Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

The Chesapeake Bay Lab (www.thebaylab.org) will start student trips on April 16th this year. Most of our classes on the Skipjack and our Shore Side program are in the morning. Anyone wishing to volunteer for either can just simply respond to this email and the captain will "get you on board to help."

CBFL provides about 4000 students with a truly unique educational experience about the world in which we live.

The Needlework Conference put together by lifetime Becky Benton was a hugh success. About forty local artisans were in attendance to quilt together and display pieces of "great work and wealth." Many thanks to Mary Lou Troutman for the artwork logo used at the conference of the Dee of St. Mary's with the Blue Heron in the marsh grasses. The conference was hosted by the Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, MD.

The Paul Hall Center is located in downtown Piney Point and is one of the finer conference centers and educational facilities on the East Coast.

They are also very generous neighbors supporting many worthy causes in the Southern Maryland area. We thank you all for your efforts.

The first Purple Martins this year arrived at St. George Island on April Fool's Day.

Today , Sunday April 5, there are about a dozen birds at the nests. They help make life hospitable here in the marshes with the bugs and mosquitoes they eat.

These birds are good neighbors and are easily cared for with simple nests of two gallon buckets obtained from the local pastry shops.

A 2 inch hole about 3 inches from the bottom , a little dark paint for the inside, a piece of wire and you are ready to start a colony. They love being close to the rivers edge or an open space about ten feet off the ground.

CBFL members will conduct an Osprey nesting census on St. George Island in a matter of days. The captain estimates that we have about 50 nesting pairs of birds on this island. That will surely allow us to boast of being the Osprey Capital of North America. Only evidence to the contrary will make us not lay claim to this title.

Crab season is just around the corner with the water temperature at 50 degrees. Crabs usually come out of the mud at 50-51 degrees and start to roam around looking for food after a long period of hibernation. Crab pots are going overboard as we write this missive "a platter of steamed crabs would be good right now."

CBFL's next event : Kayak and Canoe races on June 28th. These races will be held on the waters of the island Creek at the Bay Lab. Please stay tuned for further information about types of races and prize monies to be offered.

Remember: It's Our Bay, Lets Pass It On

From Captain Jack and 1st mate Fulchiron