Bruce Museum Seaside Center Recognizes Summer Interns

OLD GREENWICH, CT, August 24, 2018 – As the summer season at the beach comes to a close, we want to be sure to recognize the contributions of the many volunteers who make the Bruce Museum Seaside Center in Greenwich Point Park a great place for thousands of visitors to explore. Each summer the Seaside Center provides opportunities for student volunteers to learn about marine life, environmental education, and public outreach. A few of those volunteers are a part of the Seaside Center’s internship program facilitated by the Seaside Center staff naturalists.

This year five college and high school students were accepted as interns at the Bruce Museum Seaside Center, going beyond the regular volunteer activities of manning the touch tank and helping collect animals in the seine nets. Each had her own project to focus on, but all had the opportunity to create a valuable learning experience related to the Long Island Sound. These are the stories of Seaside Center interns Lauren Clement, Angelica Dziurzynski, Samantha Kraftsow, Megan Rigione, and Samantha Zurgrigggen.

Lauren Clement

I am a rising junior at Tulane University majoring in Environmental Biology and minoring in Marine Biology. I'm from Westport, Connecticut, so I grew up going to the beach often and had wanted to find an internship where I could get involved and learn more about the Long Island Sound. Since joining the Seaside Center, I have learned so much about the ecology of the Long Island Sound that I didn't know about before. So, for my intern project I decided to make an "ABC's of the Long Island Sound" to educate others about what lives in the area that surrounds us.

Angelica Dziurzynski

Growing up in the area, I used to go to Tod's Point a lot when I was younger. I always loved being at the beach and learning about Long Island Sound. It helped spark my passion for marine science, and I thought that volunteering at the Seaside Center would be the perfect opportunity to give back to my community. Not only could I get hands-on experience working in the marine biology field, but I could also educate the public about matters that are important to me. For my special focus, I wanted to continue a project that I began last year -- about pollution and how it negatively affects both animals and humans. During one of the daily programs we run at the Seaside Center, we would talk about how harmful trash can be and why it is important to recycle or properly dispose of litter. We would then walk along the beach, pick up and sort the trash into different categories, and write down the data. Over the past two summers, we have picked up over 2,000 pieces of trash. A display of the items we collected draws a lot of attention from visitors, since it is a good visual example of just how much pollution is out there. It is also a good example of how we can better the community by conducting beach cleanups that help keep our beaches clean and the animals safe.

In the fall, I will attend the University of New Hampshire as a first-year student majoring in marine biology and environmental science. I am excited for this new chapter in my life, and I hope to return to the Seaside Center again next summer.

Samantha Kraftsow

This year I will be going into my senior year at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. Originally from New York City, my family partially relocated to Stamford, CT, which allowed me to have what I consider to be the best of both worlds. As a communication and public relations major, I help with normal Seaside Center activities such as the touch tanks, but I also write press releases and post on the Seaside Center’s Instagram page. As the summer nears an end, I can honestly say I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to work for the Bruce Museum and Seaside Center, representing the Museum and its mission.

Megan Rigione

I am a rising junior at New Canaan High School with a keen interest in the environment. As a freshman, I applied for the Wilburn Fellowship, which is a grant awarded to individuals who complete projects that bring communities together. My project, an endeavor to unite communities through sustainable energy, has been to install solar panels for both my school and The Nambale Magnet school in Kenya.

The Bruce Museum Seaside Center internship was the perfect opportunity for me to continue my passion for the environment. Having the chance to meet people from different towns and schools has been an awesome way to spend my summer. The skills I learned, including seining and changing the water in the tanks, have instilled in me even more respect for the environment and all the life within. I filled my time at the Seaside Center helping out at the touch tank, explaining animals to visitors, and working on various projects. Along with the other interns, I worked on “The Probability of Getting Attacked by a Shark” project. It was fascinating to see that a person was more likely to get bitten by a New Yorker than attacked by a shark, statistically speaking! I also created a project on one of Greenwich’s founders, Elizabeth Feake. The goal of this project was to show Feake’s struggle as a woman settler and to demonstrate her contributions to Greenwich. I really enjoyed my time at the Seaside Center and hope to return next year!

Samantha Zurgrigggen

I came to Greenwich about two years ago and graduated from Greenwich High School this year. I have always loved being at the beach and learning about animals that live in the sea. I became an intern at the Seaside Center to gain more experience and knowledge regarding the marine life of Long Island Sound. I also wanted to meet other people that had the same interests.

My experience here was nothing less than amazing. I was able to see so many different kinds of animals, learn new things and closely observe all of these marine organisms, while also teaching others about them. I am so happy that I had this opportunity to go outside of my comfort zone to communicate with others and bring awareness about the Sound.

For my special project, I designed a pamphlet and craft about sea urchins. I also developed a program which taught visitors about the beauty of sea urchins, their anatomy, and their status in Long Island Sound and around the world; kids had the opportunity to craft their own sea urchins, too. By providing this information, I hope that the younger generation will begin to care more about lesser known animals such as sea urchins and other animals like them.

For more information about the Bruce Museum Seaside Center internship program, contact Seaside Center Manager Cynthia Ehlinger at cynthiae@brucemuseum.org or 203-413-6756.