Fox Island Hosts FOMS Students

May, 2001

A group of eighth graders from Forest Oak Middle School visited the CBF site of Fox Island in the late spring of 2001 for three days and two nights. Fox is a land of magic, an archipelago of uninhabited islands undisturbed by civilization, and minimally affected by pollution. We brought lots of energy, inquisitive students, a few meals, and good weather. We took home an increased awareness of the need for conservation and a better understanding of the inhabitants and critters and culture of the bay islands. We also took home dirty clothes and shoes and wonderful memories of our time on the bay. We had a wonderful visit, enjoyed our hosts, Colin and Captain T and look forward to sharing our experiences with you with this video diary. The future of the Chesapeake Bay depends on how each of us manages our lives in the watershed. Our best hope is to infuse our youth with a determination to improve the quality of caretaking of this great resource.

Be sure to read our student diary of our trip to Foxes.

Special thanks to the Chesapeake Bay Trust for their support of this trip.

(Click on the photos below to see them full size. Use the Back button to return to this page.)

The lodge on House Island keeps our ragtag band for two nights on the Bay.

Our Chesapeake Bay Foundation educators, Captain T, Colin and Captain Dallas (retired) look out over House and Big Islands.

Captain Dallas, a native of Smith Island, has spent a lifetime as a waterman.

Local watermen scrape around Fox Island for soft-shell crabs, plentiful this month.

The bay and marsh meet, and the bay is winning the battle of erosion.

The marsh has many habitats.

We go out in the boat to experience the life of the watermen.

Captain T at the helm of the "Aunt Allie II" searches for good waters in which to drag our scrape.

"Disco jackets" are de rigueur on the "Aunt Allie II."

The first scrape brings up bounty, a blue crab ready to molt.

An osprey nests in a duck blind. Habitats don't have to be only nature made.

The scrape brings up many critters, large and small. We save a few for our aquarium at the lodge.

Treat of the day, a terrapin gets caught in our scrape.

Take a good look at this terrapin before we let him go.

This guy wants to get back to the grasses.

Back from our boat trip, MTV, "Marine TV" on Fox Island has better reception as we add to the aquarium from our catch.

Captain T looks on as FOMS students watch MTV.

Lots to do in the meeting room at FOX.

Now what is it, really?

We enjoy a critter scavenger hunt of discovery.

A sea horse, cool!

I'm NOT tired...

I didn't know they did that!

The "management" discusses maintaining the lodge. Colin, Dallas and T at work.

A special treat! Dallas prepares a soft-shell crab for dinner.

After our mud treatment in the marsh, we wring out.

Am I beautiful yet?

It's a good thing this water's warm today, since the shower's "out-of-order."

Crab pots sometimes catch croaker instead of crabs!!

Silver catch of the crab pots!

What! More fish?

Guess what's for dinner, tonight, dear?

Crab-lite feast?

Colin and T seize a teachable moment.

But are they ready for this?

Examining the catch of crabs.

Five inches? Not today. No crab feast tonight.

Dinner preparations take a new turn.

Colin shows off his new oilskins. Ice cream man or waterman?

Captain T prepares the crew for oyster dredging.

Role reversal? Colin at the helm.

We don gloves to protect our delicate hands.

Oysters are making a come back with special care from the Bay community.

There are more critters here than first meet the eye.

T teaches us about the oyster life.

T shows how oysters like the "rock" of old shelves for its habitat.

See how the oyster babies grow from spat.

Oyster physiology lesson by Colin - the inside story.

Ms. Martin puts that oyster in a safe place.

At the end of our stay, we sadly bid farewell to Fox Island as we head back to Crisfield, MD.

Go to the Student Diary of our Fox Island Trip

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This site is created and maintained by Holly Geddes.
Last updated on March 9, 2003

Bay Studies Coordinator: Jay Foster


The lodge on House Island keeps our ragtag band for two nights on the Bay.	Our Chesapeake Bay Foundation educators, Captain T, Colin and Captain Dallas (retired) look out over House and Big Islands.	Captain Dallas, a native of Smith Island, has spent a lifetime as a waterman.	Local watermen scrape around Fox Island for soft-shell crabs, plentiful this month.	The bay and marsh meet, and the bay is winning the battle of erosion.

The marsh has many habitats.	We go out in the boat to experience the life of the watermen.	Captain T at the helm of the "Aunt Allie II" searches for good waters in which to drag our scrape.	"Disco jackets" are de rigueur on the "Aunt Allie II."	The first scrape brings up bounty, a blue crab ready to molt.

An osprey nests in a duck blind. Habitats don't have to be only nature made.	The scrape brings up many critters, large and small. We save a few for our aquarium at the lodge.	Treat of the day, a terrapin gets caught in our scrape.	Take a good look at this terrapin before we let him go.	This guy wants to get back to the grasses.

Back from our boat trip, MTV, "Marine TV" on Fox Island has better reception as we add to the aquarium from our catch.	Captain T looks on as FOMS students watch MTV.	Lots to do in the meeting room at FOX.	Now what is it, really?	We enjoy a critter scavenger hunt of discovery.

A sea horse, cool!	I'm NOT tired...	I didn't know they did that!	The "management" discusses maintaining the lodge. Colin, Dallas and T at work.	A special treat! Dallas prepares a soft-shell crab for dinner.

After our mud treatment in the marsh, we wring out.	Am I beautiful yet?	It's a good thing this water's warm today, since the shower's "out-of-order."	Crab pots sometimes catch croaker instead of crabs!!	Silver catch of the crab pots!

What! More fish?	Guess what's for dinner, tonight, dear?	Crab-lite feast?	Colin and T seize a teachable moment.	But are they ready for this?

Examining the catch of crabs.	Five inches? Not today. No crab feast tonight.	Dinner preparations take a new turn.	Colin shows off his new oilskins. Ice cream man or waterman?	Captain T prepares the crew for oyster dredging.

Role reversal? Colin at the helm.	We don gloves to protect our delicate hands.	Oysters are making a come back with special care from the Bay community.	There are more critters here than first meet the eye.	T teaches us about the oyster life.

T shows how oysters like the "rock" of old shelves for its habitat.	See how the oyster babies grow from spat.	Oyster physiology lesson by Colin - the inside story.	Ms. Martin puts that oyster in a safe place.	At the end of our stay, we sadly bid farewell to Fox Island as we head back to Crisfield, MD.