DAY FIVE

SNOW DAY- Ross School is closed.

DAY FOUR

Paulina Keszler and Lillian McCarthy

Today in "Exploring the Northeast" we presented power points and slide shows about the work we did in groups the past two days. Each group chose a different subject having to do with Long Island. One group researched Native American history and culture on Long Island. A second group researched Long Island Wildlife, both flora and fauna. The third group studied Long Island geology -- how the island was formed from advancing glaciers and the many interesting geological features it possesses. The final group looked into the fishing and whaling history of Long Island, examining our maritime culture and also the most popular fish that are pursued. The presentations were both informative and entertaining. It's really helpful to know the cultural and natural history of where we live, as well as the history of the ground on which we stand.

In the afternoon, Mr. Raebeck decided to treat us to a classic film related to the whaling and fishing industry we've been studying: Moby Dick. This classic story by Herman Melville begins in the whaling town of New Bedford, Massachusetts in the 1800s. A group of seamen aboard the Pequod set out to harpoon whales but soon find that they are part of the life-threatening scheme of their strict captain, Ahab, to get revenge on the monster white whale, Moby Dick.

DAY THREE

Graylen Gatewood and Noah McKaskill

Today, our M-term group took a trip to some historical sites in Sag Harbor and the Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge in Noyac. Our first stop was the Annie Cooper Boyd house in Sag Harbor. This house also acts as the Historical Society of Sag Harbor. Annie Cooper Boyd was a local artist, and a lot of her work is in the house. She even painted murals on the walls and doors! Our next stop was The Sag Harbor Whaling Museum. The first thing we did in the Museum was watch a short video about whaling back in the 19th century. Whaling was harsh work. It was estimated that one out of three people died either from an accident or disease. The length of a trip could average from 12 months to around four years varying on the amount of whales they would catch. Out of all the types of whales in the ocean the most favored whale for oil was the Sperm Whale, because it had the most valuable oil in one section in his head. After we visited the museum and ate lunch, we drove over to the Elizabeth Morton Wildlife Refuge in Noyac. It was drizzling outside, but that didn't stop us. The teachers brought along bird seed so we could feed the birds. At first we all took cracked corn, but the birds, which included black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, cardinals, woodpeckers, and titmouses (titmice?), among many others, didn't like that very much. We also had mixed wild bird seed and sunflower seeds, and we discovered that they liked the sunflower seeds the best, and many of them ate directly from out hands. We also saw a group of humungous wild turkeys.

DAY TWO

Dylan Brenner

The first thing we did today was hike the Seal Haulout Trail in Montauk. The conditions of the trail were muddy and icy. It was about a 20 minute walk to the bay. When we got to the water, we saw some Harbor Seals sitting on the rocks and swimming. There was even a seal lying on the shore. There were several signs explaining facts about the seals. We found out that there are may more seals on Long Island than anytime in the past sixty or seventy years for two reasons: 1) The hunting laws have become stricter, and 2) The water is cleaner due to anti-pollution laws. After we hiked back to the bus, we drove to the Montauk Point Lighthouse. Although we were not able to go into the lighthouse, we hiked along the rocks at the shore. It was a very fun and intense adventure. After that, we went to the Deep Hollow Ranch, the oldest working ranch in the U.S.A. It was a short visit, but we got to see the horses, donkeys, and even a cat. Once back at school, we were put into groups of three and assigned research projects. The topics were: Long Island Wildlife, Long Island Native American History, Geological History of Long Island, and Whaling/Maritime History on Long Island. Today was a very eventful and productive day. We learned a lot.

DAY ONE

Jessica Kim

We started our first day of M-term hiking at Hither Hills State Park in Montauk. The trail was called the Stephen Talkhouse trail, named for a Native American who was known for walking everyday from Montauk to East Hampton and Sag Harbor, and then back again. The path was muddy, snowy, and icy. The weather, however, was great, sunny and mild. Along the way to Walking Dunes, we stopped at Napeague Harbor and enjoyed a great view of the sea. The hike to Walking Dunes was about 3 miles and as we approached, we entered the dunes area, we saw trees covered by the sand. They looked like bushes, but they are actually trees. Inside we encountered a "phantom forest," trees that had been killed by the drifting sands. The dunes are known as walking dunes because they move constantly in the steady winds off Gardner's Bay. Not only was it great to see the beauty of nature, but also it was an adventurous and challenging trip. Overall, the first day of hiking was a bit tough, but we were able to handle it.

Welcome to our blog for "Exploring the Northeast." Photos and student accounts of our experiences will be coming shortly. Rain or shine!