Long Island Seaport & Eco Center
Long Island Seaport & Eco Center
The ’pre-opening’ of the Bayles Boat Shop takes place on July 4, 2008 at the same time the ribbon will be cut for the grand opening of Harborfront Park in Port Jefferson. This is a great day for LISEC, which has been present at every stage for the development of the park, and the transformation of the rusted boat building shed into the now renowned Port Jefferson Village Center. We are very proud to announce that we can also show off the boat shop, inside and out. Though not completely finished, it looks great. Come visit us that day or on any Wednesday or Saturday morning.
LISEC salutes the steadfast volunteers who have worked faithfully at least twice a week for a year and a half
to get this boat shop finished: Bill Ramsden; Phil Schiavone; Charlie Kenny; Jacques Garant; Betty Ann Arink;
Charlie Pieroth and Charles Carter. The picture to the left is of Ramsden and Schiavone watching over the
installation of plants in the ’front yard.’
LISEC also thanks NYS Senator LaValle and NYS Assemblyman Englebright for their generous support of the project with $150 thousand in grants which, along with $40,000 in community giving and the generous donation of time and materials from merchants and volunteers, have brought this project to this point. We continue to seek donations of both time and materials to complete interior work, benches, electrical installation and the bluestone front porch.
Four new LISEC Beach Discovery Programs led by Education Director Erika Haberkorn are scheduled through the Port Jefferson Library in July and August. These are very popular with area families who enjoy finding out about the plant and animal life on the harbor and Belle Terre beach fronts.
Now Kathy O’Sullivan is adding some geology programs, "The Stories Rocks Tell." "You can learn about the history of our planet," says O’Sullivan, "because there are rocks on our waterfront 500,000 to a billion years old." She has already helped two scout groups to earn their geology badges.
Anyone can sign up for these programs at the Library. They are free. Erika and Kathy are also available to do these programs for school and scout groups. Contact them by phoning LISEC : 631-474-4725.
LISEC is sponsoring a multi-school program that will catch, tag, and release blackfish in order to learn about
their migrating habits. The program is headed up by Jon Maletta who teaches AP Marine Biology and Environmental
Science at Port Jefferson High School.
On the 29th of May, 20 students boarded the Celtic Quest, a party fishing boat located in Port Jefferson that is well known for its school marine education trips. They did surface plankton trawls, taking the copepods, shrimp, lobster larvae and other treasures for examination under a microscope set up in the cabin. Captain Des O’Sullivan, also set out deep ’benthic’ trawls which came up with a treasure trove of sea bottom life including moon snails, whelk cases, and many crabs.
Will take place at Harborfront Park on Saturday, September 27th.
Featured this year will be a planetarium set up in the Village Center by David Cohn, director of the Educational Projects Network. An astronomer by passion, David has developed astronomy classes for schools. A photographer by training, he is now turning his attention to what lives under the sea. On Family Day he will show a film ’Origins of the Universe’ that, because it surrounds you, takes you to the deepest places in the ocean as well as to exploding constellations of stars.
A touch tank, numerous environmental exhibits, beach and geology walks as well as fishing off the pier and aboard the Celtic Quest will fill up a day of activity no one will want to miss.
The Humanities Institute Outreach Committee at Stony Brook University has announced a three year initiative dealing with the effect of climate change on our environmental, social and political life. Three major symposiums will be held, the first planned for November 8th 2008 at the Port Jefferson Village Center. The theme of this first symposium will be Recycling.
LISEC will work with the Library and students from the high school over the summer at the Library Annex finding out the facts, preparing a web-site and creating a Family Pledge. The students will collect information on the cost of not living green to the family budget! This includes information on the cost of production and disposal of such every day items as water bottles, plastic bags etc. Environmental scientists at Stony Brook University stand ready to help them with information and statistics. The aim of the project, they say, is to raise awareness on how a change in habits benefits both the environment and family life.
On Memorial Day weekend LISEC director,Dave Johnson and 24 volunteers of Coastal Steward spent their holiday
removing more than a ton of debris from the Port Jefferson side of Mt Sinai Harbor. One ton of debris was
removed from one mile of shoreline helping the salt marsh to retain its pristine beauty.
"If I have learned to love environmental work, so can others," says Dave, "which is why I encourage young people to work with me. I also have a shellfish restoration program going at F-dock, Cedar Beach on Mt Sinai Harbor. I can use all the help I can get down there as well."
There is a schedule below of upcoming beach clean ups and "oyster cage cleanings!" Dave is the kind of person you would like your kids to know.
Summer Beach Clean-ip Schedule
Come alone, as a family, a scout troop, or other group.
Give an hour or a day. It’s educational!
September 13 & 14, to clean Port Jefferson Harbor shoreline.
September 20 & 21 and September 27-28 and October 4 – 5 to clean McAllister Park.
Meet at Anchorage Point, Belle Terre: 9 AM to 3 PM
Summer Shellfish Restoration Schedule
Everyone is invited to visit Johnson’s shellfish restoration project which is based at Cedar Beach,
Mt Sinai Harbor. Meet at F-Dock off the main parking lot, every 2nd and 4th Saturday in
June, July, August, September & October from 9 AM to 3 PM.
Cages will be hauled and cleaned. Help is needed counting and re-caging the shellfish as they grow. It’s a great learning experience.