Seminar in Mamaroneck brings marine life education to kids

May 31, 2026 - 23:36

A floating classroom docked in Mamaroneck on Sunday, giving local children a chance to trade their desks for the deck of a historic schooner. The SoundWaters Schooner, a replica of a 19th-century oyster sloop, hosted a special seminar aimed at bringing marine life education to life for young learners.

The event turned the vessel into a mobile science lab. Kids got their hands wet by pulling up nets and examining the creatures that call Long Island Sound home. They measured water temperature, checked salinity levels, and learned how tiny organisms fit into the larger ocean ecosystem. Organizers focused on making the lessons interactive, letting students touch horseshoe crabs, peer at plankton under microscopes, and ask questions directly to the crew.

For many of the children, it was their first time on a sailboat, let alone one that doubles as a teaching tool. The program emphasized STEM subjects--science, technology, engineering, and math--but wrapped them in the real-world context of the marine environment. Parents watched from the dock as their kids hoisted a small sail and listened to a lesson about wind patterns.

The seminar was part of a broader effort to connect suburban kids with the natural waterway in their own backyard. By stepping aboard the schooner, they didn't just learn about marine biology. They saw firsthand how a working boat from the past can still teach lessons about the future.