describes the experience as seen through the eyes of one of the interns.
When this group first stepped off the bus, Jim and I were worried as some of the students seemed to have a rather negative attitude toward their trip to Sedge. However after a couple hours with this group, our first impressions were completely changed. This was a great, enthusiastic bunch of kids from Governor’s School. We went kayaking, crabbing, fishing, claming, and birding. One girl from Jersey City with little outdoor experience had the opportunity to work a great deal with John Wnek, a research scientist from Drexel University. . She helped him tag Diamond Backed Terrapins and together they reburied the turtle eggs in special, protected plots. It was great to see this girl get involved! Also, while this group was on the Island, they got to see and experience a group called YERT. “YERT (Your Environmental Road Trip) is a year-long eco-expedition through all 50 United States. With video camera in hand and tongue in cheek, “we're exploring the landscape of America's unique approach to environmental sustainability.” (check out www.yert.com) Dinner time was especially fun with this group. We had quiet a feast. We ate crabs, clams, mussels, and blue fish (we caught all of this food). It was great to see everyone try everything.
Sedge Intern,
Samantha Tennick
When this group first stepped off the bus, Jim and I were worried as some of the students seemed to have a rather negative attitude toward their trip to Sedge. However after a couple hours with this group, our first impressions were completely changed. This was a great, enthusiastic bunch of kids from Governor’s School. We went kayaking, crabbing, fishing, claming, and birding. One girl from Jersey City with little outdoor experience had the opportunity to work a great deal with John Wnek, a research scientist from Drexel University. . She helped him tag Diamond Backed Terrapins and together they reburied the turtle eggs in special, protected plots. It was great to see this girl get involved! Also, while this group was on the Island, they got to see and experience a group called YERT. “YERT (Your Environmental Road Trip) is a year-long eco-expedition through all 50 United States. With video camera in hand and tongue in cheek, “we're exploring the landscape of America's unique approach to environmental sustainability.” (check out www.yert.com) Dinner time was especially fun with this group. We had quiet a feast. We ate crabs, clams, mussels, and blue fish (we caught all of this food). It was great to see everyone try everything.
Sedge Intern,
Samantha Tennick
Monday, July 2, 2007
Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey
The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey's Board of Directors held their annual meeting at Sedge on a gorgeous day in June – the summer solstice. Several board members had spent the previous night and they greeted us at the dock with tales of catching bluefish early that morning. The first part of the day was spent dealing with the business part of the meeting. At lunch intern Ryan Ballou provided a special treat by serving six pounds of pan seared ocean scallops fresh from his Point Pleasant restaurant. Later Tom Virzi, former Assistant Program Director at Sedge, told the group about his research on American Oyster Catchers, calling particular attention to the need for protecting dredge island habitat of these beach-nesting birds.
Almost everyone wanted to go kayaking so we launched the boats and paddled out into the salt marsh. Tom gave the group a great show as he climbed into an osprey nest to bring down and band a three-week-old chick. We then paddled into some of the salt marsh channels closer to the Peregrine Falcon hacking tower. It was a pleasure to have this group checking out “our” peregrines and comparing them to “their” peregrines that can be seen so well on the peregrine cam web site.
Monday, June 18, 2007
NJ Kayak
Bottom line—these people like to kayak! and kayak they did. Half the group paddled across the bay from the town of Barnegat while the others came form IBSP. As always this group was well feed—it took 45 minutes to load the sedge shuttle with all their food. The first evening the group paddled to the dike and saw that one of the few remaining geo-tubes had completed collapsed On the way back, some of the group clammed their way through the marsh. Near the falcon hacking tower they were treated to some aerial maneuvers when the two adult falcons attached a great blue heron.
Bright and early the next morning the group set out on a long paddle to Viking Village on Long Beach Island. The group of 19 sea kayaks worked their way across the channels, around heavy boat traffic, and against strong out going tides. In Viking Village the group paddled past many moored commercial scallop boats and met the fleet’s mechanic, who told the group the ins and outs of the scallop business. When they returned, five kayak instructors from NJ Kayak worked on rescue and paddle skills with the group.
Exhausted form the previous day’s paddle Sunday morning was spent working on kayak rolls, snorkeling, paddling around the calm waters near the Sedge house, and cleaning bags of oysters. After lunch this group had one more short paddle trip left in them—to the dock at IBSP.
Brett Chicotelli
Urban Trekkers
Traveling across the state form Camden for a second year in a row, this group was a blast. The Littoral Society of New Jersey organized and sponsored the Urban Trekkers for this year’s trip to Sedge. Staff from the Littoral Society complemented the sedge staff and provided the four high school students with ample resources for their individual presentations (presented the last day).
After claming in the Bahamas (with little luck), the group settled down to watch the sun set and ended up seeing an amazing rainbow grow over Island Beach State Park. This was followed by a great night of fishing. For many of the group these were the first fish they had ever caught.
On the following morning we paddled to the dike and rescued more horse crabs from the collapsing geo-tubes. After eating lunch on the rocks across from Old Barney, we paddled back through the Sea Dog Trail and Horse foot Slough to avoid some of the increasing strong northeastern winds. To many of the group’s dismay (and other’s delight) we needed to carry our boats through knee-deep detritus. Sadly two shoes were lost. Back at the house garden hose showers were followed by seining and snorkeling. Throughout the trip the students spent their free time researching for their reports. Topics included; terrapins, clams, marsh botany, and underwater life.
Early the third morning the biggest fish of the trip was caught—a 21-½ inch stripper. This earned its fisherperson a tee shirt from the Littoral Society. After presenting reports based on research and field experiences, the Urban Trekkers gave Sedge an Ink Berry Holly, a native shrub. They planted it on the east side of the boathouse. Foul weather chased this awesome group off Sedge before lunch. See you next year Trekkers!
Brett Chicotelli
Cranford High School Teachers
Katina, former Sedge staff member and environmental science teacher at Cranford High School, lead a small group of Cranford teachers and staff members to Sedge for a weekend in the marsh.
After sampling water quality off the dock, the islands population grew as a small wave of diamond back terrapins came ashore to nest. The group learned how dangerous boat props are to terrapins, one of the nesting females had a wide gash across her back.
After working on several terrapins the group headed to the dike. On the way there Sam, one of Sedge’s great new interns, spotted a red fox in the marsh. At the dike the group saw the damage that some of the year’s northeast storms had inflicted on the dike. Many of the large geotubes were flattened and now acted as nets that trapped horseshoe crabs as the tide receded. Working together the group freed the crabs and set them out in the surf. Later in the day John Wnek came to Sedge and transplanted terrapins eggs for his nesting study. The math teacher in the group was very excited when John started reading off egg measurements.
Before cleaning up the house and heading off island the group went for a hike and clean up around the perimeter trail. Aside from dunkin’ donuts coffee cups and plastic bags in the wrack line there was also ash and charcoal—signs of the recent pinelands forest fires.
Brett Chicotelli
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
St. Benedicts School
In spite of the prediction of three days of bad weather, the 6th and 7th grade girls from Lincroft braved the elements and came to Sedge. While they were prepared for the worst possible conditions, they were pleasantly surprised when the only rain to fall was in a brief shower during their last night on the island.
Fishing turned out to be one of the most popular activities. Although the fish were not biting, they kept on trying. Patience paid off as the girl who caught the only fish was the one who spent the most time with her hook in the water.
Everyone enjoyed kayaking so much on the first day that they decided to go on an all day expedition. They paddled to the inlet with no trouble. They had lunch on the beach and took a quick wade in the ocean. Their paddle back to the house via the Horse Foot Slough was uneventful until just north of Pete McLain’s house. The increasingly strong wind (gusting to 25kts) pushed many of the kayaks away from the landing at Sedge that was then only 200 yards away. The girls and three teachers were struggling to make headway against the wind so Jim and Ryan went for the small power boat and towed in several boats. Although the girls were frightened, over half the group stated that kayaking was the best thing that they did.
MATES with Mr. Sprague
Mr. Sprague’s groups did the same activities as Mr. Warner’s group the previous week. But, they were treated to the experience of observing two different scientists working on research projects. Mr. Wnek demonstrated how to tag Diamond Backed Terrapins by inserting a microchip into the body cavity of an old, three legged female, which had crawled into Tony’s shed the day before. As the students were helping record measurements, they were able to watch two biologists from the Division of Fish and Wildlife climb the Peregrine Falcon hacking tower to check on the three chicks in the nest. This was somewhat dangerous as the adult falcons made several passes at the biologists while they were working.
For Jim the highlight of the week came later when he was standing on the marsh with Mr. Sprague’s second group. The students were watching two falcons were sitting on the platform supporting the nest box. They flew off together and began to follow a barn swallow. For the next two minutes these falcons took turns diving at the bird. Finally as the swallow grew tired, one of the falcons went into a short stoop and knocked the swallow to the ground. A short time later both falcons returned to the nest. One carried the swallow and fed it to the chicks. While this sighting seemed some-what gruesome to some, all the students appreciated the fact survival for birds-of-prey means death for other animals.
Monday, June 4, 2007
MATES : 5-30-07 to 6-1-07
Future principal, Allison Carroll and teacher Dave Warner, brought a group of MATES students to Sedge. We were also lucky to have the Superintendent Bill Hooy and the Ocean County Vocational Schools’ business manager join us for part of the day on May 31st. We went kayaking through the salt marsh, looked at the different species of birds flying by, and discussed the history of the Sedge islands and the people who live in the three remaining “shacks” on the islands. We also stopped at the “Bahamas” and the students learned how to clam with their feet and they also identified some of the local fauna. Back at the house we had some lunch and then the students did bird identifications in their journals. The students also had the opportunity to go snorkeling in the water, outside the front of the house. In addition, fishing, claming, seining, and helping John Wnek with his turtle plots also took up part of the day. Next, we had dinner and then the students did the Balance of Nature, which they had their own unique way of solving.
The next morning we got up early, fished and took the six-person canoe out. The students also cleaned their rooms very thoroughly and left June 1st to finish the rest of the school day.
Sedge Intern,
Samantha Tennick
The next morning we got up early, fished and took the six-person canoe out. The students also cleaned their rooms very thoroughly and left June 1st to finish the rest of the school day.
Sedge Intern,
Samantha Tennick
Friday, May 25, 2007
Katina Tsakiris, former assistant program director of the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center, developed the Sedge blog because she was inspired by Linn Pierson's "Nestbox News." Katina has suggested that we dedicate the Sedge Blog to Linn (see article below.) I think I can speak for all Friends of Sedge as well as all program participants when I say we would be honored to dedicate the Sedge blog to Linn Pierson.
NOTE: As many of you know, the falcons in Jersey City (and most of those found in the northeastern United States) are likely descendents of the first birds brough from Alaska to Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone by Pete McLain in the late 1970's . This spring our falcons have three chicks in the nest. Linn must be smiling down on these tiny birds. Logon to njfishandwildlife.com to see Linn's birds in Jersey City. Then come see ours in real life.
April 10, 2007
We are extremely saddened to report that Linn Pierson, naturalist and author of Nestbox News since 2002, has passed away from cancer. Linn combined her passion for peregrine falcons with her brilliant writing skills to paint a picture for readers of Nestbox News. She was the interpreter of the nest-box and roof-top action, putting the pieces into the context of the entire nesting season and the life history of peregrines.
We know from your feedback and donations that thousands of viewers looked forward to new entries in the log, and we attribute that popularity to Linn?s beautiful writing and shared enthusiasm for her favorite birds. In addition to her involvement in Jersey City, she monitored the re-establishment of peregrines on their historic cliff areas in the Palisades, and surveyed everything from songbirds to eagles for the Endangered and Nongame Species Program. Labors of love, all. As is so often the case with wildlife, there are the heights of joy in life and the tragedies of untimely death. Linn wrote about both so eloquently.
New Jersey's wildlife conservation community, and especially the Endangered and NongameSpecies Program and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation, lost a great ally and friend yesterday. Soar high and free, Linn - we will miss you so.
We dedicate this 2007 peregrine season to our friend, Linn Pierson.
Taken from the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife's website - Please visit the Peregrine webcam page and the Nestbox News
NOTE: As many of you know, the falcons in Jersey City (and most of those found in the northeastern United States) are likely descendents of the first birds brough from Alaska to Sedge Island Marine Conservation Zone by Pete McLain in the late 1970's . This spring our falcons have three chicks in the nest. Linn must be smiling down on these tiny birds. Logon to njfishandwildlife.com to see Linn's birds in Jersey City. Then come see ours in real life.
April 10, 2007
We are extremely saddened to report that Linn Pierson, naturalist and author of Nestbox News since 2002, has passed away from cancer. Linn combined her passion for peregrine falcons with her brilliant writing skills to paint a picture for readers of Nestbox News. She was the interpreter of the nest-box and roof-top action, putting the pieces into the context of the entire nesting season and the life history of peregrines.
We know from your feedback and donations that thousands of viewers looked forward to new entries in the log, and we attribute that popularity to Linn?s beautiful writing and shared enthusiasm for her favorite birds. In addition to her involvement in Jersey City, she monitored the re-establishment of peregrines on their historic cliff areas in the Palisades, and surveyed everything from songbirds to eagles for the Endangered and Nongame Species Program. Labors of love, all. As is so often the case with wildlife, there are the heights of joy in life and the tragedies of untimely death. Linn wrote about both so eloquently.
New Jersey's wildlife conservation community, and especially the Endangered and NongameSpecies Program and the Conserve Wildlife Foundation, lost a great ally and friend yesterday. Soar high and free, Linn - we will miss you so.
We dedicate this 2007 peregrine season to our friend, Linn Pierson.
Taken from the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife's website - Please visit the Peregrine webcam page and the Nestbox News
Happy (almost) Memorial Day Weekend
Here is the latest intern news.
Last week Emily and I set up a few trials for her shellfish scholarship project. We had oysters vs mussels filtering competition at both the New Jersey Marine Education's Teach at the Beach on Friday and Ocean Fun Day at Island Beach State Park on Saturday. (If you don't know who wins this competition every time, you better contact Emily ASAP.) Alton and Semantha also helped out at Ocean Fun Day answering questions and talking with people at the Sedge display and the Stockton College display respectively. I received many comments about how good these young people are. I was very proud!
Rutgers University students and faculty visited Sedge this week. Semantha did a great job working with the first group from Rutgers staying for all three days. Alton was there for the beginning, left for the ReClam the Bay meeting Tuesday night, and then returned on Wednesday for one group to leave and another to arrive. Ryan conducted a round of checking on shellfish and monitoring water quality on Monday, helped out at Sedge in the afternoon, and then left Tuesday morning to attend the ReClam the Bay meeting and later work at his other job setingt up the Seafood Coop Restaurant/fish market in Point Pleasant. Sherry has been in the Virgin Islands (I can't wait to hear her stories,) Emily is in school finishing out her senior year at MATES.
After Memorial Day things will get really busy. Ryan, Alton and I will go to the ReClam the Bay meeting on Tuesday night May 29th. On Wednesday, May 30th the first group of freshmen from MATES will arrive with Sherry helping as a supervisor teacher. Alton and Semantha will also be helping with this group. At the same time a group of special education students from High Point High School will be arriving at A-21 for a day of surf fishing, hiking, seining and kayaking. The teachers from High Point are a great group but they are less familiar with the local fauna than we are. It would be a great experience for any of you to work with a group of developmentally disabled young adults helping out several very experienced special education teachers. Thursday, May 31st is a Blue Moon and we expect the horseshoe crabs to be laying their eggs near the dike that night. Jenny Buck and a crew from Save Barnegat Bay have asked for help counting crabs that night. I will paddle to the dike from Sedge with any interested interns. MATES leave on Friday June 1st at 9:00AM. June 1st is also the day when Save Barnegat Bay has their Nitrogen Pollution press conference in Lavallete at 11:00AM. Mike Kennish, top Barnegat Bay scientist will be speaking. Helen Henderson wants me to come and talk about "Gunga Gunga!" I'd like to do the oyster vs mussel race and bring other things for show and tell?? Ryan and Alton could talk about their water quality/shellfish growth study. Since the MATES group will be leaving at 9:00AM and the AMC group will not arrive until the afternoon, we will have time to attend this important meeting (Your attendance at this press conference is optional of course - if you need to waste time taking a shower, resting or doing something else, feel free.) Later that afternoon the kayakers from the Appalachian Mount Club begin to arrive. These folks paddle out in their own boats (some homemade with handcarved paddles) and some very sophisticated gear. They can really paddle and the are very good at helping teach skills. And, they cook really good food! As good as this is, some of us will leave on Sunday June 3rd to help out at the Barnegat Bay Natiional Estuary Program Festival in Island Heights. This is a gathering of nearly all of the environmental groups in the Barnegat Bay watershed. We will set up our display (Emily will hopefully have some oysters and mussels for a race) and help out were we are needed.
Last week Emily and I set up a few trials for her shellfish scholarship project. We had oysters vs mussels filtering competition at both the New Jersey Marine Education's Teach at the Beach on Friday and Ocean Fun Day at Island Beach State Park on Saturday. (If you don't know who wins this competition every time, you better contact Emily ASAP.) Alton and Semantha also helped out at Ocean Fun Day answering questions and talking with people at the Sedge display and the Stockton College display respectively. I received many comments about how good these young people are. I was very proud!
Rutgers University students and faculty visited Sedge this week. Semantha did a great job working with the first group from Rutgers staying for all three days. Alton was there for the beginning, left for the ReClam the Bay meeting Tuesday night, and then returned on Wednesday for one group to leave and another to arrive. Ryan conducted a round of checking on shellfish and monitoring water quality on Monday, helped out at Sedge in the afternoon, and then left Tuesday morning to attend the ReClam the Bay meeting and later work at his other job setingt up the Seafood Coop Restaurant/fish market in Point Pleasant. Sherry has been in the Virgin Islands (I can't wait to hear her stories,) Emily is in school finishing out her senior year at MATES.
After Memorial Day things will get really busy. Ryan, Alton and I will go to the ReClam the Bay meeting on Tuesday night May 29th. On Wednesday, May 30th the first group of freshmen from MATES will arrive with Sherry helping as a supervisor teacher. Alton and Semantha will also be helping with this group. At the same time a group of special education students from High Point High School will be arriving at A-21 for a day of surf fishing, hiking, seining and kayaking. The teachers from High Point are a great group but they are less familiar with the local fauna than we are. It would be a great experience for any of you to work with a group of developmentally disabled young adults helping out several very experienced special education teachers. Thursday, May 31st is a Blue Moon and we expect the horseshoe crabs to be laying their eggs near the dike that night. Jenny Buck and a crew from Save Barnegat Bay have asked for help counting crabs that night. I will paddle to the dike from Sedge with any interested interns. MATES leave on Friday June 1st at 9:00AM. June 1st is also the day when Save Barnegat Bay has their Nitrogen Pollution press conference in Lavallete at 11:00AM. Mike Kennish, top Barnegat Bay scientist will be speaking. Helen Henderson wants me to come and talk about "Gunga Gunga!" I'd like to do the oyster vs mussel race and bring other things for show and tell?? Ryan and Alton could talk about their water quality/shellfish growth study. Since the MATES group will be leaving at 9:00AM and the AMC group will not arrive until the afternoon, we will have time to attend this important meeting (Your attendance at this press conference is optional of course - if you need to waste time taking a shower, resting or doing something else, feel free.) Later that afternoon the kayakers from the Appalachian Mount Club begin to arrive. These folks paddle out in their own boats (some homemade with handcarved paddles) and some very sophisticated gear. They can really paddle and the are very good at helping teach skills. And, they cook really good food! As good as this is, some of us will leave on Sunday June 3rd to help out at the Barnegat Bay Natiional Estuary Program Festival in Island Heights. This is a gathering of nearly all of the environmental groups in the Barnegat Bay watershed. We will set up our display (Emily will hopefully have some oysters and mussels for a race) and help out were we are needed.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Watershed Ambassadors
By spring the Watershed Ambassadors have had months of experience dealing with water issues in all parts of New Jersey. Some of them have even spent time working and living in Watershed 13, almost all of which drains into Barnegat Bay. But they still have new experiences when the visit Sedge.
Kayaking was a big hit for everyone as we paddled into the salt marsh. Not everyone was a thrilled when our hike across one of the salt marsh islands took us through some wet areas where the new shoots of Spartina are just emerging through the mud. When we returned we tried some clamming. Several of the Ambassadors really got into it and didn’t even use waders in the 58 degree water. Although they didn’t find many clams they had the opportunity to see over 50,000 oysters we now have in bags and Taylor floats attached to the dock.
For their last meal at Sedge the cook out of hamburgers and hot dogs was supplemented by over a dozen green crabs which, although small, provided a tasty treat.
Many members braved the chilly night air to sleep under the stars and awake to a beautfiful sunrise!
Although kayaking at Sedge was a definite highlight of the trip, the ambassadors also had a great time working together to navigate the 6-person canoe.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Ridge and Valley Charter School
April 2, 2007
Seven parents and trustees accompanied nine students to Sedge Island for the weekend. Although these are by far the youngest students who come to Sedge (they range in age from four to fourteen) they are some of the most conservation minded. They are comfortable in the outdoors no matter what the weather because many of their school classes are taught outside. They have studied the water cycle and food webs. They all recycle and compost at school and at home.
As a result of the conservation knowledge base, activities at Sedge focus on the specifics of the salt marsh environment. As we kayaked through the mosquito ditches between the osprey nests and the peregrine falcon hacking tower, we discussed the negative impact caused by spraying DDT on the marsh and the success of the efforts by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife to bring back these threatened and endangered species. One of the parents is the manager of the community based gardening program at Genesis Farm. He especially enjoyed making comparisons between his land farming in Warren County and our aquaculture program at Sedge.
Seven parents and trustees accompanied nine students to Sedge Island for the weekend. Although these are by far the youngest students who come to Sedge (they range in age from four to fourteen) they are some of the most conservation minded. They are comfortable in the outdoors no matter what the weather because many of their school classes are taught outside. They have studied the water cycle and food webs. They all recycle and compost at school and at home.
As a result of the conservation knowledge base, activities at Sedge focus on the specifics of the salt marsh environment. As we kayaked through the mosquito ditches between the osprey nests and the peregrine falcon hacking tower, we discussed the negative impact caused by spraying DDT on the marsh and the success of the efforts by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife to bring back these threatened and endangered species. One of the parents is the manager of the community based gardening program at Genesis Farm. He especially enjoyed making comparisons between his land farming in Warren County and our aquaculture program at Sedge.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Rutgers University Human Ecology Class
April 19- 21, 2007
Dr. Bonnie McKay brought students from her Human Ecology Class in April to become the first group to be in residence in 2007. Many of the students are majoring in environmental policy. As a result we had some interesting discussions as to how both government and non-government organizations could be involved in issues regarding wildlife and other conservation issues. Dr. Roger Locandro, former Dean of Students at Cook College, got things started as he led a discussion on Friday night.
The next morning we boarded the kayaks and paddled through the marshes that had been completely submerged during the big northeaster that hit the state several days earlier. We noted that the pair of peregrine falcons appear to be guarding eggs in their new “igloo” house and osprey are setting up their nests on almost all of the platforms. We stopped for lunch at one of the last remaining “shacks” on the islands in the Marine Conservation Zone. As we ate we watched several types of migratory warblers resting in the trees around the house. In the afternoon we returned to the house and got involved in a variety of the usual activities including clamming, and fishing. On his first cast one of the students caught the first fish of the season, a twenty-four inch striped bass.
On Saturday we celebrated Earth Day. We took a hike along the ocean beach to Barnegat Inlet. On this, the warmest day of the year, we enjoyed our walk along the jetty to the Army Corps of Engineers Dike. We found that this last northeaster has eroded the dike even more to a point where much of the sand has blown back into the inlet and the geo-tube is broken in several places. These observations led to more discussions of environmental policy.
One member of the class had been a professional photographer. Using his digital camera he took many pictures. If he sends a disc of his pictures as promised we will post them on this site.
Dr. Bonnie McKay brought students from her Human Ecology Class in April to become the first group to be in residence in 2007. Many of the students are majoring in environmental policy. As a result we had some interesting discussions as to how both government and non-government organizations could be involved in issues regarding wildlife and other conservation issues. Dr. Roger Locandro, former Dean of Students at Cook College, got things started as he led a discussion on Friday night.
The next morning we boarded the kayaks and paddled through the marshes that had been completely submerged during the big northeaster that hit the state several days earlier. We noted that the pair of peregrine falcons appear to be guarding eggs in their new “igloo” house and osprey are setting up their nests on almost all of the platforms. We stopped for lunch at one of the last remaining “shacks” on the islands in the Marine Conservation Zone. As we ate we watched several types of migratory warblers resting in the trees around the house. In the afternoon we returned to the house and got involved in a variety of the usual activities including clamming, and fishing. On his first cast one of the students caught the first fish of the season, a twenty-four inch striped bass.
On Saturday we celebrated Earth Day. We took a hike along the ocean beach to Barnegat Inlet. On this, the warmest day of the year, we enjoyed our walk along the jetty to the Army Corps of Engineers Dike. We found that this last northeaster has eroded the dike even more to a point where much of the sand has blown back into the inlet and the geo-tube is broken in several places. These observations led to more discussions of environmental policy.
One member of the class had been a professional photographer. Using his digital camera he took many pictures. If he sends a disc of his pictures as promised we will post them on this site.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sedge "Open House"
I write this sitting in my “office” (desk in the corner of my bedroom) looking out over the Bay in South Seaside Park. This is the height of the April 2007 northeaster. The wind is “blowing like stink” (about 30 kts with gusts to 40) Most of the rain passed us to the north so our streets are only moderately flooded. It snowed some a little while ago but has now changed over to rain. Our beach was getting eroded last night at high when the wind was strong NE but now it has switched to NW so the ocean is calm while the waves are so high in the bay the wild wind blown white water it looks like the ocean did yesterday.
Ten members of Friends of Sedge, including three new interns, worked all day Saturday to get everything ready for our first group (Students from Rutgers will be arriving Thursday night.) Before leaving the dock at Island Beach, we did some work in the parking lot to replace some of the fill eroded away by the winter storms. (There is more work to be done here as much of the sand has moved into the boat slip making it difficult if not impossible to get the pontoon boat in at low tide.)
Once we got to the island we quickly set about working on many projects. We turned on the hot water and the stove. We washed all the dishes and replaced them in clean closets. We took all the kayaks out of the boat house and swept the floor. We launched the jon boat, put on the outboard and the interns had their first lesson in small boat handling.
After lunch we went to work on the shellfish. We checked the six predator screens covering the 600,000 10mm clams on the shellfish lease to the west of the house. They are still in place but are beginning to get fouled even though we cleaned them three weeks ago. Then we turned our attention to the shellfish at the dock. We scrubbed 8 bags of oysters removing thousands of 1 MM blue mussels growing on the outside and blocking water flow. We separated some of the oysters into additional bags to avoid over crowding. We cleaned the Taylor Float. We were disappointed to find that about 40% of one bag of 20mm clams has died- perhaps as a result of the poor circulation of water due to fouling by mussels, algae, and other organisms. But when you consider mortality in the wild is more like 95% we are not doing too badly.
Although we had intended to spend the night, the threat of the pending storm made leaving seem like a good idea. Even though the tide was blown out and we had to walk to pull the pontoon boat over the sand bar, this was a wise choice. We are now in the middle of a major storm and, had we waited, we would have been forced to stay on the island until it blew itself out. As it was we came back to my house and made clam chowder. GREAT IDEA!
Thank you so much to all the members of FOS , both new and experienced. We would not be able to run our programs if it were not for your help. Jim
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Spring News!
As our 2007 season is about to get underway we look forward to a great season. Many of last year's groups are returning. In addition we have many new groups for what is shaping up to be our busiest year yet. Here are some of the things which have been, or are about to happen this Spring.
Hopefully some of you will be joining us for our "Open the House" on May 14 and 14 (see previous entry and contact Jim 609 658-7965) We are planning to get some work done cleaning the house and getting out equipment but we will have some fun too. Come on out to Sedge!
We have a whole crop of new interns. Sherry Martin, who volunteered at Sedge last fall, is graduating from MATES and will be starting as a freshman at Cornell after the summer. Two students will be coming to us from Richard Stockton College. Samantha Tennick is a sophomore marine bio. major and Ryan Ballou is getting his degree in Environmental Science. Erin Denniston is presently a Watershed Ambassador working at the Forest Resource Education Center in Jackson. In addition, Alton Hallgreen who is graduating this May with a Bachelor of Biological Science from Rowan University, will be spending a majority of his time working with the aquaculture program both at Sedge and other sites around Barnegat Bay.
Several weeks ago Jim accompanied by Ryan and Alton paddled out to Sedge. The tide was low and the water was blown out of the bay. It was evident that shifting sand over the winter will make it even more difficult to get to the island by pontoon boat at low tide. Low water made it easier for us to see the winter accumulation of sand and decaying plant material on the predator screens covering the 600,000 baby (8-10 mm) clams we planted last fall. Cleaning the screens proved far more difficult than we imagined. It took almost five hours of hard, back breaking work lifting and clearing the six screens. We noted that the screens are providing habitat for shrimp, blue and green crabs, sea squirts, sea stars and millions of tiny blue mussels.
As we were eating lunch we checked out the Peregrine Falcons who seem to be adapting quite nicely to their new house on the hacking tower. We also noted that the osperey are back and at least one pair was setting up its nest in preparation for the breeding season. When we took a quick walk around the island we noted that a fox had dug in the Diamond Backed Terrapin nest plots on the west side of the house. Hopefully the fox didn't get all the eggs.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
McLAIN HOUSE SPRING CLEANING
Join us on April 14 and 15
Paddle out or be picked up on the pontoon boat at 9AM, 1PM or 5PM
RSVP: Jim 609 658-7965 for details and to coordinate food
Other news,
Several weeks ago I drove through IBSP to the Sedge dock. It was sunny and warm in the car but the cold wind out of the northwest made it uncomfortable standing on the shore. The ice, which has been on the bay for the past month was breaking up, but the wind was pushing it into the shore. Still, the ice was not packing together too much so it looks like the dock will not get damaged as it did in past years. From a distance of 1.2 miles the house looks fine.
The ice is now gone and I plan to paddle out to Sedge in the near future. I hope to be joined by some members of the Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association. If we can get out we will work on our osprey nest rehabilitation project. We will be re-numbering the nests, putting up perch poles and shoring up any platforms that are leaning or in need of repairs. We must do this fairly soon as the males will be returning by the middle of March and we don’t want to disturb the nest preparation.
We already have many bookings for the 2007 season. June, July and August are almost completely full. Weekends in April, May, September and October are pretty busy too. Although Katina will not be back as a regular staff member, she has promised to be at Sedge as much as possible given her schedule of teaching and traveling. Brett Ciccotelli, last year’s intern from College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, will be assuming the responsibilities of Assistant Program Manager. Our four new interns will be joining us at Sedge on the weekend of April 14 and 15 for our house cleaning. They are a great group with plenty of enthusiasm and a variety of experience.
I look forward to hearing from you soon. Jim
Monday, March 5, 2007
Mid-Winter News
The official Sedge visitor season was over but we continue to have things to do. The warm temperatures in the late fall and early winter made it comfortable to paddle out to the island. On two occasions some members of the Jersey Shore Sea Kayak Association and I spent the better part of two days checking all thirty osprey platforms. We made careful notes and developed a plan to strengthen some of the poles that support the higher nests. On my last paddle out to check the house in early January, I was pleased to discover that buildings were ok and so were the shellfish that are in bags hanging from the dock. I was also please to find some beautiful green parsley growing n Jackie’s garden (great salad that night!)
One of my biggest disappointments of the year came when Katina told me that she would not be working at Sedge in 2007. Those of you who have spent time with her during the past two summers know that she is a woman who is always looking for new challenges. Her plans include a major trip around the world followed by law school. But Katina is not abandoning us completely. Before she leaves on her trip, she will bring a group of teachers from
The good news is that Brett Ciccotelli will be taking Katina’s place. Many of you will remember Brett as one of four interns who volunteered last summer during the months of June and July. Brett grew up near
We are well into plans for the coming season. Many groups have booked dates and our calendar for June, July and August is almost full. We plan to have four interns working at Sedge again this summer. It is likely that two will be recent graduates from the MATES program, both of whom volunteered last summer. We will continue to work with various researchers on projects which will include: diamond backed terrapin nesting patterns, the effect of human interference on American oyster catchers, mercury content in bluefish, and water quality monitoring. With 600,000 baby clams and 100,000 oysters holding over from last year and the prospect of doubling that number in 2007, we will again be a major player in the Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Project. But, and perhaps most important- We will have a second Clivus Multrum composting toilet.
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