“Sea-Rific” Staten Island Connections

Learning about whelks, horseshoe crabs, and more
at the Staten Island Student Summit 

 Student Summit

The 5th Annual Staten Island Student Summit was a success! COA thanks the Natural Resources Protective Association (NRPA) and Great Kills Park National Park Service for helping bring this program to the students of Staten Island, New York. Also, COA is grateful to Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella who attended and welcomed the students to the event and showed his support for marine-based, hands-on learning! Waves of thanks to the workstation and field trip leaders from Billion Oyster Project, Staten Island Zoo, NYC H2O, NYC Parks – Urban Park Rangers, Blue Heron Nature Center, NY/NJ Baykeeper, and Duro Workforce. By sharing their knowledge and skills, over 100 students received valuable information in marine sciences, including learning about local watersheds and how to protect them and the value of oysters and local marine life. From learning how to kayak, to sweeping the beach at Great Kills, students walked away with connections to the ecosystem that will last. COA appreciates the dedicated teachers and chaperones, and the enthusiastic students, who made the event a success!

Students gathered to kick-off the 5th Annual Staten
Island Student Summit

Beach Cleanup

Howie, Peter, Kristen, and Tiffany at the Staten Island cleanup
of Great Kills Park and the White Trail, part of the Greenbelt

To add to the Staten Island collaboration, in late March, COA’s Kristen Grazioso attended a cleanup led by the Staten Island Borough Hall in partnership with the College of Staten Island. Great Kills Park was the site of the Staten Island Student Summit in late April.