July 2012 – Discovering Long Island Sound, One Animal at a Time
Environmental sails aboard the Schooner SoundWaters have been a mainstay of our public education in the Stamford area. This year we are sailing eastward to bring our high quality, time-tested shipboard experience to more adults and children through Long Island Sound.
During the 2012 sailing season, SoundWaters is offering two-hour Public Engagement Sails in selected ports of Long Island Sound with new activities to raise awareness in local communities and increase appreciation and stewardship of Long Island Sound.
While on board, passengers are invited to visit three shipboard stations featuring live animals, water quality testing, and floatable debris activities. At the touch-tank, adults and children hold and examine selected animals that live in Long Island Sound while learning about their unique characteristics. At the water quality station, passengers sample and test for salinity, dissolved oxygen, and discover how different sources of pollution lower oxygen levels, creating hypoxic events that are harmful for marine animals. At the marine debris “pollution-solution” station, they analyze how sand, soil, grasses and other materials filter pollutants, and discover the surprising length of time it takes for debris and litter to break down.
The emphasis throughout the program is on stewardship actions that individuals can take in their communities to protect species, habitats and water quality.
The sails are supported in part by the Long Island Sound Study. SoundWaters is scheduling sails with non-profit partners and the general public in several ports in Connecticut and New York, including Greenwich, Stamford, Bridgeport, Stratford, Milford, New Haven, Old Saybrook, Mamaroneck, Port Washington, Hempstead Harbor, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson and Greenport. For information about scheduling a group sail, sail dates, or reservations, contact Olena Czebiniak at (203) 406-3319 or email registrar@soundwaters.org.
“SoundWaters is about Long Island Sound and the people who live near its shores,” said Leigh Shemitz, SoundWaters Executive Director. “The Sound is an amazing resource, but it can be hard to get to and to understand. With the support of the Long Island Sound Study, SoundWaters has created these Public Engagement Sails – a fun way to spend an afternoon out sailing on and learning about the amazing Long Island Sound.”
