Full Moon Kayaking

October 22, 2010

Six Washington College students (Dan Danko, Nicole Robinson, and 4 other member of SEA) were among 22 paddlers on a Full Moon Float at Eastern Neck Island on October 22nd. It was brisk but calm as the group launched from Bogles Wharf and headed for the Duck Inn Trail. "It was peaceful gliding through the water and watching the moon come up," said Katherine Thornton, a sophomore at Washington College who took some of these photos. The event was organized by the Center for Environment & Society, and John Wagner, head of the College's waterfront programs, provided kayaks, paddles and life vests for students. The other intrepid paddlers (including a father and son in an Old Town canoe) brought their own gear and flashlights. The next group kayaking event at ENNWR is planned for 21 June 2011 in celebration of the summer solstice.

Eastern Neck Island has approximately 15 miles of shoreline, but the fall Shoreline Cleanup concentrated on a section of garbage and debris that washed ashore during recent storms. About a dozen people, including many volunteers from the Student Environmental Alliance (Nicole, Kathy, etc), hauled 11 bags of trash from the beach up to an abandoned trail head. The litter weighed approximately 200 pounds (not including an old tire)! Kevin Hemstock took a great photo of the cleanup participants - all women - that ran in the October 28th edition of the Kent County News.

Do bats make you think of Halloween and vampires? Beyond the myth and folklore, bats are one of the most important groups of animals. U.S. Fish & Wildlife specialist Colby Hawkinson taught a class on bat ecology, called Curious Creatures of the Night, on October 31st. Nine participants learned what bats eat, where they live and how they behave. Afterwards they built bat boxes using Boy Scouts' kits provided by Washington College's Center for Environment & Society.

All the October events at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge were part of a recent advertising campaign coordinated by CES and the Friends of Eastern Neck. The ongoing goal is to raise awareness of the Wildlife Refuge and the many recreational opportunities on the island. "Hiking trails, waterfowl counts, birdwatching, kayaking, beachcombing and fishing - it's all in your backyard," says Fairchild. If you have program suggestions, or for more information, please contact jfairchild2@washcoll.edu or (410) 778-7295. "We hope to see you at the Wildlife Open House on the island on December 4th," says Ms. Fairchild.