Outer Island
The Citywide Steward Program went to Outer Island on July 17th! We took the Sea Mist Ferry for a short tour of the Thimble Islands off the shore of Stony Creek, CT. They dropped us off at Outer Island, an island donated to Southern Connecticut State University for research, where Wendy, our trusty guide, showed the youth different kinds of seaweed (Irish moss, various colors of algae and a seaweed called dead man's fingers), went crab hunting (we found green crab, Asiatic shore crab and hermit crabs) and showed us several tide pools. We brought along Brandon Ballengee, an eco-artist and part-time educator for Solar Youth. He had his Seine nets, a few dippers, waders and a vast knowledge of different kinds of intertidal species. Youth were literally all over the shores of the island (the interior is a protected nature preserve and humans are not allowed in), looking under rocks for crabs, dipping their fingers into all the tide pools and humming "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to scared hermit crabs, coaxing them out with their voices. For some youth, this was their first time on a boat or an island. Although it was a hot and sticky day, we had a great time.

July 17, 2006 - CSP Day 6
Shemar's Day
We went to Long Island Sound. We were on Outer Island. We took a boat, the ferry. We went searching for hermit crabs, green crabs and shore crabs. We went and found snails, shells that was a type of mussel. I had a great time. We had lunch and then we went in the water for thirty minutes to look for types of crabs, shells, silver fish. We went back to New Haven from Long Island Sound and I’ve never been on an island. That was my first day on an island. The interesting part was the kind of creepy part when we used the bathroom there was a water bucket that you had to pour into the toilet to make it flush. Then you had to take the bucket then put it in the water. Then you put it in the bathroom so the next person can do the same thing. The exciting part was when we had use nets to catch fish and other types of stuff. It was hard to catch the crabs because when you lift up the rock the crabs run really fast and when you pick it up it pinches you. My group got a lot of crabs. We found small, tiny crabs, regular crabs and big crabs. When you pick up the snails you have to hum to it so the snail can come out of the shell. You have to hold it straight in your hand. If you move it around it will go back in. I had fun picking up the sea crabs and the snails.

The Inner Workings of CSP - Challenge Days
New this summer are the Challenge Days. CSAP teams (Quinnipiac, West and Mill River Teams) have three challenges throughout the day. During the Video Challenge, teams have forty-five minutes to come up with three thirty-second clips educating others on the theme of the week. For the Song Challenge, the teams are giving a different popular tune to create a song to. At the end of the forty minutes, the team records the song. The Game Challenge requires the team to make either a board, active or matching games. Three Challenge Days will occur three times during the summer camp, following the themes of the Long Island Sound, the three rivers of New Haven and water pollution. We want to encourage creativity, have youth-created curriculum tools for all Solar Youth programs and push the teams to work together.


There Was a Great Big Moose
An SY favorite

There was a great big moose
And he drank a lot of juice
The moose's name was Fred
And he drank his juice in bed
He drank his juice with care
But he got some on his hair
Now he's a sticky moose
Full of juice!