This past July I attended the National Marine Educators Conference where I represented the GOMI students of Newburyport High School. In the weeks leading up to the conference I created a poster that communicated my endeavors harvesting and planting eelgrass; the field work for the research being directed by Dr. Alyssa Novak and Peter Phippen whose efforts stem from the Great Marsh Resilience Partnership. As the day at the conference came to a close, myself and approximately twenty other presenters shared and answered questions about our posters with the educators walking around. The opportunity to share my experience in the eelgrass project also allowed me to emphasize the impact of GOMI’s mission to “promote community-based stewardship” in my presentation. The field work completed by GOMI teachers and students are apart of what makes larger research projects such as these possible. I am grateful for this experience and am looking forward to continuing my involvement in the restoration of The Great Marsh!
Ellie Kerns and Ellen Link at the National Marine Educators Conference.