(As written by me (Kopalope) under direction of Addi).
Today marked our first full day of adventuring and true to form no one knew what would happen. After finishing yesterday with some fun at the swimming pool and an evening game of capture the flag we started today rested (at least more so than monday) and ready for anything. A hearty breakfast morphed into a morning circle. The it was off to the Chessapeake Bay Ecological Center (CBEC) where we tackled two adventures. Luck was with us on the first as Horseshoe Crabs were migrating into the bay to mate and were spotted in no time. If you're not familiar with these creatures they are one the oldest animals on the planet. They haven't changed in 350 Million years, so we see them as they were before the dinosaurs were around. Impressive (and a bit unnerving for some) to say the least. In the tide pools and the bay assorted fish species were netted; the sign of a (thankfully) very healthy ecosystem. A quick lunch and it was time to kayak the tributary. A little exercise always feels good right? It did. And best of all it, too, was fun.
Fear was the order of the afternoon. Not eliminating it, getting control of it. The way forward was dealing with the Comfort Zone and the Zone of Fear. I was duly impressed as the students repeatedly, and bravely, declared what activities fall into their comfort zone and which might move into the zone of fear. Learning happens somewhere between those two. That was the foundation for the challenge course. Zip-line and aerial obstacles sufficed to challenge everyone. Best of all, was seeing how someone's fear could be confronted and controlled even if they didn't finish the task. For some just getting to the top of a ladder while roped in was a major breakthrough. Inspiring to say the least. I can't even describe how proud I was/am of these kids. And even more so as they dished out affirmations and congratulations to each other at the evening reflection.
The highlight for me personally, was introducing the kids to my old childhood friend, the firefly. Which we called lightning bugs. This awesome little critter has a chemical in it's abdomen that glows a greenish yellow to help it attract a mate. And while yesterday there were screams of horror and terrified children running out of the bunkhouses because of them, tonight they were catching them gently in their hands and rescuing them from inside. Amazing how a little understanding can create acceptance and even appreciation.
By Owen B.
Today we went to Horn Point Laboratory and education center. It's also a hatchery for oyster restoration. One of the more impactful things we did there was watch a video about plastic in the ocean and how far it can travel. It showed albatross chicks on the island where they hatch and 100% of them had plastic in their stomachs with a lot of them dying from it. It really made me understand what we are doing to our ocean environment and how many animals are dying because of us and our use of plastic. After that we saw the process of how oysters are restored to help the bay environment. It was shocking how much work it took just to get oysters to stay alive and start growing in more numbers again. I'm glad they are doing this work but I wish they didn't need to.
By me.
I can't start this without giving the heartiest, happiest, back-slappingest shout out to our host at Horn Point Lab today; Brian!. This guy is the quintessential east shore "Mary land" guy and has put together an absolute dream experience for education about bay ecology and restoration. And he's just simply one of the greatest folks you'll meet. Instant connection with the kids, and passion for what he does bursting out of every pore. Thanks, Brian!
He took us around the hatchery and canoeing in the cove. We saw the insanely complex process it takes to hatch and release oyster spat (larvae), played my new favorite game (Captain's Coming), and got us an up close visit from some cow nosed rays in the cove. The visit was as impactful as it was fun.
As for that process I mentioned it truly is a marvel. Oysters start as free swimming and then attach to something for their forever home. The mission of the Lab is to raise the larvae but they need someplace secure to attach. That's where the giant piles of oyster shells come in. The are cleaned an readied (in what is a remarkably long process) to be coated with oyster spat (larvae) when they're ready to attach (about 2 weeks old) and then, eventually the shells with spat are taken and spread back into the bay. An adult oyster can filter about 50 gallons of water a day. In the early 1900's the entire volume of Chessapeake bay could be filtered and cleaned by oysters in about 3 days!!! Now, due to population drops from over harvesting, climate change, and pollution, it takes over a year. Thankfully, Brian and his team are working to bring those numbers back up. This was not lost on the kids today either. The questions they asked were chock full of wisdom about the value of these creatures and the need to keep them thriving and the desire to reflect about it in their journals was palpable. Almost as evident as their desire for smores!
Brian teaching how to walk up a shell pile and canoeing the cove off the Choptank river.
an awesomely mutated version of "Simon Says"
By Chase C.
Today we took a one hour drive to a museum to learn about Harriet Tubman. The first activity we did there was watch a video about her. Some things stood out about her. One is that she was a slave and started working at just 6 years old. The person that enslaved her would beat her and whip her until her ribs broke. Second, when she heard that she was going to the chain gang to be sold like her sister was when Harriet was young, she ran for miles to get away to freedom. When she was old she had trouble making ends meet but when she did get money she would give it away to people who needed it. As I walked through the museum I saw weights, so I read the caption and I learned a man hit her in the head with the weight when she was young, almost killing her. He was throwing it at a slave running out of his store.
After the museum we walked around with a tour guide who was really nice and told us a lot of facts that a lot of us didn't know about the history of Cambridge and the slave trade here. At the end of the day if you asked anyone they would say they had fun and learned a lot.
I begin by offering the deepest, most sincere Thank You to Kisha, our guide and founder of the ESNC. I knew who Harriet Tubman was but today shocked me. I was caught completely off guard as to the impact today's visits would have on me. My brother lives in Charleston, SC and we've often visited museums and sites of importance in the story of slavery in our country, but Kisha made connections for me (and for the kids) that moved me in ways I've not experienced before and left me enraged, disgusted, and yet somehow hopeful for how people treat one another. The history of Harriet and the area came alive for me with every word KIsha spoke and every step we took. She conveyed stories, not from books, but from people from the very places we stood. Sometimes those stories were from her own experience. Thank you, thank you, Kisha. You're a treasure!
On our way back from Cambridge we stopped for dinner and fun at Emily's Organic Farm and market. DELICIOUSNESS and fun were had by all. Later at our closing circle kids expressed what will "stick with them" and what "rocked". "The relationships and all the friends I made" was the OVERWHELMING sentiment spoken; sometimes through tears. In only 5 days this group of kids has transformed into a tight knit community of friends I didn't think was possible. They just keep making me prouder and prouder to be part of it all.
We'll see you all at the airport in Redmond tomorrow! And on Saturday I'll post one last time with some final reflections and a huge data dump of photos.
Zero tolerance for non-organic strawberries!
Yummmm!
three little piggies
Wow, what a week! And what a great experience! After all the activities, travel, obstacles, meals, miles, sleep, and lack of sleep what I'm left with is gratitude, appreciation, and excitement to see this group of kids take on 8th grade next year! They met the challenges of the trip head on, not always easily or successfully, but with determination and a willingness to grow. They came out the other side a stronger, more supportive, more connected community of friends. Thank you all for a fabulous week and an incredible end to our year!