Shells, Birds, and Trash - Round One

Day 2:

Sunday began with a trip to Harris Seafood on Kent Island, where we loaded approximately ten bushels of oyster shells into buckets. The shell was littered with lemons, parsley, and rubbish from the Friday night all-you-can-eat oyster buffet, but we still enjoyed the powerful shellfish aroma. We took the shell to Professor Gerald Winegrad's home in Annapolis and distributed it on the oyster bar he has built up. From there, Prof. Winegrad took the group to a couple nearby beaches, where he continued to lecture and tell anecdotes about birds, the Bay, and other things as we picked up trash along the shore. Gerald Winegrad served as a Maryland state Senator for twelve years and was the Policy guru for American Bird Conservancy. Needless to say, he provided many insights and information about the Bay, its wildlife, and past efforts (or lack thereof) to save the Bay. He has always been at the forefront of environmental efforts in Maryland, so he was certainly a inspiration for the group - though a perhaps a bit quirky.

The night was filled with the usual fireside banter, s'mores, and shenanigans. David ate a sand flea...the video is posted below. The weather during the day was beautiful; all in all the second day was a resounding successful. The day proved that just a few phone calls and a couple connections allow small groups of individuals to make a small impact while learning a great deal about nature; it was just the beginning of a great week of continued service.



- Jeremy Hanson
MPP Candidate '12
Environmental Policy