Chesapeake Bay Field Lab

Message From The Captain / Blue Crab

2010-02-10T13:59:00.003-05:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,
Looking out the window on St. Georges Island in the midst of a snow blizzard, my mind drifts to The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab. What in the world are they doing today? Simply answered, they are tucked in their burrows in the mud of the Chesapeake.

Cooler water temperatures in the Fall sends the blue Crab off shore to the depths of the Chesapeake to hibernate. They will remain there till the water temperature rises to about 50 degrees on the bottom in the springtime, usually around the 1st of April.

Most Blue Crabs that we catch in the Spring time are males,( the ones with the rocket ship). Male crabs seek fresher water in the summer than the females. They migrate up our rivers and bays towards the fresher headwaters when the salinity if high. Most females (the ones with fingernail polish on the claws and a capital building dome on the underbelly), generally stay in more salty water in the lower portion of the Chesapeake
One thing leads to another. Maryland's crab market is based on the male “Basket Trade” and Virginia‘s crab market is based mainly on the female “Picking Trade”.
No wonder there is such conflict when regulating the industry within the two states.

One thing about this cold wintry blast from the Arctic, It will sure make us appreciate the summer time. A time when we can share some hard crabs with a cold
beverage and talk over "stuff" with out friends.

Message From The Captain / Bald Eagles

2010-02-10T13:10:00.006-05:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

Www.thebaylab.org will resume educational class trips in spring although the skipjack Dee of St. Mary's is scheduled to be out of service in 2010 for restoration provided by a grant from The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.

Having worked in the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries for about 50 years , I have seen many profound scenes of nature. The most interesting is observing the domain of the Bald Eagle.

They are permanent residents. They nest and raise their young here.

They are rather scarce around the river in the summer because they do not get along with the Ospreys ( Hatfield and McCoy syndrome) In the Fall and winter they reign supreme over all marine birds around the Chesapeake. They use the recently vacated Osprey nests for observation posts. It is not uncommon to see a mated pair sharing the view. The Captain recently saw a Bald Eagle removing nesting material from a day marker in the river and transferring it to a rock jetty at the mouth of the creek.

Many times as I have been tonging for oysters and seen the ducks flying around in panic because a bald Eagle is in the air. I have watched many times an eagle hovering over a hapless diving duck waiting for the small critter to run out of air, thus providing lunch.

In talking with residents along the St. Mary's River, it is estimated that a Bald Eagle will catch at least one duck a day for food.

Remember:" It's Our Bay, Let's Pass It On"

From Capn Jack and First Mate Fulchiron

Canoe and Kayak Races June 28, 2009

2009-06-17T11:49:00.002-04:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

CBFL will finish school trips this week as summer approaches. The shore side program continues to impress educators from around the state and the skipjack program continues to evolve into a tradition for many schools. Whether it is seining, dip netting in the creek, bird watching or tonging for oysters and observing the many critters of the Chesapeake it is truly captivating for old and young alike. Many thanks to all the staff and teachers and volunteers that makes this educational experience possible.

CBFL is a fee-based 501(c) 3 organization and like all non profits continually struggles to complete its Vision and Mission on track.

Our Vision: Chesapeake Bay Field Lab provides opportunities for future generations to learn about the Southern Maryland waterman and the Bay with hands-on experiences on a working skipjack and through environmental shore side programs. Our aim is to keep alive the history and culture of the watermen, with their ties to the farming community and inspire our visitors to be good stewards of the Bay

Our Mission: Our mission is to operate the workboats of the Chesapeake, like the skipjack, as floating classrooms, giving people the opportunity to experience the life of the waterman and learn about the Bay and its tributaries. We will offer our visitors learning experiences on St. George Island, by creating an oyster house classroom as a living museum and restoration lab and by preserving the surrounding rural atmosphere. CBFL will grow as an educational institution for people of all ages and backgrounds, with special consideration to ensure its services are fully accessible. We will grow our service capacity and keep this entity operational for future generations to enjoy, by bringing on staff, building membership and leveraging private and public resources.

CBFL will host an Inaugural Canoe and Kayak Event at the Bay Lab on St. George Island Sunday, June 28th from noon to 4pm. Bring your canoe or kayak to 16127 Piney Point Road, St. George Island, and explore our beautiful island. A trip around the island is about 6 miles. We have 50 nesting pair of Ospreys here and the young have just hatched. You can get a bird's eye view of races for the afternoon, paddle with the otters, diamondback turtles and the mute swans. All proceeds go to environmental education at the Bay Lab.

Please pass this information on to your email lists.

The River Creek Lodge is now open on St. George Island. They have 28 waterfront rooms for overnight accommodations. www.rivercreeklodge.com, 301-994-1234

Remember: "It's Our bay, Lets Pass It On" We are only passing through.

From Capn Jack and 1st Mate Fulchiron

June letter from the Capn

2009-06-07T20:57:00.001-04:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

This spring weather has brought us severe thunderstorms and abundant rainfall.

Lightening hit a tree just below our house and stripped bark off it for 40 feet. It looked as though someone took a chesil and peeled the bark off 3" wide up the tree. Good thing no one was seeking refuge under it at the time.

A dozen Bottlenose Dolphins were spotted in St. George Creek several days ago. They are always good omens for fisherfolk. The Dolphins chase fish up the creek, circle them and feed as a group.

Rockfishing is good in the Lower Potomac River with many 20-24" fish being caught trolling on the bottom with umbrella rigs.

The Blue Crabs are scarce yet a while but are getting "nice and fat." We have many small crabs but they will still need to shed their shells several times before they are legal.

The skipjack Dee of St Mary's and The Nathan of Dorchester along with the oyster buy boat Cap'n Sam will be at St. Mary's College dock on June 20 beginning mini-cruises on the St. Mary's River at noon.

On Sunday, June 28 from noon till 4pm CBFL will host thte inaugural Canoe and Kayak Races in front of the Bay Lab on St George Island.

It will be a fun filled day with different classes of races being held ( see attached flyer).

Please join The Chesapeake Bay Field Lab Inc.

For membership renewals or new memberships please go to www.thebaylab.org and click membership.

Remember: "It's Our Bay, Let's Pass It On"

From Capn Jack and 1st mate Fulchiron

May Letter from the Captain

2009-05-18T14:17:00.003-04:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

CBFL teachers and staff welcomed the sunshine Friday after many straight days of rain.

Student trips are still on schedule with classes until early June. CBFL just finished a program for The Friends Community School of College Park and this year's class for Leadership Maryland. The shore-based exercises are a big hit with all students and teachers.

The Blue Crab season has begun. Males last week were bringing $80 and Sooks were $40 to the crabber. We will have mostly males now in the Lower Potomac River because the male crabs buried here last fall. Male crabs seek fresher water than the females and as a result the males travel toward the headwaters of the Chesapeake during hot dry times in the summer.

The Blue Crab shedding of mostly males that we have in May is a direct result of the migration pattern of the Blue Crab.

It is always nice to see the return of the "Laughing Gulls" because we then know that the soft crabs are on the flats. Laughing Gulls have a distinct black head and sound like they are laughing when they call. The Winter Dredge survey done each year by the Department of Natural Resources indicated a doubling of the amount of crabs available to be caught this year. Hopefully, after several molts, we will have an abundant supply to "fill our crab tooth."

The Ospreys will soon have their eggs hatched. The male shares the nesting duty with the female. The pair of Ospreys in the front of our house on St. George Island change the guard about 10 am each morning. Forty days after the start of nesting, the chicks appear and it will take both adults fishing dutifully to keep the brood fed. The 50 pair of birds on St George island will probably increase the Osprey population by 80-100 individuals.

The Oyster Hatchery in Piney Point, Maryland has resumed operations for the oyster restoration program in the Chesapeake Bay and tributaries.

Governor O'Malley's decision to restart operations after the hatchery had been "moth balled" for 6 years will be a defining step in restoring the native oyster ( Crassostrea Virginica ) to Maryland's waters. Thank you Governor O'Malley, Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources John Griffin, Deputy Secretary Eric Schwab, Director of Fisheries Tom O'Connell, and Aquatic biologist Mike Naylor, for your efforts in making this a reality.

The skipjack, Dee of St. Mary's, will be at Historic St. Mary's City for the 375th anniversary on June 20, 2009 for short cruises and to spread "Lore of the Chesapeake."

The next event at CBFL will be the Inaugural Kayak and Canoe Race on St George Island at the Bay Lab on June 28, 2009, 12 till 4 pm

Please click here to read mroe about the event. We are looking for sponsors for this event to join Cindy Broyles from Booz Allen Hamilton.

For more info about what we have lost in the Chesapeake and other interesting missives go to www.vikivolk.com

Remember : It's our Bay , Let's Pass It On"

From Capt'n Jack and First Mate Fulchiron

vikivolk.com

2009-04-22T14:12:00.008-04:00

www.vikivolk.com/justbeforeitsgone.html

The link above will send you to a series of essays on much that has been lost of the traditional Chesapeake Bay watering culture. It is posted on a new website: www.vikivolk.com.

Among other sections of the website are essays about St. George Island under "But Now I Have a Dog" and a growing body of articles on more contemporary issues under "Once A Reporter Always A Reporter."

My wife, Viki Volk, a reporter for more than 20 years in St. Mary's County has just launched the website and would love to hear from you about what is posted and also interests you have for future stories. You can reach her at viki@vikivolk.com.

I hope you find something to enjoy and pass it along.

Thanks for reading,
Jack Russell

2009-04-05T22:26:00.004-04:00

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

Spring at CBFL

2009-03-15T22:32:00.004-04:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

Spring is almost here and with it comes the Ospreys. The first Osprey was sighted on St. George Island on Tuesday, March 10, 2009.

We have many here now with more arriving daily. After a few days rest and some sunshine they will start to nest. Last year, CBFL members placed small piles of straw and different colored rags on the fields and the birds scooped them up for their nests. They seem to like the color black for the cloth. They used up almost a bale of straw.

The migrating Northern Gannetts are passing through the Chesapeake Bay following the bait fish and the large rockfish. They migrate through here on their way to Newfoundland nesting grounds.

The Northern Gannett (left) is a large white bird with black wing tips and yellow bill. They dive from above to the water like a javelin and stay under sometimes for 20 seconds or more.

Our membership annual meeting party will be held on Sunday, March 22, 2009 from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab, 16129 Piney Point Road, St George Island. The menu will include steamed Chesapeake Bay oysters, stuffed ham, seafood chowder and a host of other morsels. Admission is free to members-you can join that day! Visit www.thebaylab.org for more membership information. A short members meeting will be held at 3 pm.

The Chesapeake Bay Lab's field trips will begin in early April with the mission to educate citizens about the Bay. CBFL is holding with its vision of using local vessels of the Chesapeake Bay as teaching platforms in accomplishing that mission. Last year CBFL taught about 4000 students about becoming better stewards of the Chesapeake...

The Chesapeake Bay Field lab will sponsor a Needlework and Fiber Arts Conference Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4, 2009 at the Paul Hall Center Hotel in Piney Point, Maryland. The overnight conference includes classes, demonstrations, speakers and an opportunity to complete charitable projects. Fees include registration, meals and overnight accommodations based upon two persons per room. Please register by March 17, 2009 to guarantee roommate and class selections. Contact conference manager, Becky Benton at 301-872-9306 or register on the website.

The Chesapeake Bay Field Lab is a nonprofit outdoor educational facility. See “calendar” on www.thebaylab.org for registration and more about CBFL’s mission.

Finally, on Sunday, June 28, 2009 CBFL will sponsor a canoe/kayak event on the Island Creek in front of the Bay Lab.

Remember: "It's Our Bay, Lets Pass It On"
From: Capn Jack and 1st Mate Fulchiron

Yawl Preservation Announcement

2009-01-27T16:11:00.005-05:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

The yawl boat (that would be the “push” boat) for the Dee of St. Mary's is to be restored.

Piney Point Shipwright Ben Goddard is undertaking the project for the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab (www.thebaylab.org).

The restoration is being partially funded through Preservation Maryland and the National Historic Trust. CBFL is seeking additional resources to cover the complete cost of the restoration which is estimated to be in the vicinity of $10,000.

The Bay Lab sailing skiff (build by the Shipwright George Surgeon of Calvert Marine Museum) also is being restored through the generosity of a lifetime member John Fulchiron. It is being restored at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomon's.

As these boats return, rejuvenated and restored, the next project becomes: a boat shed.

From Captain Jack

Merry Christmas

2008-12-23T20:30:00.002-05:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

May you have a great Christmas and a happy New Year!

This picture was taken today on St. George Island with the temperature at 17 degrees F.

From Cap'n Russell and 1st Mate Fulchiron

Tributary Strategy trip in St. Mary's River

2008-08-26T23:33:00.002-04:00

The Lower Potomac Tributary Strategy team visited the Bay Lab Monday the 25 Th of August.
They went sailing aboard the Dee of St. Mary's amongst Bottle nose Dolphins in the mouth of the St. Mary's River. A dozen Dolphins followed the skipjack for about 15 minutes and responded to crew members tapping the side of the vessel by coming very close to us while underway. Team leader Mike Billek and other trib team members amazed as to how close they came to us. Good food and drink was provided by the membership and legislative proposals were discussed during the members meeting.

Fall Season at CBFL

2008-07-21T22:00:00.003-04:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

With Labor day fall just around the corner, www.thebaylab.org is gearing up for the Fall season.

St. Mary's County Public Schools usually begin the second week of September.

The Purple Martins are leaving St. George Island to start their trip to South America.

They had a great nesting season and I guestimate that 50 new birds are now winging their way south from the Bay Lab.

All the young Ospreys are now flying and beginning to learn their trade as fish catchers. As the hunger pangs increase so does their efficiency rate. The Island Creek, which splits St. George Island will produce about 30 new birds. The adults will begin to leave in September after the young can fish successfully for themselves. The young birds will also go down the 77th parallel in October to over winter in the uppermost parts of South America. It still amazes me that the adults leave early and the young birds follow a month later.

The crab business in the Lower Potomac is slow now with males being advertised for $150 per bu. along the roadsides. I am sure the Patuxent River and Wicomico River crabs are higher because of the quality of the crabs in those two rivers. New crab regulations will come into effect in October in an effort to conserve about 35% of the female ( Sook ) populations in both Maryland and Virginia.

Trolling and bottom fishing has been great locally. We have plenty of Stripers, Bluefish and Atlantic Croakers. We have also had our full share of Sea- Nettles so far this year.

Please save this date......SEPTEMBER 26th -- a Friday evening -- for

Chesapeake Bay Field Lab's " Characters of The Chesapeake " Gala at The Paul Hall Center in Piney Point, Md. 20674

Dress this year is Nautical Casual and will again include the famous "Shipwreck" punch aboard the skipjack, another noteworthy dinner under the culinary direction of John Hetmanski & Company and the continuation of the Virtual Voyage Spoof to be commandeered this year by another couple Characters of the Chesapeake.

Remember: "It's Our bay, Let's Pass It On"

Capn Jack and 1st mate Fulchiron

Australian farmers visit

2008-06-19T21:51:00.011-04:00

Australian farmers enjoyed a crab feast aboard the Dee of St. Mary's on Thursday evening.
The crab feast was catered by Crab Knockers of Leonardtown, MD.
The menu included jumbo male crabs, corn on the cob, fried chicken, coleslaw and assorted drinks. After much discussion about farming practices in America and Australia, everyone settled down and "filled their crab tooth".

The Sea Nettles have arrived

2008-06-19T21:51:00.009-04:00

The first Sea Nettles ( jellyfish) were seen on Wednesday at St. George Island. They overwinter throughout the Chesapeake Bay rolled up in little balls settled on the bottom. The nettle breaks apart and starts to grow when the salinity and water temperature rises. They will be a constant pest throughout the summer. Fall weather with its cooler temperatures feature their demise

Birds testing their wings

2008-06-18T12:10:00.003-04:00

Totally amazing how fast these ospreys grow. Just a few weeks ago they couldn't raise their heads up, and now they're going to the sides of the nest and testing their wings out. The adults are testing their fish catching capabilities to keep this brood fed. Most of our local birds should be on the wing by the first of August. Parents will leave mid-September, and youngsters to follow in October.

Welcome from Capn Jack

2008-06-13T07:57:00.010-04:00

Greetings CBFL Members and Friends,

School trips at CBFL will continue for several more weeks. The Shore Side program has received great reviews from all the participating schools. Many thanks to the staff and volunteers that make the programs such a success.

The aft cabin project is complete. It was a welcome addition. Our thanks to Goddard boatyard for a job well done.

The baby Ospreys are peeking their heads out of the nests. They will grow extremely fast now that the wdeather has warmed and many fish are available. Mom and dad will make many flights every day to bring meals home.

We have good crop of Soft Shell clams (mannose) coming along in the Patuxent River. There are also many Cow Nosed rays here . They love to eat these clams. Rockfish are plentiful in the Lower Potomac. Some Atlantic Croaker are showing up on the steep edges in the Potomac River off St. George Island.

The crab business is slow. Maryland and Virginia are now working on plans to conserve about 35% of the mature female population this season.

Remember, "It's our Bay. Let's pass it on "

From Capn Jack and 1st mate Fulchiron