I am excited to share that our 8th and 9th grade students, science teachers Tim Gore and Susan Benner, development office coordinator Joanne DelCarpine, members of the BCD graduating class of 1976, and members of the Kapteyn family joined together for the inaugural BCD voyage on the Sloop Clearwater today. To honor the life of BCD alumnus Jamie Kapteyn (‘76) and his passion for rivers and conservation, The James C. Kapteyn Endowment for Environmental Studies was created in 2010 by his friends and fellow BCD classmates. This endowment was fully funded this year!
Now that the James C Kapteyn Endowment for Environmental Studies is fully funded, the annual proceeds from this endowment will be used to underwrite a yearly, hands-on educational opportunity in the area of environmental studies. As part of the 8th grade science curriculum, BCD students will spend a day on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater engaging in a variety of water conservation activities. In this way, this legacy gift will educate future generations of children and honor the memory of Jamie and his passion for environmental studies and water conservation.
On their three-hour sail aboard the Clearwater, BCD students helped raise the sails, navigate the boat, and set and haul in fishing nets. They also visited learning stations to examine the day’s catch, perform water quality tests, and study plankton and other vertebrate life under field magnification. The Clearwater trip was augmented with a curriculum-based program to include recitations and improvisation of river-inspired poetry and stories, and a unit on environmental conservation.
The mission of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is to preserve and protect the Hudson River. Its educational philosophy is that experience-based learning conducted in a natural setting is the best available tool for cultivating awareness and commitment to the health of our rivers, oceans, and watersheds. Their goal is to protect the Hudson River and inspire and energize the next generation of environmental leaders. Thanks to the many donors and their generous gifts, the Jamie Kapteyn endowment will now make this annual educational experience a reality for generations of BCD students, adding a meaningful and joyful component to the biology curriculum in Jamie’s spirit as an educator and conservationist.
Jamie was known by his family, friends, and students as a poet, educator, avid fisherman and ardent conservationist and environmentalist. Jamie passed away in 2007, but his interests are kept alive by the many people who knew and loved him. In 2009, our School community identified “sustainability” as one of its core seven values: “We educate our community about the impact of our actions and behaviors on the environment and instill practices that protect its long-term viability.”