I will admit that this article (http://delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080529/NEWS01/805290397) in Delmarva Now made me a little bit emotional. As well as warning you that if you’re a native Marylander, you’ll probably have the same reaction. I am glad to see action being taken to preserve the bay for the long-term, and I really support Governor O’Malley in his optimism about the bay’s chances for recovery. But still, hearing that the president of the Maryland Waterman’s Association “has been telling his members to lobby for federal disaster funds and look for a part-time job on the side”? That really brings home just how bad things are for the people of the bay these days.

Meanwhile, at least things have been going well for bay conservation funding. Remember back in March, when we were worried that the state might cut funding for Bay cleanup projects by 50%? Since the passage of the Farm Bill this month, it looks like we’re going to be receiving plenty of federal aid to help us out of that jam. Count me among those praying that the environmental issues can be mitigated without driving people out of the Eastern Shore’s beloved fishing culture.

Here at oceancity.com we’re working on a survey of local businesses, asking questions about what they’re doing to convert their companies to a more “green” (environmentally friendly) mode of operations. We want to know who’s using energy-saver lightbulbs, who’s cut down on air conditioning, and who’s switching to natural cleaning products. Not all the data is in yet, but I’m really excited about the project. Here in Ocean City we get so much enjoyment out of our local environment, and I think it’s really important to give back and try to make a difference in how we interact with the planet. This information will helpfully help tourists and locals make informed decisions about where to spend their vacation money to get the most environmental bang for their buck.

So keep checking oceancity.com, because we’re planning to have a writeup of the results go online this week! Of course, you should always be checking the site, because we have lots of great new content all the time, plus *my* blog posts. But just in case, make a note to check it out. Personally, I’d love it if I could find this kind of information for every city I visit!

Delmarva Now reports that Ocean City is doing a great job recovering from the recent Noreaster that swept the peninsula unexpectedly. What beach was lost to erosion, caused by the high winds, has already been replenished, and the boardwalk has been cleared of windblown sand.

How about this crazy weather, though? It’s been hot, cold, hot, cold, randomly stormy way before storm season is supposed to start… and still people are saying that climate change is a myth. I tell you, for a mythical being, that storm sure left a lot of mess to clean up!

I know I say this a lot, but this is like the coolest thing ever. That’s the homepage for the Maryland Artificial Reef Initiative, or MARI, a plan to help nourish fish and other sea life populations off the Maryland coast by creating artificial reefs. Artificial reefs work by forming a structure for sea plants and animals to grow on in places where natural reefs have been depleted. Eventually, a natural structure forms around the artificial reef, so it’s kind of like giving fish and plants their own hotel rooms to stay in while their new homes are being built!

But what’s extra cool about the project is the kind of material that they’re using to make the reefs. The reefs are going to be made out of urban debris donated by cities including Washington, DC, which donated parts of the old Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and NYC, which is donating old abandoned subway cars to the effort. Seriously, how great is it that Ocean City fish are going to be making their homes in old NY subway cars? That’s pretty awesome, if you ask me.

Anyway, so I’ve been reading up on artificial reefs on the very informative wiki page, and it seems like they have pluses and minuses, and there have been some kind of unpleasant incidents in the past where tires and other reef parts have gotten loose. It seems like a pretty complicated issue. I’m just hoping that this works out well for the animal populations off the coast that could be doing a lot better than they have been lately.

Eastern Shore Guide, one of my favorite local sites, has created a new site specifically for kids. Eastern Shore Kids has shore-themed games, puzzles and ideas, plus my personal favorite, printable coloring pages of local wildlife (including two maryland blue crabs!). The site has no ads or pop-ups, just kid-friendly content. What a great way to get kids used to the joys of the Internet, and its educational possibilities, without exposing them to all the skeevy bits!

is go whale watching.

I know, right, why haven’t I gone already? You tell me. But I think this summer would be a great time for my maiden voyage, don’t you? That’s why I’m hoping to go on the Angler Dolphin and Whale Watch Excursion this summer. Apparently it’s a really good chance to see dolphins, whales, ponies, sea birds, and all kinds of neat animals. Don’t know if Captain Bill Bunting’s Angler restaurant has anything vegetarian for me to eat, but the carnivores among you might be interested in the coupon for a shrimp dinner that you’ll find at the link, as well as the restaurant’s famous fresh fish catches.

I’m thinking that I’m not going to make it back to OC until the second week of June. When I come back, I promise to post all my awesome dolphin pictures.

And, a question for the readers: what Eastern Shore experience have you missed out on so far? watching Pony Penning day? Taking part in a fishing tournament? Let’s make 2008 the year to go out and do it. Post a comment and maybe I’ll make a post about your experience!

Some of you will probably remember that at about this time last year, Ocean City’s boardwalk hosted a Walk for the Animals event to benefit the Humane Society. Attendees could walk with their own dogs, or adopt a dog from the local humane society at the event. Proceeds went to help the Humane Society in their work with homeless animals.

The event was a big success. However, I can’t find anything like it scheduled for this year. Salisbury, MD had a Walk for the Animals this April, and Rehoboth had theirs just this weekend, but it doesn’t look like there’s one scheduled for OC. I’m planning to get in touch with the Worcester Humane Society about this, and of course I’ll report back to you. But if anyone is qualified and interested, here is a PDF about how to run your own Walk for the Animals.

In the meantime, pictures from Rehoboth’s successful event this weekend, courtesy of DelMarVa Now and photographer John King:

This week, the New York Times ran an obituary for William W. Warner, author of the local classic Beautiful Swimmers: Watermen, Crabs, and the Chesapeake Bay. It has been a long time since I even thought about that book, but I remember that it made an impression on me when I read it in high school, if only for the surprise that a scientist could write such an evocative work of literature. The Pulitzer Prize committee apparently agreed with me — they gave Beautiful Swimmers the 1976 prize for General Non-Fiction.

Reading about Warren, I was surprised to learn that he wasn’t originally from Maryland — he was born in Manhattan. The author was a WWII veteran and high school teacher who also worked for many years as a public servant, both as a Peace Corps coordinator and as an employee of Washington’s Smithsonian Institution.

Warren contributed great things to our understanding of the Eastern Shore’s culture and ecology. I think that this would be a wonderful occasion to pick up some of his books for re-reading.