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This Month’s Contents:
Blue Ocean News |
Join us for Earth Day! | Perspectives from a
Former Intern
Upcoming Events
| Quote of
the Month
Blue Ocean News
Greetings! Our e-newsletter is a little early this month as our
editor is getting ready to bring a new conservationist into the
world! While she’s busy with that, our Research and Intern
Coordinator, Dianna Schulte, who is still working on right whale
research in Florida, is busy reviewing intern applications and will
shortly be conducting interviews of those who wish to participate in
our student learning experiences this year. With that in mind, this
issue contains an article from one of our 2005 interns, Melanie
White, who is now working with Dianna down south.
What are you doing for Earth Day this April? We like to invite you
to our Earth Day celebration (see article below), and also our beach
cleanups, which are still going on monthly!
In
addition, we are still booking school/group programs for the spring
and summer. You can find more information on the programs
here or
contact our Educational Programs Coordinator, Cynde McInnis, at
cynde@blueoceansociety.org for more information and available
dates.
Explore this site for more information on current happenings, along
with lots of information on local marine species, recommended whale
watch companies, and program information. Thanks for reading!
Join us for Earth Day!
It’s only March, but we’re preparing for Earth Day. With
luck, Earth Day (April 22) falls on a weekend this year, and we are
honoring it with our third annual Earth Day Cleanup at Peirce Island
in Portsmouth, sponsored by Starbucks Coffee. The cleanup starts at
11 AM. Starbucks will be bringing refreshments and volunteers, and
we’d love for you to join us!
This is a real family-oriented event this year – we will have a
scavenger hunt for kids, a coloring table and a display on marine
pollution. Individuals and large or small groups are also welcome to
attend!
The
cleanup is scheduled to run rain or shine (the availability of
activities may depend on the weather). Last year, we collected over
300 pounds of trash at Peirce Island despite gray, drizzly
conditions!
We
will provide all the supplies for the cleanup – if you’d like to
attend, simply sign up by calling 603-431-0260 or emailing Earth Day
coordinator
Emily Young. We hope to see you there!
Perspectives from a Former Intern
By Melanie White, Summer-Fall
2005
 When
participating in an internship program you can never fully expect
what being an “unpaid intern” really means. I remember filling out
the application for Blue Ocean just about a year ago and
particularly remembering the last question, “Why are you applying to
work for us knowing this is an unpaid position?” My first reaction
was actually a laugh and pondering the same thought. Why would I
voluntarily put myself in a position where for four months I would
have no income and be at the mercy of my bosses? I am pretty sure
part of my response included “Good question. I have no idea!”, but
continued to state that everyone needs to start somewhere in the
field they are so passionate about. It only seems logical that if
you start towards the bottom the only place you can go is up.
Well, four months with Blue
Ocean as an intern turned into six and the memories that I carry are
plentiful to say the least. The people I worked with, the interns I
lived with and the passengers I met while aboard the boats all
helped to make the internship an amazing adventure. I gained more
knowledge during those six months working day in and day out on the
ocean than someone could have learned sitting in a classroom. My
love for the ocean is what initially drew me to this organization
and those bonds have continued to help me even after I left Blue
Ocean.
It was during one of our weekly
intern meetings that I became aware of a position observing
endangered northern right whales from aerial surveys in Florida.
You would think that after spending all summer out on the ocean
looking for whales, there would be a decent chance I would have been
lucky enough to see a right whale, which occasionally are spotted on
Jeffreys Ledge where we were working. Somehow all of my fellow
interns at the time had been fortunate enough to see this species,
and yet I had not. It became a joke among the boat crews and within
the intern house and I was convinced right whales did not actually
exist!
After six months of spending the
daylight hours on the waters in the Gulf of Maine I never saw a
right whale. Nonetheless I applied for this position not only
because I had no plans for after the internship but I figured at
least this way I had a good chance of finally seeing a right whale.
 Amazingly
enough, these animals do exist! I love the fact that I now get to
spend my days searching for right whales from a tiny airplane in
Florida. It is a totally different experience seeing a whale from a
plane compared to a boat. Had I not been participating with the
Blue Ocean Society I would likely have never heard about this
opportunity. Talk about being in the right place at the right
time! Who would have thought a year ago when I was asking myself
why in the world I would apply for an unpaid position that I would
be succeeding in my goal of studying marine mammals? This current
job continues to be an amazing experience. I am meeting people who
are so involved in the marine world and who share the same passion
as me.
Who knows what will be next in
my whirlwind journey but I never would have gotten to where I am
today had it not been for Blue Ocean and my six months of working as
an unpaid intern. I was able to greatly enhance my knowledge of the
marine environment, meet some fantastic people, many of whom I
continue to keep in touch with today, and move towards my goals of
participating in the research aspect of the marine world. Who knew
this could all come from a single internship!
Upcoming Events
Beach cleanups at Jenness Beach:
Saturday, March 11: 10:30 AM
Saturday, April 8: 10:30 AM
Saturday, May 6: 10:30 AM
Cleanups take 1-2 hours, depending on the number of participants. We
provide all supplies and refreshments, although we’re always happy
to accept supply donations! We also provide a short orientation at
the beginning, so no experience is needed!. To sign up, reply to
this e-mail or
click here.
Other Events:
Mark your calendars! Third Annual Earth Day
Cleanup at Peirce Island: Saturday, April 22 at 11 AM, Peirce Island
in Portsmouth. This year’s cleanup will feature a scavenger hunt!
More details to come soon!
Click here
to sign up!
This Month’s Quote
“Look deep into nature and then
you will understand everything better.”
–Albert Einstein
Thanks for your interest in marine conservation. If you wish to
support our work, please click here. |
