J 



CL0CK1/WS5, TOP LEFT: The old wastewater tanks are designed to hold 1 . 7 million gallons of water. Remnant industrial features remind 

 visitors of both the human folly and success attached to the bay. Now the Wilson Bay appears as calm and beautiful as it must have been 

 decades ago. Pipes once used by the old wastewater plant have been idle since 1998. 



from Jacksonville Commons Middle School, is 

 a regular at Sturgeon City. 



Sitting in the lab at Sturgeon City, holding 

 an oyster in one hand and a permanent marker 

 in the other, Alsop pauses for a moment to 

 explain her task. "We check for mortality, 

 growth and whether or not they've reproduced." 

 She marks the oysters by number in order to 

 keep record of the oysters in her measuring 

 sample. 



Alsop's partner for the day, Stephen Clark, 

 an eighth grader from New Bridge Middle 

 School, chimes in to explain the process. "Every 

 site has a different set of oysters with the same 

 numbering system and the same numbers in 

 the bags. We clean, dry, take measurements, 

 renumber, and put them back in the bay." 



Both students enjoy different aspects of 

 the program, from working in the wetlands to 



studying hydrolabs, which are little labs in a 

 tube. 



The combined response from students, 

 grant institutions, researchers and volunteers in 

 the community supports Levine's philosophy: 

 "It's possible to pursue both economic 

 development and environmental stewardship." 



Thus, designs for Sturgeon City will reflect 

 that industry and nature can coexist. "We are 

 going to leave the industrial look to the place 

 as a constant reminder to not let history repeat 

 itself," Donovan-Potts explains. 



A butterfly garden, outdoor amphitheater, 

 gazebo-style picnic area, playground and nature 

 walk are just a few ideas for the facility. 



When Wilson Bay reaches full recovery 

 and Sturgeon City grows within a watchful eye 

 of the reborn bay, it is hoped that there will be 

 a constant stream of people of all ages walking 



through the center eager to learn. 



They will walk from building to building, 

 hushed by tanks flowing with sharks, skates, 

 rays and sturgeon. Engaged and challenged 

 by educators, they will learn the history of 

 Sturgeon City and Wilson Bay. Q 



Get Informed to Get Involved 



• To learn more about Wilson Bay, 

 visit the Web at www.sturgeoncity.org. 



• To volunteer or enroll in a Sturgeon 

 City Institute this summer, call Jeanne 

 Stanley at 910/938-6452. 



• To learn more about oysters, order 

 Sea Grant's new DVD: The Amazing 

 Oyster: A Keystone Species for the 

 Health of Our Coast. Call 919/515-9101. 



COASTWATCH 11 



