Get Your Feet Wet

When asked why a student would want to volunteer, the Director of the Annapolis Maritime Museum’s response was exactly what I had been experiencing for the last month: “Because the museum is fun.” The new volunteer coordinator had a similar answer an hour earlier. On my first day, I was asked why I chose to complete my service-learning hours here and about my hobbies. The initial thing I thought of was my own aquarium which resulted in my first assignment of cleaning an oyster tank. Though the job was a little messy, I did ask for it and it was a perfect fit.

The 800-gallon tank I cleaned needed some repairs. Discovering the glue had lost its attachment to a pipe coupling, I started draining the tank. With five inches of water left, I drilled a hole into the coupling and pipe to successfully install an attachment pin. I did this without toxic adhesives which would contaminate the marine life in the tank.

Turning to the subject of marine life, did you know one oyster can filter 50-gallons of water in a day? This was news to me. Long ago, the population of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay would filter the Bay’s water in a week. Between over harvesting in the 1800s and the pollutants of the 1990s, “We now have a very sick Chesapeake Bay” as told by the new coordinator. The few oysters left in the Chesapeake cannot filter the water causing dead spots. The museum is aiding in re-establishing the oyster population by adding “spat” (young oysters) to reefs in the needed areas.

The Museum’s learning program reaches over 2,000 students in Maryland. The museum can use your help- you may volunteer or intern:

•Education aid; assisting the learning program
•Docent (Maritime Tour Guide) assisting visitors of the museum.
•Buildings & Grounds management
•Wood boat crew-restoration of historic boats
•Thomas Point Lighthouse: summer docents may learn about how lighthouse keepers lived and worked. Lighthouses allowed safe passage in shallow waters, providing guidance and safety to wayfarers.
•Collections & Archives: document collections need catalogued, documented, photographed and preserved.

Communicating with visitors of the museum is a great way to learn customer service and sharpen your social networking skills. The Museum is an “Annapolis heritage destination” for visitors from around the globe because it is the last packaging house left locally. This student service opportunity will give you something back: the feeling of contributing to something as important as the clean-up of our Bay. Volunteering will enrich your knowledge of the treasures of the Chesapeake Bay and richness of local Annapolis history.

I encourage you to call 410-295-0104 or see the museum’s web site and click on volunteer. Don’t miss this great opportunity.

References:
Annapolis Maritime Museum. N/A. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
Bourdon, Dave. Personal Interview. 20 Oct. 2011.
Holland, Jeff. Personal Interview. 20 Oct. 2011.

By James A. Talley (BPA 162- Business Communications)