Please Help the marine biology / aquaculture students of Durfee HS, Fall River MA

[gobyvin]

Hi all,

I am a relatively new member, but long into the hobby ~15 years. My name is Vincent Manfredi and I am a fisheries biologist for the state of Massachusetts. My lovely wife, Kathryn, is a marine biology teacher for four core curriculum (not elective) sophomore marine biology classes at the Durfee Public High School in Fall River, MA. These classes teach a complete biology curriculum with all examples taken from or about marine organisms and ecosystems. The school has extensive aquarium systems, freshwater but mostly marine, with mostly local and some exotic species, inverts and fish.
These systems support the curriculum of my wife's courses, aquaculture courses and environmental science courses in an economically depressed city of the Commonwealth. I personally know the staff my wife works with and they are dedicated educators and many are lovers and protectors of the marine environment.

The school is under severe fiscal stress and the aquariums are in serious need of some salt for water changes. Dedicated teachers visit and feed/care for specimens over the summer so the systems are always ready when the school year begins again. I ask that anyone that can afford to buy any amount of salt please ship it directly to the school with the address below.

Attn: Kathryn Manfredi
Science Department
Durfee High School
360 Elsbree Street
Fall River, MA 02720

If there is a more preferred way to do this as a group buy, provided there is enough interest, maybe a BRS sponsor can support it and we can pool our funds to get a big order of one brand (probably best method). CRA maybe??? I think Jeremy is a great guy and love his shop. My favorite LFS and favorite LFS proprietor for his ethics, approach and husbandry practices. I could arrange for pickup and transport if we go that route. Any help here would be appreciated. We strain under the budgetary burden of our 180 mixed reef, so we can't afford to buy it all ourselves and provide school supplies the city can't afford anyway. You would all be surprised at what our society and politicians give to education in this country, if you are not familiar.

Thanks, everyone!

Mods please move to a better location if there is one!
Sorry if this is not appropriate, I don't see anything wrong with it though!

 

[gobyvin]

Bump for a good cause...

Please Help, the program is excellent and the teachers are great!

Salt is the most needed commodity here, I have had pm's on other equipment but really all they need is salt. Thanks for the interest, but I have had no commitments so far. Economy is bad, I understand that is the common excuse, but these kids live on the water and never see the life within it. This program opens the eyes of many inner city youth that otherwise would not understand the awesome wonders that lie beneath the waves. Please Help. Donations made receive the proper documentation for tax purposes, my wife confirmed that today. They have done this kind of thing before. I extend my thanks again.

Vinny

 

[Liam]

This sounds like a worthy cause that maybe the club could help out in some way.
Just a thought, I know the clubs leadership has spoken in the past about supporting worthy local educational projects.
Maybe try contacting the BRS bod and see what their thoughts are.

 

[CaptainHook210]

Please Help, the program is excellent and the teachers are great!

Salt is the most needed commodity here, I have had pm's on other equipment but really all they need is salt. Thanks for the interest, but I have had no commitments so far. Economy is bad, I understand that is the common excuse, but these kids live on the water and never see the life within it. This program opens the eyes of many inner city youth that otherwise would not understand the awesome wonders that lie beneath the waves. Please Help. Donations made receive the proper documentation for tax purposes, my wife confirmed that today. They have done this kind of thing before. I extend my thanks again.

Vinny

Here's a idea , collect the other equipment & then hold a auction or a raffle at a meeting
Then take the money & use it to buy salt for the tanks

 

[CaptainHook210]

Here's a idea , collect the other equipment & then hold a auction or a raffle at a meeting
Then take the money & use it to buy salt for the tanks

Can a BOD member way in on this idea

 

[delta]

I am not sure about the Auction but will bring the idea to the attention of the BOD so we can discuss it..

 

[gonorth16]

I've got 2 full bags of coralife salt that I would be willing to donate. Only catch is I'm in plaistow,nh. quite a hike from fairhaven. If you have someone coming up this way the salt is all yours. let me know if it works for you. thanks and good luck, peter

 

[jamesdong009]

Peter, If you're around tomorrow, I can pick up from you before I head down. I plan to be down there around 2:30PM

 

[CaptainHook210]

I am not sure about the Auction but will bring the idea to the attention of the BOD so we can discuss it..

An Auction would be hard to do. A raffle is easy to do depending on items

Maybe even just a donation box at the next meeting

 

[gobyvin]

I appreciate all of the help thus far, and any that is forthcoming!

I would like to thank all that have made an effort so far to help us out!

My wife and her fellow staff members are so happy that someone was able to help.

I am going to the school today, hopefully in time to see Anthony, to help determine a list of materials that they really need other than salt.

The BoD and leadership have contacted me and we are discussing the way to move forward with help from the BRS as a whole. I will be taking photos of the systems today to help members understand what we are dealing with and my wife is working on a background description of the program and it's dependance on the systems. They really do work the systems into the curriculum, so the money and donations are well spent.

 

[CaptainHook210]

I'll donate 2 - 50 gallon bags of Instant Oceans I'm close by to the school ,so I can bring them there & maybe I can check out the tanks

Where , when & how do I ask to see

 

[JayM]

I would like to thank all that have made an effort so far to help us out!

My wife and her fellow staff members are so happy that someone was able to help.

I am going to the school today, hopefully in time to see Anthony, to help determine a list of materials that they really need other than salt.

The BoD and leadership have contacted me and we are discussing the way to move forward with help from the BRS as a whole. I will be taking photos of the systems today to help members understand what we are dealing with and my wife is working on a background description of the program and it's dependance on the systems. They really do work the systems into the curriculum, so the money and donations are well spent.

We're looking forward to seeing those pictures!

 

[JayM]

I'll donate 2 - 50 gallon bags of Instant Oceans I'm close by to the school ,so I can bring them there & maybe I can check out the tanks

Where , when & how do I ask to see

are you coming to the June meeting? If so, we could put out a 'donate a bag of salt' request. I will personally be happy to bring one as well, if I know it's going to get there.....

 

[Jim Tansey]

I have a bucket, but it would cost almost as much to ship as its worth, I would like to help though.

Jim

 

[jamesdong009]

I was just there and was thoroughly impressed by the setup. I came in expecting a small classroom with a one or two tanks. It almost looked more like a fishery, especially with the two 300g holding tanks.

Bob, one of the teachers, even showed me a slide of a live one day old squid. Very cool.

Hopefully Vinny will post pictures soon.

 

[gobyvin]

Durfee HS Teaching Aquariums...

Hi All,

Thanks again everyone for the help and that which is to come. Here is stage one of what you all want to see... How extensive and important to the program these systems I am trying to help are.

-Description of classes and how the tanks work into the curriculum to follow.

The dual 300 gallon polyethylene tanks with 3/4 HP Chiller and bioball tower with supplemental bead biofilter.

 

[gobyvin]

More pics...

Forgot a caption above...

The one on the left is Kathryn, my wife and the smiley guy on the right is my good friend and lab-mate at UMASS grad school, teacher Matt Tweedie.

Here is the 55G rack system that is not yet centralized.

 

[gobyvin]

The pics continue...

The Trout hatchery system:

 

[gobyvin]

The fathead minnow system...

These guys are cool and are great examples of the production of pheromones in fish...

 

[reeferpj]

did you say this is a high school?