Bug bites, oysters, scorching heat – oh my! A field trip to gain insight and inspiration

Contributors:  Mars Lafond, Sabrina Andino, Janet Rosado, Ava Conlon, Judith Nsimire

Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing partnership with Manchester InkLink called the Teen Inkubator which has published countless work by youth and young adults in our region. We are so thankful for opportunities like this and hope to continue offering these resources to our youth and young adults. Donate to InkLink to support endeavors like this. – Yasamin Safarzadeh

From the active cities of New Hampshire to the calm waters of Kittery Bay, student interns sail into the depths of artistic inspiration. Kimball Jenkins and MyTurn have partnered up again creating an internship with the goal of bringing nature into the city. A mural will soon be painted at West High School with a culminating reception and unveiling on August 17 for the public!

Last year’s theme was diversity and inclusion. This year KJ and MyTurn have partnered with The Nature Conservancy to speak on the themes of the current climate crisis and conservation. For those who remember last year’s mural at Kimball Jenkins and those who are new, stay updated on the hard work and adventures with more articles like this on Manchester InkLink and by following our socials! @kimballjenkins

We started the day exploring the grounds of the Nature Conservancy Great Bay office in Newmarket. Greeted at the door by smiling faces of the staff, a towering pile of oyster shells, and the lingering smell of fish in the air. The oyster shells come from local restaurants to be repurposed into reefs for new generations of baby oysters to thrive. We put on our sweat-trapping gloves, wiped our dripping foreheads, and were put to work shoveling the shells into biodegradable coconut fiber bags. Going into this, we were surprised by the idea of oysters being more than just some fancy dinner option. Turns out these silent heroes filter out algae and micronutrients from 50 gallons of water a day, although they are unfortunately decreasing in population from overharvesting, disease, and water warming.

“This trip was the second day of the internship and was kind of the first ‘bonding’ experience as a group since some of us are strangers. Especially those from different high schools like myself and the interns largely from West who already know each other. Honestly, the few minutes of dead silence inside the Great Bay office to savor the air conditioning after shoveling oysters in 90-degree heat brought us together,” says Ava Conlon, a returning student intern from Concord.

Right at the end of our break the photographer for the Nature Conservancy, Jerry Monkman, took us on a short hike through the Sweet Trail to see the Marsh. On our way to the trail Amber Nicole Cannan, a mentor for the program, showed some of the interns interesting facts about plant life. Busy paying attention to the mud clinging to our shoes we almost missed the beautiful scenery around us.

“Seeing the marsh up close was a whole new experience. The air was salty, with hot sun and a warm breeze on my sticky skin soaked in bug spray. Collectively we decided, in a bit of a rush, that we would head back to the lovely air conditioning in the Great Bay Office,” says Janet Rosado, an intern from Manchester.

“I had to keep the bug spray in my pocket at all times,” said Sabrina Andino.

Our 30-minute break in Prescott Park in Portsmouth was a brief but relaxing part of our adventure. It was an opportunity to think back on what we had learned about oysters, the taste of oysters, the marsh, and the importance of it all. We collectively wandered throughout the patches of dahlias and carnations taking pictures to possibly incorporate into the courtyard of West High School. Watching butterflies chase each other and bumble bees collect pollen sparked ideas of what can be brought into gardens at the school so fellow students can be in nature.

“Some of us aren’t flower people. Don’t get me wrong, the Portsmouth garden was absolutely beautiful – 10 acres of flowers, butterflies, honey bees, the crystal clear fountain above sparkling wish pennies, the numerous statues towering above us. Overall I learned the difference between snapdragons and lavender, an honest mistake if you ask me,” said returning student intern, Mars LaFond, of the experience in Prescott Park.

“I like the variety, a lot of the flowers I hadn’t seen before. The fountains were pretty cool. It was interesting because it was on the verge of raining, but thankfully it held out while we were in the garden,” said one of the student interns, about the gardens.

A short walk from Prescott Park we headed aboard the Gundalow to take a sail ride through Piscataqua’s region by the generous Gundalow Company. After sneaking our way onto their boat during last year’s trip to Portsmouth we were granted an actual ride on the gundalow and were given a mini history lesson about the sailors in that area. All of us were stunned by the exhilarating views of islands, navy ships, lighthouses, and the sunshine reflecting off the water. By the end of the trip, we were awkwardly singing sea shanties and drifting into sleep as we made our way back to Manchester.

A special excerpt from Kimball Jenkins all-star Judith Nsimire:

A Journey by Boat

Rowing in a boat provides a lot of fun. Five years ago I had the opportunity to go to a boat trip for about a week. We stayed in a house which was close to the sea in full sun. My father and uncle hired a boat for 30 minutes. The boat was quite spacious though not very big. All of us- my father, mother, uncle and me got into the boat.

It was windy. There were not many boats in the sea. I wanted to stand up but my mother was afraid to let me do that.
That’s why I was so happy when they allowed us to stand and walk around in the gundalow. But, at first, I was scared because I thought it was dangerous to stand on the boat while it was moving.

The Inkubator program is aimed at nurturing and growing New Hampshire’s local journalism ecosystem – support for educators, opportunities for students and pathways for future journalists, artists and creators. And beyond that, we want to engage our community in this process because together, we rise.