Let me start by introducing myself to those of you taking the time to read this. My name is Barry Thompson and I am interning in the communications/marketing department here at Save the Bay. I am here to gain a practical understanding of how $25,000 of classroom experience translates into the communications field.

Second, I was born and raised in a state landlocked for 1500 miles. I didn’t set foot in the ocean until I was 22. What I know about the nautical world is negligible at best. That being said, in order for me to better understand what it is I am doing at Save The Bay, I need to better understand the Save The Bay mission and how it is applied, so I will be taking part in as many Save The Bay events and programs as they will allow. And because I work for free, it might be a lot of events!

First event: Plankton of the Bay!
I met up with Rob Hancock (boat captain), Isaac Lavoie (Americorps volunteer), and Mary Horrigan (educator) this past Wednesday so I could tag along on their plankton education program. We shoved off from the dock at Save The Bay at about 9:30 Wednesday morning, bound for India Point Park where we were to pick up a group of 5th grade students. Within 30 minutes we were loaded up with a group of eager students and southbound on the Bay.

First order of business: Safety! Life vests on, feet on the deck, no leaning over the railings, and we were off again. I think I was just as excited as the kids to see what we were going to see on the bay. Isaac took a few minutes to show where we were going on a nautical map, and within minutes students were let loose to explore the boat, the view, and the Bay.

A few miles down the Bay, Mary gathered the group in the back to start the lesson of the day. She pulled out a net that looked like a windsock with a plastic cup at the end so we could collect some of the smallest life in the Bay. Once we had a cup-o-plankton, students were divided into two groups -- the bow with Mary to explore the plankton; the stern with Isaac to explore water condition.


The plankton group talked about where plankton are in the food chain, what types of plankton there are, and how plankton are classified. A microscope was hooked up to a television mounted from the roof of the boat and soon we were looking at the day’s catch at 10x size. The kids and I loved it. It was a true learning experience for the all of us. In the stern of the boat, with some student help, Isaac pulled water up from the bottom of the Bay to test for temperature and to measure salinity to test a hypothesis that deeper, colder water, held more salt than the warmer water towards the surface of the Bay. After each group finished, the kids switched and the process was repeated.

The third activity was one that required everyone to work together. A large blue seine (net) was brought out, tossed into the bay behind our boat, and dragged for several hundred yards. It took the entire class working together to haul in our catch and they did a fantastic job! We pulled from the Bay a horseshoe crab, a blue crab, a sea star, a lion’s mane jellyfish, several smaller jellies, and a shrimp.

After spending some time exploring our catch of the day up close for a while, the crew cataloged what we found and then released it all back into the Bay. And it was time to release the students as well. We headed back to India Point Park and dropped off our student group.

I had a great time on the boat and I learned a lot about the Bay, but even more importantly I watched as a group of 5th graders became more interested in the Bay. I watched a couple children get over their fear of the water. Maybe a few of these children grow up to become supporters of Save The Bay or even board members, but there is no doubt in my mind that this group of children left the boat with a feeling that this Bay is theirs to protect and enjoy.

Have a great day,
Barry.