Give Your Child A Once In A Lifetime Experience On A Tallship This Summer!
Give your child the unique experience of learning about Oyster Bay while sailing on our flagship Oyster Sloop, CHRISTEEN! On, CHRISTEEN, our National Historic Landmark, students will discover our bay by hearing stories of the history from the crew, dredging the bay floor, learning the importance of plankton, and discovering marine birds.
In the summer, our Marine Explorers will explore our bay from CHRISTEEN, a 138-year-old, 60-foot gaff-rigged sloop, the oldest oyster sloop in America. This floating classroom educates around 5,000 people about maritime history, marine science, coastal ecology, aquaculture, and the oyster industry every year. Our Marine Explorers will discover the complex environment that makes up the Oyster Bay Wildlife Refuge to connect classroom learning to real-life situations. You can find details about Marine Explorer CHRISTEEN sails below!
History
CHRISTEEN sails will begin with an introduction of the captain, crew, and ship! The captain will explain the safety procedures on the boat and the importance of staying safe. As the crew prepares CHRISTEEN for the sail, educators will divide the children into two groups to handle different aspects of raising the sails. One group will handle the throat halyard and the other the peak halyard. The captain will instruct the crew and the kids to raise the sails up the 60ft mast! Children will take a seat once the mast is up, and CHRISTEEN will make its way out of the mooring field. In addition to CHRISTEEN and her work, educators will discuss the history of the wildlife refuge and Oyster Bay. The children will have the chance to see important historical sites like Brickyard Point, Plum Point, and the remarkable homes of Centre Island and Oyster Bay Cove. The history of the region will help the children to appreciate where they are and to understand the past, as they look to the future. Crew members will also teach sailing vocabulary and parts of the boats, such as the boom, mast, and more! Exploring the harbor from CHRISTEEN will give your child a new perspective on the marine and historical environment around them!
Dredge
On CHRISTEEN, children will explore the bottom of the bay with a dredge! Our dredge is a small scallop dredge, a 3-foot wide basket on the end of a long rope and lines. After crew members tie off the line of the dredge to the cleat, the dredge will be dropped the dredge into the water, where it will scrape the bottom surface layer of the bay floor. It will drag along the bottom of the bay picking up all marine life with it! Older groups will help the educator lift the dredge out of the water and back onto the boat. The dredge will be full of creatures such as bearded sponges, snails, clams, oysters, crabs, and maybe even more! Educators will discuss the characteristics of each of these animals and explain the different ecosystems these animals live in!
Plankton Tow
The Plankton Tow is a device that collects plankton by towing a mesh net attached to a bottle through the water. Plankton is an integral part of life on Earth. Not only do plankton make most of the oxygen on the planet, but they are also an abundant food source and sit at the beginning of the food chain. Educators will ready samples on microscopes for the younger children to view and identify the plankton. Older groups will use multiple microscopes to look at and modify the samples themselves. Introducing kids to microscopes is a great way to brush up on their microscope technique or learn it before school! Microscopes are a fantastic way to show children that there is more to life than what they see on the surface. It can even impel a lifelong passion for science and nature!
Birding
This year, we are introducing Birding on CHRISTEEN! Thanks to conservation efforts, the number of endangered species has increased throughout the years. Now, we can see Ospreys and Eagles soaring over the bay and raising their children from high up nests or even artificial perches. On CHRISTEEN, children will binoculars use to spot marine and predatory species of birds. They will find anything from a plover to an Osprey or even an Eagle! Summer is a great way to watch juvenile birds mature with their parents as they learn to fly and fish for themselves! Children will learn and build on their communication skills when they have to describe the bird they see to their group. Birding allows children to tune in to nature and figure out why different birds are found in different habitats.
Group-Based Activities
In addition to our main activities, children will take part in other group-oriented curriculum. All groups will explore other parts of CHRISTEEN such as the aft cabin where the crew would traditionally rest. Younger groups will have snack time, read a story, and play ship-based games, such as ‘Captain Says’. Older groups will perform water quality experiments and work on their navigation. If lucky, the captain may even give your child a turn at the wheel!
Make your child’s summer fun with an educational purpose! Sign up for Marine Explorers today!
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