w.calvert ww ma rine mu seu m. com Vol. 38, No. 4 Winter 2014 River to Bay: Reflections and Connections By David Moyer, Curator for Estuarine Biology This is a section of the continuous waterline mural above the “Sheltering Shallows” zone (Drawings by CMM exhibits technician Tim Scheirer). emolition is well underway, and freshwaters of the coastal plains. gutting the entire space, but instead major component purchases In each habitat, visitors can explore working within the existing footprint. Dare in progress, and concepts the human connection by answering While this is a more affordable are transforming into text and graphics fundamental questions: How are human approach, it presents its own challenges – we are ecstatic to have initiated this activities influencing these places? and limitations. The exhibits team is re- long overdue Estuarium renovation Who is responsible for preserving this imagining the space by literally raising project! Our new aquarium exhibit national treasure? And, how can we the ceiling to give the visitor the feeling is designed to reflect natural habitats all get involved in preserving our own of being under the water. New color surrounding Southern Maryland. It Chesapeake Bay watershed community? schemes will flow from the floor and will mirror adaptive strategies life Our exploration dives deeper, up the walls to delineate the different forms use to cope with harsh estuarine demonstrating how bay creatures are habitats; lights will play on the floors and existence. It will echo current teachings connected to their surroundings, and to walls to simulate light playing on water, of regional scholars and researchers – each other. We hope that this journey can drawing the observer beneath the surface. that humans are affecting change in the strengthen our visitors' understanding of Murals and three-dimensional artifacts Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. And how natural processes shape the cultures will project into the space overhead, it will embody the museum’s mission by and ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay. Continued on page 2 immersing guests in a “what lies beneath The underlying message is that all living the waves” environment, stimulating the things exist in one dynamic system imagination and creating an engaged – a system under pressure from the learning experience. increasing number of humans living in River to Bay: Reflections We will accomplish this by first the watershed. and Connections ...............Page 1 delineating three unique bay habitats: We are doing a “front of house” deep, open waters; brackish shallows; renovation, meaning we will not be Museum Store: There's a Grand Reopening in Our Future! .................Page 1 MUSEUMMUSEUM STORE:STORE: THERE’STHERE’S AA GRANDGRAND Renovation Update .............Page 3 REOPENINGREOPENING ININ OUROUR FUTURE!FUTURE! Tom Younger Completes Skipjack Model for Exhibit ........Page 4 By Maureen Baughman, Store Manager Charting a New Course t was a simple idea that led to a big change: flip the museum’s front doors and for the Dee of St. Mary's .........Page 5 the large window to the right to allow the expansion of the Museum Store Activities & Event Photos .........Page 6 within the existing building footprint. Our store has grown into a fabulous I Education Update ..............Page 8 destination, and as a result has outgrown its space. When the project went out to bid last year, large dreams and limited resources collided. We were forced to Volunteer Spotlight .............Page 9 downsize the scope of the project in order to rebid, and the store expansion ended Development and Membership ....Page 10 up on the cutting room floor. And then something extraordinary happened … CMM Staff Update ..............Page 11 Continued on page 8 2 River to Bay: Reflections and Connections (Continued from page 1) showing that life above the waterline of the new exhibit, creating a desire to preserve our Chesapeake is intimately tied to that below. precious Chesapeake. Our guests will leave And there will be sounds – sounds of water with a renewed sense of appreciation for this lapping, gulls crying, ships’ horns, further remarkable resource, and be spurred to take enhancing the immersive experience. action through our new web-based program – The new exhibit will also introduce Team Chesapeake. many interactive elements, inviting visitors Look for River to Bay: Reflections and not only to engage their senses, but to engage Connections to open in the fall of 2014. Track their minds. There will be several new touch our progress on Facebook and Twitter. screen computers where visitors can hear fish sounds, learn all about former Senator Bernie As reported in the fall edition of the BT, we Fowler and his legendary wade-in, and apply have received a large grant from the Institute what they’ve learned about animal adaptation. of Museums and Library Services, Museums “Maker Spaces” throughout the gallery invite for America, supplemented by a second grant visitors to learn by doing, providing additional from the Maryland Heritage Area Authority and value to the museum as a field classroom for a generous donation from Stan and Barbara everyone – from teachers to parents to children. Benning, to renovate our Estuarine Gallery – the last of our three Complementing the gallery’s new look will be a series of permanent exhibits to be updated. six new aquariums housing previously non-exhibited species such as chain dogfish (a small shark), octopus, smallmouth bass, crappie, painted turtle, tessellated darter, and many more. Thanks to a generous donation from Stan and Barbara Benning, we will be adding a large tank in the Eco-Invaders gallery to house the beautiful but highly invasive lionfish. Celebrating bay diversity can be integrated into every facet of the Future layout with: Quarterly Newsletter of the Zone 1 Open Water Calvert Marine Museum • 13 aquariums (5 new) Zone 2 Coastal Shallows (A Division of Calvert County Government) • clearly defined (and expanded) zones/themes Zone 3 Tidal Freshwater (New Theme) and the • 6 new interactive stations Zone 4 Adaptations Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc. (ISSN 0887-651X) • all new graphic/text panels Zone 5 Eco-Invaders/Invasive Species C. Douglass Alves Jr., Director Views of demolition to prepare for Sherrod Sturrock, Deputy Director and Editor upgrades in Estuarine Biology Gallery Robert Hurry, Photo Editor (CMM photos by Rob Hurry). The bugeye was the traditional sailing craft of the Bay, and was built in all its glory New Tank - at Solomons, the “Bugeye Capital of the Large i i Freshwater Repurposed World.” Membership dues are used to fund Tank - Small i New Tank - ENTRANCE i Freshwater EXIT special museum projects, programs, and Chain Dogfish this newsletter. Address comments and i i 3 New i ZONE 3 Adaptations membership applications to: Tanks “How to get involved” 50” TV/Video ZONE 1 Bernie Fowler and summary touch Interactive i screen Calvert Marine Museum Society, Inc. New Insert - ZONE 2 Fish Sounds Interactive P.O. Box 97 Replica wreck i ZONE 5 Solomons, MD 20688-0097 and pilings i ZONE 4 410-320-2042 i i FAX 410-326-6691 TDD 410-535-6355 5’ 3-D New i Museum Store: 410-326-2750 Seahorse Oyster New - Build a creature Insert www.calvertmarinemuseum.com Replica interactive station Layout by Stuller Designs Future layout with: Zone 1 Open Water • 13 aquariums (5 new) Zone 2 Coastal Shallows • clearly defined (and expanded) zones/themes Zone 3 Tidal Freshwater (New Theme) • 6 new interactive stations Zone 4 Adaptations • all new graphic/text panels Zone 5 Eco-Invaders/Invasive Species New Tank - Large i i Freshwater Repurposed Tank - Small i New Tank - ENTRANCE i Freshwater EXIT Chain Dogfish i i 3 New i ZONE 3 Adaptations Tanks “How to get involved” 50” TV/Video ZONE 1 Bernie Fowler and summary touch Interactive i screen New Insert - ZONE 2 Fish Sounds Interactive Replica wreck i ZONE 5 and pilings i ZONE 4 i i 5’ 3-D New i Seahorse Oyster New - Build a creature Replica Insert interactive station FALL 2013 3 RENOVATION UPDATE By Doug Alves, Director Concrete finishers smoothing and leveling poured subfloor (CMM New footers in old auditorium area (CMM photo by Bob Hall). photo by Rob Hurry). Our dreams are coming true, the magic has started, and the renovations to the Calvert Marine Museum have begun. After years of planning by staff, volunteers, and the board, along with visitor input, a construction crew from Desbuild Incorporated is transforming the auditorium into a much needed multi-purpose space: The John and Marianne Harms Gallery. As the “owner representative,” I frequently don my hardhat to venture behind the temporary wall that screens visitors from the action to confer with Steve Gibbons, the construction supervisor. Since their October start, the crew has removed the sloped floor and seats and leveled the space. They are replacing the wall that was between the auditorium and the lobby with a new movable partition, and installing new studs and sheetrock. New wiring and outlets are sprouting everywhere. It is exciting to review the blueprints with the contractor and make sure everyone is on the same page as the drawings become reality. (When the concrete was being poured, I also made sure that staff and otters kept their initials and paw prints out of the wet concrete.) On December 31 at noon, the museum closed for at least two months to allow the heavy construction work to take place. The plans call for new tile floors in the Harms Gallery, continuing into the lobby and the Museum Store. In addition to new flooring, The Museum Store will have new counters and fixtures installed. The current front doors will be switched with the large window, creating a new entrance leading to a Workmen from Desbuild Incorporated preparing Doug Alves, right, explaining renovation plans new admissions desk framed by acrylic flooring system in old auditorium area (CMM to during the “Sledgehammer Social” for walls that double as information screens (CMM photo by Bob Hall).