NYSMEA conference 08


		NYSMEA Conference 2008 June 8th, 2008 American Museum of Natural History


Conference Chair people, Board members and the Registrars pictured here met early to set up the exhibit area.				Alan Ascher helped out and then got an early look at the items on display.

Andrea Oliver, longtime NYSMEA member, was looking to increase her supply of items for the classroom. Andrea was named a 2008 Siemens Science Teacher Award Recipient for New York		The hall quickly filled with conference participants looking at the interesting exhibits and trawling for freebees.


Lisa Breslof, conference co-chair introduced the audience to the wonderful group of speakers for the day.				Our speakers

Eugenia Naro-Maciel		Richard Ellis		Joseph Gordon

Bob Abrams, Chairperson of the Awards Committee presented this year's awards. Ed Wilensky, current president of NYSMEA and Principal of the Rachel Carson High School, was the first to be rewarded for his efforts with a Kinghan Award		Pam Lynch, of Suffolk County Community College also received a Kinghan award for her many activities.		Anne Bicker, long time member, is recognized for her many contributons to NYSMEA with a Kinghan Award

Alan Ascher, longtime member, former science chairperson, member of the marine biology regents writing committee, ecology curriculum writer and liaison to the state education department for New York City was given the Maury Award for lifetime achievements.		Lou Siegel is presented with the Founder's Award by Bob Abrams (also an original board member.)		Lou Siegel presents Alexandra Mancuso, author and Briana Lind, artist, with the Melville Award for literary effort for their book, Great Blue's Message. They also received the Preserve the Reserve, Stewardship Award from the South Shore Estuary Reserve

Bob Abrams presents Sidney Horenstein of AMNH with the Maury Award for his many contributions to the marine community. Sidney later ran a geology field trip to Central Park			Sarah Richards, new member of the National Marine Educator's Association Executive Board, (NMEA) gave a short report and invited people to the July Conference in Savannah Georgia



		Lunch always includes delicious food and a big helping of networking opportunities


	After a delicious lunch we had our annual bit of fun and fundraising by auctioning off items ranging from a Dive with the Sharks at Atlantis Marine World to books and marine related decorative items. Merryl Kafka, conference co-chairperson and Sarah Richards did the honors.




We finished off the day with a choice of great field trips which included two to Central Park. One was to identify birds, led by Joseph DiCostanzo, Ornithologist, Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Ornithology, Great Gull Island Project, AMNH. Here is the bird list from the trip. The other, led by Sidney Horenstein, examined the geology. A third group visited the genetics laboratory of Dr. Eugenia Naro-Maciel in the museum.

		Sidney Horenstein began our trip through the geological history of New York with a trip up steps carved in bedrock.
		Watch for our upcoming calendar of events on www.NYSMEA.org After 3 years in the Great New York City, we hope to move next years' conference back to the Eastern End of Long Island for a weekend of lectures, workshops and field trips. Please write to info@NYSMEA.org if you would like to participate. Our next Director's Meeting - open to all - is planned for August at the waterfront home of the Freudenthals in Massapequa.