Stewardship at NESS
At NESS, we are all proud to be a Protector, Steward, Advocate, Supporter, and Ally of Connecticut and the Long Island Sound.
Wherever we sail, our home waters are in danger. The New England Science and Sailing Foundation builds connections between students and their communities in order to create a sustainable natural environment. We believe that we are so lucky to be located on the water, but with this privilege comes the responsibility to take care of our environment. NESS helps create a culture of stewardship through many programs, such as beach clean ups, student community projects, and educational lessons. Each year with our annual youth surf competition, we host a beach cleanup in Westerly. This year, our volunteers picked up over 50 lbs of trash! We encourage students to dive deeper into how they can help their communities through long-term projects. Students from Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School in New London, CT have created many projects to help inform their community about marine conservation, for example creating a bench for Ocean Beach made of recycled materials and building sculptures made from marine debris.
NESS partners with “Save the Sound’s” Unified Water Study to protect and improve the land, air, and water of Connecticut and Long Island Sound. We monitor local water quality parameters and collect comparable data on our bays’ and harbors’ environmental health. Our lessons that we bring to schools or teach on site in Stonington also have a stewardship component! Students learn about why our coast is so important by delving into topics like microplastics and tide-pooling. By understanding the health of our waters, we can inform and support our actions to preserve and protect them.
NESS cares about our community and hope to inspire our students to do the same. We hope to motivate the next generation of leaders, sailors, marine adventurers, scientists, and conservationists by helping them along their journey.
Together we can:
– Protect our natural environment
– Improve and Protect Long Island Sound
– Support our productive ecosystems
– Save our seas
– Keep our air healthy and water clean
– Continue to lead the nation in slowing climate change!
https://nessf.org/2021-unified-water-study/