Students from William Floyd Middle School's Animal Science Club have successfully completed a project to rehabilitate and release a rescued harbor seal named "Floyd." The initiative was conducted in collaboration with Canon and the New York Marine Rescue Center (NYMRC) in Riverhead.
Throughout the school year, club members engaged in live and virtual meetings with a senior biologist from NYMRC. These discussions focused on local environmental issues affecting marine mammals like seals and sea turtles. Students also learned about rescue and rehabilitation processes for these animals.
As part of their activities, students participated in a "River Walk Cleanup," collecting five pounds of trash from the Peconic River to support its ecosystem. They also visited NYMRC at the Long Island Aquarium for an educational tour that provided insights into successful mammal rehabilitation efforts.
The program concluded on May 20 with Floyd's release at Tiana Beach in Hampton Bays, witnessed by the public. Floyd was fitted with a satellite tag to allow tracking of his movements post-release. To commemorate the project, students created a fictional storybook detailing Floyd's journey, which will be published with Canon's assistance to raise funds for future rescue efforts.
Acknowledgments were extended to NYMRC and Canon for their support of this educational experience.