Tag Archives: adventure

Catskills Boating with ReservoirLAB!

Posted on by

0

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The view from the ReservoirLAB launch Chandler’s Cove on the Neversink Reservoir in the Catskill Mountains.

HarborLAB warmly invites NYC public schools and community organizations to paddle with us for FREE on our Neversink Reservoir kayak and canoe fleet to learn about the natural and engineering wonders that make our city’s water wealth possible!

Here are our initial program dates:

June 10 and 11
July 8 and 9
August 5 and 6
Sept 10 and 11
Sept 17 and 18
Oct 8 and 10
 A
We’ll add dates as volunteer staffing and public demand both grow.
 A

To participate please email edu@harborlab.org with the subject line “Neversink Reservoir.” To volunteer for this program, please email volunteer@harborlab.org with the subject line “Neversink Reservoir.”

All adult participants must have free access permits from the NYCDEP. Apply here:  http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/recreation/access.shtml

No permit is required of children under the age of 16 if accompanied by a valid permit holder over the age of 18, as will always be the case with our programs. Anyone 16 years old or older must apply for a permit.

Bus transportation grants are available from the Watershed Agricultural Council for groups incorporating forestry education into their visits to the Neversink Reservoir. ReservoirLAB will take participants on forest walks and using NYCDEP materials we’ll teach how forests protect and clean our drinking water. Classroom visits by NYCDEP professional educators also cover this topic. Apply for grants here:  http://www.nycwatershed.org/forestry/education-training/urbanrural-school-based-education-initiative/bus-tours/ 

We’re grateful to HarborLAB Camping Co-Manager Ray Tan for exploring alternative affordable busing options.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

HarborLAB educator Kamala Redd and camping co-manager Ray Tan exult in the knowledge that ReservoirLAB will soon launch!

 

The ReservoirLAB program is provided by HarborLAB volunteers and was made possible by a Catskill Watershed Corporation grant and its kind donation of boat racks; the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, which taught our volunteers to be “watershed docents” and provides reservoir access (NYCDEP also provided funds to the CWC for the grant); and ExxonMobil’s community outreach program for the Greenpoint Remediation Project, which financed a dozen volunteers’ Red Cross certification in CPR, AED, and First Aid (all for juveniles and adults) and basic water rescue for all of our programs from the Newtown Creek to the Neversink Reservoir. HarborLAB Facilities Manager Patricia Erickson is kindly allowing HarborLAB to use her mobile home as a camping base (for volunteers serving multiple days) and equipment storage site near the Neversink River and reservoir. Frost Valley YMCA has stored our five canoes and ten tandem kayaks, and our paddles and live vests, while we completed training and permits.

Below is a gallery of photos from a recent site coordination meeting of HarborLAB volunteers with NYCDEP and CWC officials at the Neversink Reservoir. Note nearby campgrounds, posters about invasive species and other environmental matters, a hiking path, Chandler’s Cove, and the boat racks donated to us by the CWC.

ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.
ReservoirLAB, a HarborLAB program based at the Neversink Reservoir, provides educational paddling programs to teach NYC youth about our drinking water.

Sweet Sweep of the Creek!

Posted on by

0

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.

HarborLAB volunteers, environmental science students from CUNY LaGuardia Community College, and a mix of visitors from other schools and walks of life had a fantastic time tending to the Newtown Creek on Saturday! Our work was part of the annual Riverkeeper Sweep of Hudson River and estuary sites from New York City to Albany. Our Newtown Creek home base is a waterway so blighted with pollution that it qualifies for the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund cleanup program.

HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep had two basic components, cleaning and gardening. We offered a variety of activities so that people of all ages and abilities could participate. More than 30 people helped over the course of the day. We were especially grateful to have educators among us to add learning to the labor. Holly Porter-Morgan, Diana Szatkowski, Harald Parzer, and Thomas Dieter brought knowledge and encouragement to our students and volunteers.

The core of the program was removing plastics from our shoreline and the creek itself. Volunteers wend their way through broken bulkheads and boat lines to pick trash from the shores while our canoes went out in two waves to scoop up litter, mostly plastic bottles and bags. These smaller items filled seven large trash bags. Larger hauls included a lawn mower, two chairs, a 55-gallon steel drum, a bird feeder, and antiquated electronic sound systems.

13177153_782640391836247_2121871728077104651_n

We’re under no delusion that our cleanups will remove the tonnage necessary for an ecosystem rebound, but the exercise educates people about the severity of the plastics problem. So what works if picking up plastics is a measure that’s too little, too late? Recycling is also an inadequate solution by itself because it requires a great amount of energy (often from carbon-releasing fossil sources) and sustained administrative focus. With petroleum and other commodity prices low, private carters in New York City are recycling even less material than usual despite New York City’s public commitment to eliminating waste. While a reduction in unthinking, rampant consumerism is laudable, instilling new virtues across the culture will be a slow process. Real penalties and enforcement for littering will help a bit, but not enough. That leaves voters and activists to demand a reduction in wasteful packaging at the design and production stage. We must also push to eliminate combined sewer overflows, which gulch marine debris as well as pathogens and other pollutants.

IMG_4187

Gardening was also a big part of the day, and is a huge part of HarborLAB’s work. Volunteers — especially a group from New Hyde Park High School — made thousands of native pokeweed seed balls that we’ll distribute as we land at rest stops on our harbor journeys across to stabilize shorelines, buffer storm surges and waves, feed birds, and sustain pollinators. Those up for heavier lifting helped restore our shoreline by layering cocoa husks from MAST Brothers Chocolate with burlap sacks, kitchen scraps, and soil in a system called “lasagna composting.” This fresh soil covers a broken brick substrate that mimics the glacially transported rocks of our region. The resulting slop will be planted with staghorn sumac, pokeweed, goldenrod, milkweed, and other indigenous species, and footed by smooth cordgrass and shellfish. Some of these species are already making headway. We were delighted to see that our dozens of shadbush saplings were fruiting copiously and our hackberry and American persimmon are also thriving. Our raised bed and container-grown dessert cultivars are doing great too, including apricots, apples, pears, and figs.

We’re tremendously grateful to all who came and helped, and to Riverkeeper for creating this unifying event and helping direct volunteers to sites.

 

HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.
HarborLAB’s Newtown Creek Sweep, part of the Riverkeeper Sweep event at sites from NYC to Albany.

 

 

Seedball Making at LaGuardia Community College!

Posted on by

0

20150208_152103

Seedballs. Photo by Maureen Regan, president and founder of Green Earth Urban Gardens.

Hurricane Sandy, pollution, and development have stripped away much of our dune and coastal meadow habitats, so HarborLAB is joining the effort to restore them! To this end, HarborLAB and other conservationists are following Permaculture farmers in adopting an ancient Japanese and North American no-till agriculture tool that mimics the natural dung distribution of seeds (called endozoochory). It’s simple: make a ball of clay, compost, and seeds and toss them over the area to be revived. The warmth and rains of spring and summer then signal the seeds to germinate. Before long we’ll green the shores of NYC by bombarding them with seed love from our armada of kayaks and canoes!  😉

HarborLAB volunteers learned the art from SeedBall NYC‘s Co-founder and President Anne Apparu in a room made available to us by Dr. Sarah Durand of the Natural Sciences department at CUNY LaGuardia Community College. We made several hundred seed balls, and will make thousands more! The trick is to get the proportions right so that the balls hold together firmly but dry out before the seeds germinate. In terms of consistency, think cookie dough.

Another great instruction resource comes from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

HarborLAB used seeds we gathered with Hunters Point Community Middle School and Dr. Stephen Grosnell‘s Baruch College conservation biology students from Gantry Plaza State Park, Hunters Point Park, and our own GreenLaunch, along with seeds provided by SeedBall NYC and Briermere Farms. Hunters Point Parks Conservancy Vice President Mark Christie kindly help guide us in our seed gathering. Species included aster, milkweed, beach plum, beach pea, goldenrod, viburnum, pine, switchgrass, pokeberry, and the humorously named panicgrass (gallery below). These salt-tolerant species support endangered monarch butterflies and other pollinators, and feed birds. They also stabilize the shoreline, allowing complex ecosystems to develop while also protecting property from surges and erosion. We also gathered beach rose from Hunters Point South Park but must be very careful about where to use them, if at all, for biological productivity without enabling invasion.

See Newtown Creek Alliance historian Mitch Waxman‘s great write up of one of our outings at Queens Brownstoner.

We’re also grateful to Maureen Regan, president and founder of Green Earth Urban Gardens for participating and to Gil Lopez, president and co-founder of Smiling Hogshead Ranch Urban Farm, for inviting a naturalist to join us. We also thank the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation for permission to gather seeds. An especially welcome newcomer was Philip Anthony Borbon, a sailor who moors on the Queens waterfront of the Newtown Creek.

Our next step is to go into classrooms to make seedballs with kids, and to then bring the balls with us when we paddle to areas in need of habitat restoration! If you’d like a classroom talk and seedball making activity with HarborLAB, please email us at edu@harborlab.org!

African Americans in Marine Sciences

Posted on by

1

African Americans have made contributions to maritime history and the sciences from the colonial period forward. The first wave of academically credentialed African American marine scientists, however, would not be born until toward the end of the 19th century. HarborLAB serves budding African American scientists through its youth programs each year, and for Black History Month honors trailblazers from years past.

Outstanding among the first generation of African American university scholars in the marine sciences were Ernest Everett Just and Roger Arliner Young, both born in the 1880s. Both went to prominent universities and did field-shaping research at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, but white students were deprived of their gifts as teachers because of racial bigotry. Fortunately Dr. Just and Dr. Young received faculty appointments at historically black institutions where they inspired new generations of scientists.

just

Ernest Everett Just

Dr. Just was renowned as a master designer of experiments. Though he died before the discovery of DNA, Dr. Just focused on eggs, especially those of marine invertebrates, because he saw them as the key to understanding life as an emergent complex system. An excellent biography of Dr. Just is Black Apollo of Science, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Roger_Arliner_Young

Roger Arliner Young

Dr. Young was the first African American woman to earn a PhD in zoology. She studied under Dr. Just and they both shared a mentor in Frank Rattray Lillie, a founder and first president of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. She performed cutting edge experiments on the effects of radiation on marine eggs. Her radiation work, study of cellular salt regulation, and dehydration and rehydration of living cells can be seen as a precursor to today’s booming field of extremophile studies. Understanding the extreme tolerances of terrestrial organisms aids astrobiologists searching harsher worlds for signs of life.

Despite the achievements of the generation of Dr. Just and Dr. Young, and those who followed, even today to be a black marine biologist or oceanographer is pioneering. Dr. Ashanti Johnson, oceanographer, shares her experiences and inspiration in the video above. Students entering the field will likely have few or no black professors. HarborLAB’s message to these students is a simple one: Please, don’t be discouraged. Don’t allow yourself to feel excluded. We need as many bright young people as possible to study these fields because with fish stocks crashing and coral reefs dying, and ocean acidity increasing due to carbon dioxide pollution, advancement of marine sciences is a matter of survival.

A great resource for students of color seeking careers in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields is the Institute for Broadening Participation’s Pathways to Science program. HarborLAB strongly recommends studying with our Natural Sciences partners at CUNY LaGuardia Community College and CUNY Baruch College. And of course, HarborLAB volunteers serve students by introducing them to the greatest teacher of all: Nature. As Dr. Just describes his first classroom, it was not with four walls:

“[It] was full of birds and flowers, especially in the spring, when the wrens awakened to the smell of wisteria and dogwood. Azaleas and camellias blossomed along the ditches where tadpoles swam, and Spanish moss gleamed from the trees…”

If you are part of a school or community group and want to join HarborLAB in environmental service learning on our boats or ashore, please email edu@harborlab.org.