|
Trail Guides
|
Bayshore Discovery Project
|
6
 
|
2800 High Street, Bivalve, NJ 08349
Phone: (856) 785-2060
www.bayshorediscovery.org
Bayshore Discovery Project
Go back down Strawberry Ave. to
CR 553/Main St. Turn Right onto Main St.
Turn Right onto CR 631/High St. and follow to end. Bayshore Discovery Office will be on your Left, and Commercial Twp. Restoration Site will be on your Right. The A. J. Meerwald is visible
in the harbor, unless it is at sea. Map
The center is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Visitors must call for sailing hours.
 |
| Fiddler Crab | Bill Garwood |
| |
| | The A. J. Meerwald is a restored Delaware Bay oyster schooner that was built in nearby Dorchester in 1928. Locally-built schooners evolved into distinct vessels
constructed to meet the special needs of Delaware Bay oystermen. The A. J. Meerwald was one of hundreds of schooners built along the Bayshore in a thriving industry that continued until the Great Depression and the decline of
oyster populations nearly brought it to a halt. Today, only a handful of boatyards still exist. The Meerwald is now used as a floating classroom, providing visitors with the hands-on experience of a waterman’s life. Visit the maritime museum located in the old shipping sheds on the schooner’s dock for a glimpse into local culture and a history lesson about the bayshore. In 2009, the Bayshore Discovery Project received a large grant to finish improvements to the shipping sheds and enhance its visitor exoeriences.
No sailing trips occur during this time of year, however, walk to the end of the dock and scan the river for sea ducks, or cross the road to the PSE&G restoration site boardwalk (see
directions above).
Take a spring sail on the Meerwald and look for Osprey on or near the platforms that were specially constructed to provide them with nesting sites. Scan the river for migrating waterfowl and the river banks for shorebirds. Take a wetlands walk with a knowledgeable naturalist.
The summer is a wonderful time to
sail on the schooner and cool off. Gather ‘round as the crew on the schooner brings in a trawl
net full of marine creatures. Learn the
difference between a spider crab and a blue
crab. Take a look through a microscope at the microscopic creatures that are the basis of
the food chain.
The salt marsh turns gold and the sunsets are spectacular. Book a sunset cruise on the schooner and enjoy the beauty of the estuary.
|
|
|