Community Corner

Sherwood Island Saturday: Learn about Seaweed Farming, Meet Turtle, Fledglings

Learn about life under the sea, meet some fledgling purple martins, say hello to Tuttie the Turtle and hear about seaweed farming.

These are the subjects of events going on at Sherwood Island State Park starting at 4 p.m. on Saturday (and then, of course, there's the beach).

Here's what's in store, according to Friends of Sherwood Island. All events take place either at the Nature Center or at East Beach. The state park is located off the Sherwood Island Connector at Exit 19 off of Interstate 95:

 

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EVENTS:  

  • 4 p.m.: East Beach, Seining (drag fishing) join Nature Center staff and summer interns on the beach and in the water to find out what is living a few feet from shore. Crabs, oysters and other sea life will be examined. Walk knee deep into the water and a crowd gathers to see what will come out.
  • 4:15 p.m.: at the Purple Martin Gourd Complex: The nests will be brought down for observation and count of the newly hatched fledglings. Cameras welcomed!
  • 4:25 p.m.: Inside the Nature Center: Tuttie the Turtle will be introduced to her newly created water-scape habitat. This 18 year old girl has been in an aquarium for years, and thanks to the generous donation of materials from Dietter’s Water Garden (North Haven) Tuttie will spend the summer in a greatly enlarged, more natural habitat.


4:30 p.m.: A talk on Seaweed Farming

Guest Speaker:  Dr. Jang Kim of the University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Sciences.  

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“Seaweed Farming: A CT Cash Crop, From the Underwater Garden to your Table to Your Toothpaste”


The lecture will take place at the Nature Center (East Beach). Sponsored by the Friends of Sherwood Island, it is open to the public and is free; park admission fees may apply.

Seaweeds are used for more than sushi: they have significant value in US agriculture as organic fertilizers, feeds, as well as food stabilizers and thickeners known as Carrageenan, in highly nutrient dense nutraceuticals, alternative medicinal products and biofuels. 

In Connecticut, former lobster fishermen are turning to seaweed farming as a sustainable alternative. Kelp beds are farmed close to oyster operations.



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