While many of the students in the local area live within close proximity of the ocean, a much smaller number have the opportunity to learn about what exists within it and be able to be up close and personal. Last week, Tabor invited students from Our Sisters’ School in New Bedford to campus to experience the marine science programs at Tabor.
Our Sisters’ School is a tuition-free independent middle school for girls from low-income families in the New Bedford area. According to the school’s website, its mission is to “educate and inspire middle school girls from the Greater New Bedford area to reach their full potential in a safe, supportive and challenging environment.”
The visit of these students was coordinated by Tabor sophomore Kellie Navarro of Attleboro. Being both on Tabor’s community service board and highly involved in the marine sciences at Tabor, combining the two was a great opportunity for her to expose her community to something new.
Upon arriving on campus on Wednesday, the 25 students participated in several activities and workshops around campus. Several faculty and students got involved as well, including marine science teacher Elizabeth Leary who ran a workshop about seaweed farming at Tabor and senior Kat Mitchell who ran a workshop about her project revamping a coral tank.
Outside of the Marine and Nautical Science Center (MANS), the Our Sisters’ School students had the opportunity to explore campus, all the while learning about marine science. One such activity was a scavenger hunt around campus in which students searched for organisms they had seen in the MANS center’s touch tank or for the school’s mascot, Sammy the Seawolf. Additionally, students got the opportunity to go to Tabor’s docks and waterfront to get personal with the marine life they were learning about.
This partnership comes at a time when marine science is booming at Tabor. Not only are classes in the field in high demand, but recent advances and initiatives have expanded the program’s horizons.
Recently, under the leadership of faculty members Jennifer Albright and Captain David Bill, there has been a large, multi-faceted effort to start hydroponics on campus. Hydroponics is a method for growing plants, vegetables, and fruits in a controlled, soil-free environment, and faculty and students have been doing just that. Through the creation of a community garden and the integration of hydroponics into the aquaculture class, students have been able to work hands on in sustainability and marine science.
On Earth Day, the aquaculture class brought their successful creations on display for the Tabor community in a way everybody could appreciate and enjoy: food. The menu included items such as guacamole and salsa, pizza, pasta, and tomato salad, all topped off with herbs such as cilantro and basil from the hydroponic garden. The event attracted a large audience, so much so that the food supplies eventually ran out before the end of the day.
For students in the local community and even at Tabor, the marine world holds many secrets that have yet to be experienced and learned. Through programs such as these, Tabor has been able to use their location to connect the marine world to those living next to it.
By Jack Gordon