Smith Island is a small island located 12 miles off the coast of Crisfield, Maryland in the Chesapeake Bay. Consisting of 3 towns Tylerton, Ewell and Rhodes Point, Smith Island has a very small population with a total of 364 people calling the Island home. This year, Tuscarora High School’s AP Environmental class had the amazing opportunity to explore the island and get to know the local people for 3 days. During this trip students were able to learn about the environmental aspects of the Chesapeake Bay by testing the turbidity, salinity and pH of bay water as well as being able to connect with bay by learning about all of the organisms and people who call it home. After the trip, we asked students who attended the trip what their favorite “Bay Moment” was and how they were affected by their trip.

Avery Qassis said that her favorite moment was “fishing off of the dock in Tylerton and watching the sunset across the bay. It was quiet and peaceful.” Avery says that “the trip helped [her] to appreciate the wildlife of the bay, because it was an opportunity to explore a side of the Chesapeake that not many people have seen.”  

Emily Romero says that she enjoyed “spending a few days with the class and being able to get to know one another through activities we did, like when we went crabbing and one night when we performed skits on facts of the Chesapeake Bay and when Putterman was laughing so hard he started crying!, it was so good to hang out with my classmates and get to experience life on the bay.”

Patrick Rollman described his most memorable moment as when “we went on the boat rides around the bay with Captain Jesse, I think they really made everyone feel more connected with how peaceful the bay is.” Patrick also said that “the trip was great because it allowed me to spend time out of school with my classmates.”

Thank you to Mr.Putterman and Mrs.Farmer for chaperoning the trip to Smith Island and giving these Titans the opportunity to have a first hand experience with the wildlife of the bay, and to be able to learn more about the Chesapeake and how we can help save the bay that is so close to home.