Marine Conservation Center Repairs Underway After First Fundraising Goal Met

The Ernst Marine Conservation Center at West Meadow Creek is getting some much-needed repairs, after more than $10,000 was raised to fund the first phase of restoration.
The Indiegogo campaign the Ward Melville Heritage Organization had launched in Februaryraised $3,630, and the Murphy Junior High School student government donated $1,500 to the cause. Gyrodyne Co. of America had pledged it would match the donations – and with that, the WMHO had raised enough money for the first phase of repairs needed after Hurricane Sandy flooded and battered the building.
"Everybody’s stepping up to the plate and helping us, and we really appreciate that," WMHO president Gloria Rocchio said in an interview Monday. "It’s a real community effort."
Rocchio said the donations have already facilitated the hanging of new sheet rock, spackling and painting inside the Marine Conservation Center. Some repairs to the roof and ceiling were also necessary after a branch fell through the roof above the bathroom. Up next is flooring, including new carpeting. A local dentist, Dr. Rocco Morelli, has also donated some of the flooring.
The next round of fundraising will kick off June 18 at the WMHO's annual "Jewels and Jeans" party at Flowerfield. New heating and cooling systems will be the focus of the second phase of work, which will require around $11,000.The organization's ultimate goal is to cover the entire cost of fixing the Marine Conservation Center – around $80,000 – through fundraising.
"We hope to have the inside of the building ready for the summer programs," Rocchio said. "Those programs start in July, so maybe we can make it."
The WMHO's marine science programs, "Salt Marsh Explorers" for kids ages 5 to 8 and "Salt Marsh Detectives" for kids ages 9 to 12, are set to run the weeks of July 15 and July 29, respectively.
The programs feature a combination of indoor and outdoor learning focused on the wetlands environment surrounding the classroom. Students make observations and collect samples and specimens outdoors, then head to the indoor classroom to further study them. The classroom is equipped with microscopes, computers, books, a touch tank, and other learning tools.
"In terms of making meaning from their outdoor experiences, the indoor facility provides the space and the technology for them to do that, and that’s really important," said Deborah Boudreau, education manager for the WMHO. "That’s what makes the program really special."