Upper Main Line YMCA -- July 25-28, 2006

When the group arrived on Sedge Island they started off by gathering data for PhD candidate John Wnek from Drexel University. We took terrapin nest temperature readings, with students gathering and recording data. We had a couple expert birders and headed out in the kayaks to get a closer look at the many fledging osprey around the marsh as well as the peregrine falcon. While in the mosquito ditches we discussed the rich history of the area and the ditches that were dug out in the 1930’s. While paddling along we disturbed a school of small fish and a few even jumped right into our kayaks!! We stopped in the Bahamas, beached our kayaks and went on the great clam dig.

The next day (Wed) we woke up at 5:30 anticipating a beautiful sunrise but all we saw were clouds. The weather report called for a beautiful day but with fog and gloomy skies we were a bit weary. After breakfast the weather cleared and we paddled out into a beautiful day. We headed down to the USACE Dike and along the way stopped to see succession in action and hunt for blue claw crabs and more clams. At the USACE Dike we examined the geotubes and the breakage and had a great discussion about marsh ecology and water quality. We headed to the beach and then returned through the dune pass noting the dune ecology, and many animal tracks.

Back at the sedge house we did some fishing and one student caught an 18-inch fluke, which he expertly filleted. We cleaned off our clam bags and spoke about clams and the goal of re seeding the Barnegat Bay.

On Thursday the wind was fierce and we stayed on the island the whole day. We went seining and caught many different species of fish, crabs and different sea life. The group identified all the species caught and wrote about their experiences in their journals. The group conducted scientific water quality testing and even circumnavigated the island picking up trash. For dinner that night the group feasted on flounder, crabs and clams they had caught throughout their trip.


Throughout the trip our expert birders kept us informed of their finds. On the last day, we saw a common loon, juvenile loon, great egret, blue heron and black skimmer. It was great having the group out on the marsh and we would like to thank Andrew, the group’s counselor, for being such a great addition to the Sedge Staff for the week.

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Monmouth County Parks

Monmouth County Parks Campers and counselors arrived on a windy afternoon. The wind kept us off the kayaks for that day and the rain and wind kept us island bound the next day as well. Even without leaving the island we were able to do a variety of outdoor and indoor activities.



In the immediate area in front of the Sedge House the group gathered 168 clams!!! We sorted and measured the clams and the students decided how many we would keep and how many we would throw out based on what they had learned about sustainability in the marsh.

The group measured the water quality in front of the Sedge House and also monitored the weather checking the wind speed several times that day. We were able to identify many different species of birds with the spotting scope, and were able to see a bit of territorial behavior between our resident great egret “Henrietta” and her new adversary a juvenile great blue heron that keeps chasing her off her normal feeding spots.



As a service project the group circumnavigated the island with trash bags and picked up debris from the rack line. They also learned about salt marsh zonation, the different plants on the island, and were able to see first hand mosquito ditches dug out in the 1930’s by the CCC.



Along the way we also happened upon a juvenile common loon resting on land out of the wind. Loons typically do not leave the water unless they are sick or injured, and we made sure to keep our distance from the bird. Later on we observed it was back in the water but preening itself constantly.



We stopped to rest on a soft bed of salt hay, which we made a story about and determined the coarse salt hay was just the hair of a giant green buffalo that we were careful not to disturb. Back at the campers made fish prints and used seaweed as paintbrushes to make elaborate designs. We laid on the dock that night and while waving our hands in the water watched the bioluminescent dinoflagellates and comb jellies glow between our fingers.



The next morning the campers did an awesome job cleaning the sedge house, and sorted some baby clams. They were going to stay for a few hours but the weather report called for bad thunderstorms, so we packed up the boat and headed off the island.

Thanks to the counselors of Monmouth County Parks Service for being such great facilitators and helping to keep spirits up in the dreary weather. We look forward to working with you in the future.

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Governor’s School Group III-- Coastal Ecology

Gov School teacher Mike Miglori’s theme of Coastal Ecology was in perfect sync with Sedge Island. The first day out on the island the group got to do a few short paddles through the mosquito ditches to view zonation and later on in the day to the Bahamas to dig clams, and to escape the scorching heat and humidity, not to mention the green head flies! The group was great and had their pad and pen ready at a moments notice to take notes on zonation, ecology and other interesting things around Sedge.

On the second day we rose early and packed a lunch and paddled off into the sedges. Along the way we stopped to dig soft clams, and search out creatures of the marsh and mud flats. Although the soft clams were few and far between we did stumble upon a great clam bed with clams ranging in size from 10mm to 3 inches.


We found 2 juvenile horseshoe crabs probably within the age range of 1-3 years old, and also happened upon a lugworm, watch out they bite! Once at the US Army Corps of Engineers Dike, we had a great conversation about the effects of the Dike on Water quality, habitat loss/gain for specific species and the general environmental impact on the area. The group then walked down to the beach doing a transect of the primary and secondary dunes and got to see the transition from ocean to bay. On the way back to the sedge house, many osprey chicks were visible stretching their wings on the verge of fledging from their nests.

Back at the house we discussed our clam catch and opened a few and some got to eat the clams right off the half shell. Although Mike was apprehensive and had to be goaded into eating a raw clam, he said it was good. We learned that Mike’s birthday was Thursday and with a little help from Jacky (caretaker on the island) we were able to throw together some brownies for Mike.

This group was great and although sometimes teamwork was lacking, the group had a wonderful team moment. While writing in journals on the front porch the wind shifted and sent gusts of over 25-30 mph over Sedge. Immediately jobs were delegated to people, windows needed to be shut, shoes and garments needed to be gathered from outside, and most importantly kayaks had to be put away and secured. The group instantly flew into action working together like a well-oiled machine and got everything done in about 5 minutes.

Every year it is a pleasure to have students from Gov School out on the marsh. Their wonderful educators always bring a unique level of thinking to their students.
On Behalf of Sedge Island NREC, we wish all Gov School students luck with all of your endeavors and for Mike, have a great time out in Micronesia, we look forward to hearing about your teaching adventures next year!

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Governor’s School Group II-- Water Issues

The interns at Sedge are incredible! The blog that follows is written by two of them.


Governor’s School groups are always a treat to have at Sedge. Every year they are cooperative, motivated and willing to learn. Kevin Wolback’s group was no different. The first day they arrived, they hopped in the kayaks (a new experience for most) and learned to paddle. They paddled to a nearby cove to meet Tom Virzi and intern Carly Coughlin to band an osprey chick. Very few groups got this opportunity this season. They all seemed amazed at the fierce look and enormous talons. Pete McLain joined us to photograph the experience and then taught the group about eelgrass, Peregrine Falcons and osprey. They all seemed to appreciate the impact Pete has had on the marsh. Carly Coughlin, author



Early Thursday morning the group woke up to good fishing and a poor weather forecast that cut short any hope of paddling to the dike. Instead, they loaded up the seven person canoe (the first Gov. School group to paddle this boat) and went off for some clamming in the Horsefoot Slough. In the afternoon they seined, cleaned baby oysters, and finished off the night with some team-building activities. As the sun set and the cool breeze blew across the calm waters of the bay, the fireflies, biolumiscent dinoflagalates, stars and Barnegat Light were the only lights on the marsh. By starlight intern Paolo netted a terrapin and group leader Kevin hooked a sea urchin. Brett Chicotelli, author

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Governor’s School on the Environment-- Back to Nature

Although this was group leader Todd Klawinski’s first visit to Sedge Island, his “Back to Nature” theme certainly was in sync with our Sedge philosophy. Our first short paddle in the marsh was cut short by an extreme low tide created by the full moon condition. We quickly found ourselves aground in the deep mud of the narrow winding marsh channels. One of the girls remarked that getting stuck in the mud was a “liberating experience.”

In keeping with the Back to Nature theme, the group chose to go without lights for their entire stay at Sedge. As it got dark we sat on the porch looking out over the marsh. The brightness of the rising full moon partially obscured our view of the bio-luminescent fire-flies over the Spartina grass and the comb jellies in the water under the dock. What a spectacular night!

We rose before sunrise the next day to get an early start on our seven and a half mile paddle to the Barnegat Inlet. (We took a little time before breakfast to catch some of the foot long “cocktail” bluefish that were chasing the spearing just as the sun rose.) Every time we visit the area it seems like the ocean has taken away a little more of the dike. We observed that a fifty-foot section of the geo-tube at the end of the rock wall has been washed out and the sand on the top of dike which was 100 yards wide has now been reduced to ten yards.


We left the dike earlier than we had planned so we could paddle to the Horsefoot Slough to meet Tom Virzi. Tom has banded more than forty osprey chicks this year. He was able to give the students an up close look at the banding procedure with a juvenile that at four weeks old has a beak and talons almost as large as an adult. As the tide ran out we dug clams on one of the sandbars before returning to the house. That evening we feasted on crabs (very few), clams (many) and grilled bluefish (tasty). Life doesn’t get much better than this.

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Sherman Hoffman Audubon

Once again Sedge Island NREC welcomed the Sherman Hoffman Audubon Island Explorers Campers.






On our first full day we got up at 5:30 to see the beautiful rising sun, and welcome a beautiful day. We were out of the Sedge house by 7am and out in the bay by 8am. Daryn caught a blue fish that morning and Brett assisted her in filleting it after the paddle. We clammed over the US Army Corps of Engineers Dike at the Barnegat Inlet and discussed the ferocity of Mother Nature. On our way back we poked through chordgrass stalking and catching fiddler crabs, and later on that day Brett found out that Terrapins do hurt when they bite!



The group helped in Sedge Island’s clam research project by cleaning our clam bags to allow for good water flow though the bags and counted the dead clams in each bags as well as sea stars. We recorded our data, and later helped separate 2000 clams for researchers to “plant” in Sedge Island’s clam lease.


The groupp witnessed the Mosquito Commission come test the water twice and come back later to spray for the larvae on the back of the island. The group discussed, interpreted and then demonstrated "The Balance of Nature" where everyone participated to work together to not tilt the giant teeter totter.

We clammed in the back of the house and seined for different specimens. Wednesday night the students started working on their field guides choosing from one species they had seen on their island experience.


Thursday was a HUGE day for the students as well as Sedge Island Staff and Camp leaders. There were 3 major research projects conducting research on Sedge Island. John Wnek, who is working on his doctorate at Drexel, had researchers tagging terrapins, doing nest surveys and taking blood samples for DNA. Dr. Gustavo from the shellfish commission was out with a few researchers and planted the clams that we had helped sort and count for him earlier in the day. For many the most exciting visitor to the island was Tom Virzi who is working on his Doctorate at Rutgers University on American oystercatchers. Tom was out on the marsh banding Osprey al week and as a group we were able to paddle out to a nest and see firsthand the banding of a 3-week-old osprey!


Later on that day we paddled through the mosquito ditches and got a close up view of the peregrine falcon and the 2 chicks flying off the hacking tower and chasing birds. We headed to the Bahamas and were clamming on a sandbar when thick fog rolled in. Still in view of the Sedge House we decided to head back and abandon our hopes of Bahamas Bliss.






On Friday we welcomed the parents for our own special show and tell. Parents rotated around 6 different stations including kayaking skills, crabbing and clamming, seining and species identification, water quality and weather monitoring, bird watching with the spotting scopes and terrapin tagging.



The group did a phenomenal job with their presentations and everyone was very impressed and proud of the students.

It was a pleasure to have the Audubon Campers and we look forward to many more years of working together.

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