Trash Talk

I recently read about banking heir, David de Rothschild, sailing across the Pacific Ocean on a catamaran made from 12,000 discarded plastic bottles! His boat is rather appropriately named Plastiki, and Mr. de Rothschild is on a mission to showcase the need to recycle.

 He hopes to make people aware that trash, carelessly and thoughtlessly tossed into the ocean, can often end up as lethal litter to sea animals and sea birds. In 1999, an oceanographer identified a mass of plastic at least 1,000 miles across swirling about in the Pacific Ocean. Yuck! Unfortunately, on a smaller scale, lakes and rivers probably suffer the same man-made abuses.

 Of course, wooden boats take center stage at Mystic Seaport, but as the Museum of America and the Sea, our mission really isn’t so different from Mr. de Rothschild’s. It all boils down to respect for the sea and being good custodians of it. To know it is to love it, is a familiar phrase, and one usually takes care of something one loves, right?

 

Through classes, lectures, exhibits and hands-on activities, the Museum’s goal is to educate visitors about our nation’s nautical history and heritage. Once that personal connection to the sea takes hold, Mr. de Rothschild’s sailboat, Plastica, doesn’t seem so far out after all. We all need to do our part in taking better care of our oceans, lakes and rivers. Consider this; next time you think you’ve seen a jellyfish floating by, according to de Rothschild, it could just be a plastic bag. That grosses me out more than a jellyfish!

Blog written by Trudi Busey

Are We Stardust?

It’s kind of an ‘outside the box’ concept, but fun to contemplate.

Geoffrey Burbridge, an English physicist who became a luminary in astronomy circles in the 20^th century, believed that people and everything else are made of stardust!  Simply put, he theorized that every one of our body’s chemical elements was once inside a star.

The universe is mysteriously beautiful and holds secrets that scientists are still unraveling. But if you’re like me, stargazing and identifying certain constellations is about the extent of my astronomy knowledge. The same goes for sailing. I married an “old salt” and he patiently, and sometimes impatiently taught me the basics, but I could never pretend to be a sailor! There is always so much more to learn – which leads me to recommend some great courses being offered at the Treworgy Planetarium at Mystic Seaport. Try these on for interest:

• Celestial Navigation; 19^th Century Methods – 3/27-28
• Introduction to Coastal Navigation – 4/10, 4/24, 5/8 (3-day workshop)
• Easy Introductory Celestial Navigation By the Noon Day Sun – 4/17-4/18
• Marine Weather, Level II – 5/14-5/16

Classes will be held in the Howell Classroom at the Planetarium. For more detailed information and course fees, visit www.mysticseaport.org/planetarium.

And next time you look up at the stars, just think – there was once a part of you up there, according to Geoffrey Burbridge.  (The physicist passed away 1/26/10 at the age of 84.)

Blog written by Trudi Busey.

Prepare to Come About — It’s All About Sailing

Just a typical day of sailing camp at Mystic Seaport.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and texting are words most likely part of  the vocabulary of any pre-teen, teen or computer-literate adult these days.  But how about these words: Dyer Dhow, main sheet, halyard, jibe, tack, fore, aft, starboard, port, head?

If those examples of a sailor’s vernacular aren’t familiar to you, a simple phone call or email could change all that. Enrolling in one of Mystic Seaport’s sailing programs not only expands your vocabulary, it opens up a wonderful opportunity to learn to sail and enjoy an unequaled experience out on the water.

Never sailed before? Doesn’t matter!  Don’t own a sailboat? Doesn’t matter! You are grandparent vintage? Doesn’t matter! Only 8 years old? Doesn’t matter! Certified instructors are experienced in teaching all age groups through personal, hands-on instruction. There’s a class designed for every age and every skill level.

Fun and unique among Mystic Seaport offerings is Family Community Sailing. Children ages 8 and older, along with their parents and/or grandparents, learn the basics of sailing together in beginner classes. Intermediate classes are designed for adults who have their sea legs but want to improve their boat handling skills sailing the JY15s. The 3-hour classes run Monday-Friday beginning in late June.

The homeschool community gets off to an even earlier start in mid-April with a Friday class for homeschooled students.

Wait. Don’t log off yet! I’ve saved one of Mystic Seaport’s coolest sailing programs for last. It’s the Overnight Summer Sailing Camp aboard the Joseph Conrad.  For 50 years, the six-day camp has been teaching skills of the sea to boys and girls ages 10 to 15 years old.  Sleeping on a tall ship each night, the comradeship that develops amongst the campers, the self-confidence climbing the Conrad’s rigging can bring – it’s a super package of learning by doing wrapped in fun. For many “graduates,” the camp was such a fantastic social and learning experience that they return to perfect skills, reunite with camp friends or even return as adults to become camp instructors.

I strongly recommend you watch the videos on Community Sailing and the Conrad Camp that are mentioned on the web pages describing the various sailing programs. All the information about dates, times, costs and registration methods are listed there as well. Here’s a tip, act ASAP so you or your child aren’t disappointed due to an already filled to capacity class. It may seem early, but you know the saying – the early bird gets the worm!

Learn more about Community Sailing programs here – including the video you can watch.

Learn more about sailing camp aboard the Joseph Conrad — including a video — here.

Post written by Trudi Busey.

World Ocean Day

World Ocean Day was officially declared by the United Nations to be June 8 of each year, starting in 2009. The Day celebrates the world’s oceans, and our connections — past, present, and future — to the oceans.

The world’s oceans serve as the corridor for transporting 90% of all world goods and products, generate much of the oxygen we breathe, feed nearly a billion people, regulate climate, offer a pharmacopoeia of potential future medicines, and provide recreation, relaxation, and unlimited inspiration for hundreds of millions of people all over the world (among many other benefits and good things that the seas, which comprise most of the world, provide).

Participating in World Ocean Day are aquariums, zoos, maritime museums, conservation organization, schools, colleges and universities and businesses.

– James T. Carlton, Director of Williams-Mystic and Williams College Professor of Marine Ecology

For more information about World Ocean Day please go to http://www.theoceanproject.org/wod

Mapping out Fun at Mystic Seaport

I went to see what Mystic Seaport’s new interactive Map Spot was all about. It’s supposedly geared to kids, but Interpreter Lindsey Pyrke-Fairchild claims that adults like Map Spot as much as the children do. I can see why.

Suzzanah was making a map of her bedroom; Abby and Maddy were mapping their respective neighborhoods; Emma’s imaginative map was of a forest with horses. So, I gave it a try myself, mapping my own neighborhood. A  cartographer I’ll never be, but it was fun trying. Hmm… maybe next time I’ll try making a dream vacation map!

One of the coolest things in Map Spot is the “smart board,” a touch screen with a few games that test your smarts and your speed. The object is to move a state into its proper location on the map in a given amount of time. It can be tricky, believe me! 

Next I teamed up with precocious 18-month-old Hannah to choose where I wanted to visit or live, or pinpoint where my ancestors lived on a wall-sized map of the world. Hannah and I marked our spots with red and yellow magnetic discs. Watch out, world, Hannah’s on her way!

Moving on, the next challenge was making a coastline map of the model island in the glass case. The task – simulate the coastline on the magnetized glass via a beaded necklace-like tool. Not as easy as it looks!

Well, it was time to take a drive, but Driving to Distraction was so popular with both the boys and the girls that I couldn’t get in the driver’s seat! This is a GPS concept with a voice directing you to places in the town of Mystic. It can be a wild ride with the likes of Juan and Jose behind the wheel!

Yelitza motioned me over to the topographical map to help her locate some of the things you are supposed to find. We had to duck down to find shipwrecks, shown through a glass window beneath the map. Interpreter Lindsey votes this her favorite display. 

My Map Spottour ended with Francelis, who was designing a bedroom by moving dollhouse size wooden furniture around on the large grid floor. Francelis could then copy her final “map” onto a paper with small grids, knowing the furniture would fit where she wanted it.

Final conclusion: Map Spot is a great spot! Lots to do with soft-sell teaching and learning wrapped up in fun. Check it out.

Flash Card Quiz

All right all you educators out there. Now it’s your turn to take a quiz (with a little blogger help!).

 

Q.   What special event is happening at Mystic Seaport this weekend (April 4 and 5)?

A.   Educators’ Weekend. This year’s event will celebrate the International Year of Astronomy.

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Q.   Who is invited?

A.   Teachers, school administrators, support staff and their families (but of course, the general public, too!).

 

Q.   How much will it cost Educators?

A.   Show your school or union ID card or a copy of school letterhead at the Museum gate and your admission is FREE! (Up to four people total.)

 

Q.   What does the weekend offer educators?

A.   Planned activities will acquaint you with all the Museum has to offer in helping you reach your classroom goals in a fun, outside-the-textbook manner.

 

Q.   Some examples?

A.   Attend the amazing Treworgy Planetarium program, “Finding Your Way through the Stars.” Learn more about celestial navigation in the Planetarium lobby’s exhibit.  Go on a special compass-guided scavenger hunt in the Museum’s Nautical Instruments Shop.  Take a 30-minute sampler tour of the Museum’s science-based guided tours, specially designed for school groups.  Try out different shipbuilding tools and do some hands-on rope making. All this an much more… you get the idea!

 

Bull’s Eye — you passed the quiz!

 

A $5,000 grant from Target has enabled Mystic Seaport to host Educators’ Weekend for a seventh year.  Your assignment is to take advantage of this very special opportunity. For more information and a detailed list of scheduled activities, visit www.mysticseaport.org/ews.  

I’m Hooked

“What did you do at work today?”

“Oh, you know, pounded iron.”

Working at Mystic Seaport definitely has its privileges. Having a bad day? Can’t seem to escape writer’s block? A visit to the Museum’s Shipsmith shop and a lesson with blacksmith Craig Hill quickly erases all worries. Emails, deadlines and meetings are long gone. Now, for a brief respite, it’s just the methodical pounding of iron, the twisting of molten metal and the practicing of tried and true 19th-century techniques.

Mystic Seaport’s James Driggs Shipsmith shop can be found in the heart of the Museum’s  re-created village. Originally located in Mew Bedford, MA, the shop arrived at Mystic Seaport in 1944. It is the only manufactory of ironwork for the whaling industry known to have survived the 19th century.

Museum visitors can not only visit the shop and watch Craig in action, they can try their hand at the trade as well. Hands-On History returns in late June, giving everyone (not just lucky Museum employees like me!) the chance to hammer away on something other than a computer keyboard. And when you’re finished, you walk away with a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

Make a bit of your own history at Mystic Seaport.

Not too bad, huh?  I think I just might quit my day job.

For more information about the Museum and its offerings, visit www.mysticseaport.org.

Ahoy! Sea Squirt & Sea Stars: Preschool Programs at Mystic Seaport

Do you know a preschooler who likes boats and fish? Mermaids and pirates? Stories and science? Crafts and play? (Um, is water wet?)

Well, we’ve got the programs for your ocean-loving preschooler. Spring is definitely in the air at Mystic Seaport, and our spring preschool programs at the Children’s Museum are starting this week. This active hour of maritime fun starts each week in the Children’s Museum with crafts, science activities, songs, stories and play. It’s a new maritime adventure each week, with field trips around the Museum on sunny days—exploring the grounds with a Museum Teacher and your preschooler is a whole new way to see Mystic Seaport.

And new this spring, we have programs for up to age four! We’ve expanded our preschool offerings, so our Sea Squirts program is still just for 2 1/2-year-olds to 3 1/2-year-olds and their caregiver, while a new program, Sea Stars, suits the developmental needs of three- to four-year-olds who attend with a caregiver. And now, choose from classes on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays.

There are a few spots still remaining for Sea Squirts and Sea Stars—call now (860.572.5322) to register for classes starting Wednesday, March 11. Classes are one hour in length, and meet for six sessions. Member discount is available, of course.

Warm up by the fire

It’s March in New England, and as of about 7 a.m. this morning, Mother Nature dumped a little inside joke on us. Between 8-15 inches of fluffy, white inside joke, depending on where you are.

Given what’s going on outside, I can think of a lot of places INSIDE that I’d like to be, and near the top of my list would be the Buckingham-Hall House at Mystic Seaport. I’d like to head inside, and warm up in a room heated by a fireplace so big I could stand in it.  I’d like to linger in the warmth of the kitchen while watching the deft work of the Museum interpreter while drinking in the heavenly aroma of baking bread, codfish cakes and warm, cinnamon-scented apple pie.

Want to try this yourself? The Buckingham-Hall House will be open for an evening of cooking by the fire this winter. For one night, on March 7, you can join the calico-skirted Museum interpreter at Mystic Seaport and learn just how a woman in the 1870s fed her family without a gas range and a microwave oven—and no takeout menus, either.

Just be sure to save me a piece of pie.

Open-Hearth Cooking at Mystic Seaport

DATES	TIME	COST
March 7, 2009	6 – 9 p.m.	$50 / $45 (member)

To register, go to www.mysticseaport.org/registration.

“Do I Have to Stay?”…”Do I Have to Leave?”

Nintendo, Xbox, iPods, Wii. Do children ever take a break from technology long enough to explore the great outdoors anymore?

Children who visit Mystic Seaport do. The Museum’s summer camp programs offer exciting adventures for 10 to 15-year-olds — all without the use of a television screen or blinking cursor.

Outside — yes. On the water — yes.  In the water — maybe (just kidding). Don’t panic, parents. This is a safe and fun environment with seasoned, experienced sailors and educators in charge.  Some, like Camp Director Hallie Payne, were once Mystic Seaport campers themselves and have returned as adults to ensure their fond memories become another generation’s fond memories, too.

During the six-day program, campers learn the fundamentals of sailing, seamanship and all things related to becoming comfortable and knowledgeable about boat handling.  A fleet of Dyer Dhows provide the classroom for these young sailors.

Learning to sail on the historic Mystic River.

And coolest of all, campers get to sleep aboard the historic training ship, the Joseph Conrad. Outfitted with bunks, showers, flush toilets, heat and electricity, the vessel is now permanently moored along Mystic Seaport’s waterfront. 

After campers spend time aboard the Conrad, they quickly learn that it really is possible to get along without cell phones, texting, computers and television and still have fun! (The aforementioned aren’t permitted.)

Climbing the rigging of the Joseph Conrad.

Sailing instructor Allie Ruel sees the transformation that takes place in the campers from their first day to their last day of camp. At first, it’s “Do I have to stay?” and by the end of the camp it’s “Do I have to leave?” Now, what better testimonial is there than that?

Available spots for the upcoming 2009 Joseph Conrad Overnight Summer Sailing Camp are filling up fast. Learn more online, or to register for any program, call Central Reservations at 860.572.5322.