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By Vanessa Ogle
Brooklyn Daily
Get onboard with the summer season!
The city’s first Eco Dock made a splash in Bay Ridge on June 28 with an oyster gardening program, a water display from an FDNY fireboat, and a dockside tour of the Lettie G. Howard, a National Historic Landmark fishing schooner, at the American Veterans Memorial Pier, keeping kids fascinated with life on — and beneath — the blue.
“She was looking at all the nooks and crannies,” said Dianna Kitchen of her 4-year-old daughter, Arabella, who was nearly small enough to inspect any crevice. “She was fascinated with the docks and the boats.”
Besides boats, the event featured an oyster gardening program from John Dewey High School’s faculty and students. The yearlong program, led by the school’s science teacher Lane Rosen, monitors a selection of oysters and the water’s cleanliness.
The Saturday demonstration spilled specifics about oysters’ ability to keep the water clean — naturally.
“Oysters help clean the water,” said Tiffany Nguyen, a student in the program. “They have a filter.”
The oysters — and measurements — are small but significant.
“They don’t usually grow that much but after three months you can see the difference,” said Jhonathan Rosa.
The day was filled with looking and learning — and for one student, the new knowledge really sank in.
“I got to learn new things,” said Nguyen.