Setauket Kindergarteners Adopt a Stranded Seal

After learning about a young stranded seal that was rescued by onlookers at Fire Island’s Cherry Grove, kindergarten students at Setauket Elementary were able to adopt the seal through the Riverhead Foundation and learn all about the species.

“As part of the kindergarten curriculum, the students learn about mammals, animal habitats and various degrees of animal adaptations, and this grade-level project provided them with a tangible way to understand those concepts," kindergarten teacher Kim Shaughnessy said.

The kindergarteners named the seal Sunny, and were able to see her in her recovery area via cameras set up in the habitat. They completed projects and experiences relating to seals, including trying on a glove covered in “blubber” to see how blubber protects seals from the chill of ice water.

Riverhead Foundation volunteer Steven Abbondondelo visited with the classes to present Sunny's adoption certificate and accept several boxes of supplies the students had collected for the foundation's animal hospital.

Students will eventually attend the release of the seal into Port Jefferson Harbor and will still be able to follow her whereabouts thanks to a tracking device. The primary funding for the seal adoption came through a grant from the Three Village Educational Foundation.