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Day 5: Harriet Tubman Museum, Walking Tour of Cambridge, Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, Emily's Produce Farm, Closing Candle Ceremony, and S'mores!
Day 5: Harriet Tubman Museum, Walking Tour of Cambridge, Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, Emily's Produce Farm, Closing Candle Ceremony, and S'mores!
Today was maybe the most impactful day of our visit to the Eastern Shore. Seeing the Harriet Tubman museum and then taking the walking tour around Cambridge taught us that each individual really can be the change they wish to see in the world. Sometimes that message can feel a little empty, a little rote, or a little too simple. But our guides through the day, Keisha and Dion, embodied the truth of this expression. These two generous and driven individuals have worked to bring about racial justice, reconciliation, and understanding in their hometown. And today, they challenged each of us to find our mission by finding a problem and asking 5 WHYs. Try it. Whether it's a short supply of chocolate chip muffins in a cafeteria or racism in your community, asking "why" 5 times gets you to the root of the problem and helps you to find a path to bringing about the change you want to see.
This tour came up many times during ANCHOR tonight. From the discomfort of being on the less nice side of town to the personal experience Dion and Keisha have of racism, students drank in this experience, allowing it to change them. I cannot tell you how impressed all of the leaders are with your kids’ ability to open themselves to discomfort and grow as a result.
At the Harriet Tubman Museum, Russell took a little time to conduct primary research, interviewing the ranger about her experience working for the National Park Service. The museum's architecture was symbolic of the journey enslaved people took to find freedom in the North.
The walking tour of Cambridge started at the port where slave ships arrived. Dion and Keisha had sets of child and adult shackles that were found in the attic of a house in Cambridge that we held. We then left the port and walked to the Courthouse, following in the footsteps of the enslaved people who walked this path toward the auction block.
Brian gave us an impromptu tour of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge where we saw heron, egret, turtles, and learned about "ghost forests" caused by the encroaching marsh. Much of the marsh destruction was caused by the unfortunate introduction of nutria to the area. They have sense been eradicated, but the impact on this ecosystem lives on.
Okay... so you will hear that the food on this trip isn't great. Don't get any of us started on the ham and turkey sandwiches. As such, dinner at Emily's Produce Farm was like a beacon in the dark, a dehydrated meal on a backpacking trip. Plus there were cute goats.
We had a meaningful closing bonfire and ANCHOR tonight. What an experience of bonding, learning, and growing mentally taller for us all!
Day 4: D.C., National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Air and Space Museum, and RoFo
Day 4: D.C., National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Air and Space Museum, and RoFo
Reflection from Megan and Campbell:
Today was an impactful day in D.C. visiting museums. We started the day at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.It would take a week just to crack the surface of this national treasure. We began our visit by learning about the horrors of slave trade and the middle passage and ending with pop culture. One of the actions we were asked to take at the end of the main exhibit was to teach about race. As a teacher, I wondered if I'm doing that right.
Given our experience in the museums, we had a very powerful observation portion of ANCHOR tonight. Many students remarked on how impactful interacting with artifacts from the civil rights movement were. Campbell reflected, "When we went to the museum today, I thought that I had a lot of knowledge about the history of slavery, and knew what to expect. And when I got there, and started reading, it blew my mind how little I knew about the history of the country I was born and raised in. It was so touching to read stories that I could relate to age-wise, especially what happened to Emmett Till, which was so emotional. I felt connected reading every little detail about his life."
National Museum of African American History and Culture
National Air and Space Museum
Around D.C.
Back at the Pecometh Retreat Center
Of course, no trip to Maryland is complete without a visit to the gas station convenient store Royal Farms, fondly referred to as RoFo. On our way back from D.C. we stopped for some snacks, before wrappong up the evening with a cozy dinner in our bunkhouse.
Day 3: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Cruise on the Patriot, and Wawa
Day 3: Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Cruise on the Patriot, and Wawa
Notes from POB!
What a moment in time, place, and space when the past & present come together on the Chesapeake Bay at the Maritime Museum in the historic maritime town of St. Michael's on the Miles River. A special place where we are reminded of the economic engine of this scenic, quaint harbor town and the maritime economic engine of shipbuilding, blue crab, and "white gold," a.k.a. oysters. While it's difficult to step out of the present postcard beauty, we were also connected to America's maritime history when slavery was present, and St. Michael's economy depended on maritime forced labour on its waterways. Here were some of America's most important abolitionist figures. Frederick Douglass was enslaved as a teenager in the 1830s. It was here on the Miles River that enslaved people used these waterways, also known as the "Maritime Underground Railroad," to travel through these coastal water routes to escape to free states and Canada. A space that reminds us of our nation's past connected through the lens of our local explorations' history: the Eastern Shore and Frederick Douglass's famous 1845 “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave."
Cruise on the Miles River in the Patriot
Exploring the museum on our own-- So much to see!
Museum Tour (Group 1)
Museum Tour (Group 2)
WLS Morning Learning Session and Anchor with Phenix, Pascal, Olive E., and Reese as Leaders of the Day!
A few odds and ends. We only had 10 minutes at Wawa. So there is only one picture. Lots of basketball and volleyball when we were back at camp.
Day 2: Horn Point Laboratory, Canoeing, Swimming, and Celebrating
Day 2: Horn Point Laboratory, Canoeing, Swimming, and Celebrating
A Reflection from Ms. Fridae!
What an amazing day, I am exhausted! We started the day with a lovely half-mile walk to the mess hall. From there, it was an hour drive to Horn Point Laboratory. Students learned about the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which covers six states. When people dump fertilizer, antifreeze, oil, manure, and more into the estuary, it becomes polluted. We discussed solutions to lessen pollution in the Bay. We toured the Horn Point lab and learned about the important role oysters play in cleaning the Chesapeake Bay estuary. In the lab, students saw the process of growing the oyster population. We walked by vats of river water containing spat. In three years, the spat, baby oysters, grow to full adults. Then, we toured the Oyster Recovery Center, where the shells are cleaned and used in the rehabilitation process. Here we climbed a 50-foot-tall hill of oyster shells!
After lunch, we headed down to the water to canoe. Of course, with 7th-graders, what started as a relaxing paddle quickly turned into getting each other wet. Students came back to shore, soaking wet but smiling.
After canoeing, we learned about the food chain in the estuary and also how to tie the bowman, figure-eight, and square knots.
Back at Pecometh, students had time to relax, swim, and try the waterslide! It was nice to have some downtime after a full day of learning. Enjoy the photos!
Breakfast and AMP
Lessons on Oysters and Horn Point Lab before our tour.
Learning about Oysters at Horn Point Lab
Canoeing
Swimming and Birthday Celebration! YAY!
Day 1: Travel to Pecometh Retreat Center
Day 1: Travel to Pecometh Retreat Center
We're here! We landed in Baltimore, where our WLS facilitators--Bryan, Meredith, and André--were waiting for us with smiles and sandwiches. We hopped on our fancy bus for the hour-long trip to the Pecometh Retreat Center. We are settling into our bunkhouses, and I hear the excitement of finally being here in the chatter coming from the bunkhouse as I type.
We had our first Anchor tonight, which André led to teach us the WLS ways. ANCHOR is a nightly wrap-up meeting; it stands for Appreciations, News, Concerns, Health/Hopes, Observations, and Reflections. Already, our group has shared so much appreciation for each other, setting the stage for an experience that not only teaches us about the unique ecosystem of the Eastern Shore but also about what it means to be here together in this special SPS MYP2 group. We also named the leaders of the day who will guide us in our meetings tomorrow. I know Claire, Grant, Cohen, and Katie will do a great job!
A quick photo dump tonight and gratitude to you for trusting us on this adventure with your special kids. Expect a longer update tomorrow after our first full day of learning and exploring the Horn Point Laboratory.
Travel Pics
Settling In at Pecometh Retreat Center + First ANCHOR
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