|
Bay Mania
An Exploration of
Narragansett Bay
Ages 11-13
Bay Mania will take you on an adventure of exploration in Narragansett
Bay, the centerpiece of Rhode Island. The week is spent exploring
coastal ecosystems and marine habitats. Rhode Island's
pristine Prudence Island in the heart of Narragansett Bay will provide the backdrop for
much of your week. This camp theme is offered in conjunction
with the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NBNERR), which means that
in addition to your counselors and junior counselors from Alton
Jones Camp, you will meet staff from the NBNERR who will share their
knowledge and enthusiasm about Prudence Island and Narragansett Bay. This program offers a chance to learn
about Narragansett Bay while making new friends and having fun.
Sunday and Monday are spent at the W. Alton Jones Campus.
Your Bay Mania group will consist of a maximum of 10 campers, 2
Alton Jones counselors or a counselor and a junior counselor. You will
sleep in cabins with some campers who are in your group and some
who are in other themes, which will allow you to get to know kids
from outside your Bay Mania group. You will eat your meals in the dining
hall except for lunch Tuesday through lunch Thursday. Sunday is devoted to meeting
and getting to know your cabin-mates and fellow Bay Mania campers,
junior counselors, and counselors. Sunday
night also includes an all-camp campfire where you will
meet and see all of the other campers and counselors who are in Earth Camp for the
week.
Monday will focus on the importance of water and an overview of the bay.
You will also learn about freshwater systems as a basis for comparison to
the marine ecosystems that you will explore. Swim tests occur
at Lake Eisenhower in the morning, so be ready to get wet! Monday night involves an
all-camp activity and snack before heading to the cabins for a good
night's sleep.
On Tuesday morning you will pack your van, have breakfast, then head
out to meet the ferry. The ferry waits for no one, so it will
be important to leave on time. The ferry leaves Bristol and
arrives in the small old-fashioned island village of Homestead where
you will begin your Prudence Island adventure. From Homestead
you will drive to the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve at the south end of the island and move into your sleeping
cabin. After move-in, lunch, and an orientation you will head
off for snorkeling. The rest of the week involves exploring
the coastal ecosystems of Prudence Island.
While you are on Prudence Island a staff member from NBNERR will
join your group during the daytime. Other activities planned
for Prudence Island include a salt marsh walk, a tour of the island, sandy beach activities, a tidal creek study, a crab
monitoring program, a sunset walk, ecology games, and
swimming. A full compliment of rainy day activities have been
planned just in case the weather doesn't fully cooperate.
Tuesday and Wednesday evenings will be spent at the Reserve's modern
sleeping cabin which includes bedrooms with bunk beds, a living
room, a kitchen, and bathrooms. Your counselors will prepare simple
meals in the cabin's kitchen, and some
lunches may be packed out to be eaten outdoors at the study sites.
Thursday is time to pack up, clean
up, and say goodbye to Prudence Island as you board the ferry back
to the mainland. But there is still one more adventure in
store on your exploration of Narragansett Bay. You will head
off to meet the folks of Save the Bay to go on a cruise. This
hands-on cruise aboard the oceanographic study vessel Alletta
Morris will give you the opportunity to conduct fish studies,
pull a trawl, test water quality and enjoy some time on the
bay. After the cruise you'll head back to Alton Jones for
rest, dinner and an all-camp evening program and closing campfire before heading off to your
cabin to sleep.
Friday is spent putting the whole week together
with reviews and wrap-ups plus closing activities. After lunch, there is some time to spend with friends new and
old before the family program begins. Sign out and goodbyes follow as the week comes to an end.
In addition to the standard Earth Camp packing list, here are a few
things to highlight, add, or to have packed separately for the
overnight trip to Prudence Island:
__Extra bathing suit (having 2 suits is helpful)
__Separate swim and shower towels
__Water bottle
__Sunscreen and Insect Repellant
__Sweatshirt
__Rain Coat
__Day pack
__Change of clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, sleeping bag, etc. for
the overnight
__Closed toed water shoes (flip-flops, sandals, or other open-toed
shoes are not acceptable--see below)
About Footwear: Bay Mania is all about water so be prepared
to get your feet wet! The Prudence Island beaches have sharp
rocks and shells so footwear is required even when swimming. A
pair of old sneakers that still fit comfortably can serve as
excellent water shoes. If you do pack sneakers, canvas tennis
shoes or running sneakers with minimal amounts of leather are best
as they dry faster than all-leather sneakers. Keene-type
closed sandals, croc clogs with the back strap intact, or river
shoes with full foot protection are also appropriate. Aqua
socks, although popular, can chafe if they are too tight, can cause
blisters, and don't provide much protection if you drop something on
your foot or step on a sharp object. A second pair of dry
shoes to change into at day's end is also important. For foot
safety, flip-flops, river sandals, or other open-toed shoes are not
allowed at any time except in the shower.
A Special Note About Ticks: Like many coastal areas,
the forests of Prudence Island have a high concentration of disease
carrying ticks. While on the island, every effort will be made
to avoid tick habitat. These forest-dwelling ticks do not
typically live in the areas we will be visiting, which include salt
marshes, sandy beaches, tidal creeks, open lawns and
meadows. Tick checks are a regular part of Alton Jones
programs and campers will be reminded to conduct periodic
checks. Treating shoes (and other clothing) with permethrin
products such as Buzz Off before the camp program starts can also
help prevent tick bites. Parents should help their camper
conduct a thorough tick check after returning home. An Information Sheet on ticks
and
tick borne illnesses is available with the online forms. If you have questions, please contact the W. Alton Jones Campus
at 401-397-3304 ext. 6043, altonjones@uri.edu.
|
|
