Local Scouts Take to the Sound

by Fiona McNulty, Stephanie Diaz, Monica Vieira, Andrea Plate and Vanessa Zapata with help from Joyce Tichy

(June 8, 2003) In an event sponsored by the Larchmont/ Mamaroneck Girl Scout Community, local troops took to the water on June 2 and 3 to learn about the fascinating and fragile ecosystem of Long Island Sound.

The 80 foot, three-masted SoundWaters, a replica of a Chesapeake Bay sharpie schooner, set out from Harbor Island with Scouts, siblings and parents aboard in order to enjoy the water from the vantage point of the Sound itself. The boat left the dock under power, but the passengers soon hauled the sail and allowed the wind to power the boat.

During the trip, the crew taught participants facts and lore about the life lived by sailors of the Sound, and gave instructions about safety and other procedures for properly handling ropes and other aspects of a sailboat.

In addition, the Scouts received hands-on lessons about the Sound’s wildlife. Carina Allen, a member of Troop 2522, reported that “We put in a net and pulled up a bunch of flounder, starfish and a big crab. We looked in the water through a magnifying glass for plankton.” The Schooner is one of only two ships licensed to trawl the Sound. The resources that it takes from the Sound are for educational purposed and are returned to the Sound alive. Carina reported that her favorite part of the trip was doing so. “I liked letting the animals go. They’re slimy.”

Community Director Jackie Burrell organized the event in order to give the girls the chance to experience first-hand how the Sound is a valuable natural resource in the midst of our community. Pat Allen, Carina’s mother and a leader of Troop 2522, explained why her Troop participated. “I told the girls to do something that they would not normally do at camp or with their family” by learning about this local resource from the unique perspective that Scouting can bring. Ultimately, Allen reported, the trip was “exciting, educational and fun. Many girls had never been on a boat like this. And parents commented that they have lived here many years but had never seen the Sound from the water’s vantage point before. They realized that the Sound is an asset that they have never taken advantage of.”

Community Director Joyce Tichy noted that this is one of many events sponsored throughout the year by the Larchmont/ Mamaroneck Girl Scout Community to further Scouting’s emphasis on conservation, education and fun. “Membership in our Girl Scout Community is more than 600 girls strong,” she reported, “and this is because it continually offers girls experience and perspective in areas that they will use when it’s their turn to lead in our world.”

More information about the SoundWaters educational program can be found at www.soundwaters.org. Based in Stamford, the program offers educational programs to students from kindergarten to college about Long Island Sound and its watershed.

This article was prepared by Cadette Scouts Fiona McNulty, Stephanie Diaz, Monica Vieira, Andrea Plate and Vanessa Zapata, members of Troop 1826, as part of a service project to enhance awareness of the Girl Scout program in the Larchmont/ Mamaroneck community.