We are looking forward to gathering for the first in-person NYSMEA Annual Conference since 2019! Taking place at Mercy College in the Bronx, the theme this year is "Exploring New York Waters." Start the day with a field trip; there are three to choose from!
At 11:15, we'll meet at Mercy for lunch, exhibitors, awards and our keynote speaker Captain Denis Habza, founder of SqualusMarine.com, who will talk about the Importance of Long Island Sound in Classrooms.
Following the keynote, there will be three workshop sessions with several presentations to choose from in each.
Extend your conference experience by staying for the optional prix fixe dinner at City Island's Lobster House at 5:30. The deadline to register with the dinner is April 15, 2023.
Field trips will take place from 9-11 am. Attendees will meet at the trip site. If you are traveling by public transportation, we can arrange for someone to pick you up and drive you to the site. Click here to register for a trip and indicate your mode of transportation. Be sure you select a payment option that includes "+ Field Trip."
Your choices are:
1. Hunter Island Guided Walk, led by a City Parks Docent
Explore a hidden gem in the Bronx! Hunter and Twin Islands, adjacent to Orchard Beach, host freshwater, forest, and marine habitats. Walk with a guide and learn about the natural history of this area, observing shorebirds and other inhabitants of the tidal salt marshes, mud flats, and rocky shores. Enjoy panoramic views of Long Island Sound as you start your day with a little exercise.
Participants must be able to walk about three miles on trails that, although flat, can be muddy and uneven at times. Bring your binoculars!
2. Sound Stewards, led by Jimena Perez-Viscasillas, Long Island Sound Study Outreach Coordinator
New York Sea Grant and the Long Island Sound Study offer a free educational program called Sound Stewards, in which we partner with interested teachers, schools, and educational groups to offer on-the-field learning experiences for students. The program is tailored to the interests of each teacher/group, but generally activities include water quality testing and seining, which allows for students to have exciting hands-on encounters with fish and wildlife. In this on-site session at Orchard Beach, NY, attendees will learn more about the Sound Stewards program and have the opportunity to demo it – doing some of the activities participating students often get to do, from water quality testing to putting on waders and fishing with seine nets!
3. City Island Nautical Museum, led by a Museum Staff Member
Step back in time and join us for a special tour of the City Island Nautical Museum, listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Historical photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts tell the story of City Island’s sailing industry and rich nautical past. Learn about yacht building and the America’s Cup, City Island's beautiful boats, antique shipbuilding and sail making, and view many ship models including rumrunners built during Prohibition. Skiffs, a partially completed boat, and a Buchman sailing canoe from the early 1930s round out this viewing experience of boats built on City Island. Visit this museum set up in a former public school and tour the Main Hall and Gallery, Walsh Library, Nautical Room, Community Room, and School Room exhibited as a traditional school room that tells the story of City Island’s schools.
Registration Details
All conference registrants must be current NYSMEA members. (Email srichards@saintannsny.org if you are unsure of your status.) Before registering, you'll need to log in to your NYSMEA membership or renew/join NYSMEA.
Select one of the 9 ticket types. Basic registration is $50/$35, and includes all the events at Mercy from 11:15 to 5:00: lunch, exhibitors, awards, keynote speaker, and 3 workshop sessions. The field trip fee is $10, and the prix fixe dinner at the Lobster House (includes appetizer, salad, pasta, choice of entree, dessert, and beer/wine/soda) is $85.