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

Mid-Winter News

Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center is in a state of semi-hibernation. Late fall Tony and Jackie Raniero loaded up their car and drove to their six-month home in Florida. Several weeks later after we said good-bye to the last group at Sedge, employees from Fish and Wildlife came to the island to shut things down. They winterized the buildings by draining pipes, turning off the gas, and removing the solar inverter to put into storage. Kayaks and small boats were stored in the boathouse. I took the pontoon boat over to the marina where it was hauled out, cleaned up, and covered.

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 Cranford High School to Sedge for a long weekend. And, if she has time she will volunteer with several groups in the spring. All of us who have had the good fortune to spend time with Katina will miss her greatly. We wish her well wherever she is. GOOD LUCK, KATINA!!

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 Camden, NJ and is presently majoring in environmental education at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. When he is not studying, Brett leads hikes and canoe expeditions with professors and classmates. Brett’s friendly outgoing personality coupled with his knowledge and experience in natural areas will make him an outstanding assistant program director at the Sedge Island Natural Resource Education Center in the summer of 2007.

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.