Trust Donates to Fishmobile for Educational Renovations

Educating and engaging minds about the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem and its inhabitants is the sole purpose of the Phillips Wharf Environmental Center. Located in Talbot County, their Fishmobile, which runs from April through November, is at the center of their educational programs. The traveling exhibit has seen just about everything from formal garden parties and private events, school functions, and fairs. Since COVID began there was some down time. “COVID hurt our outreach programs, so we used this opportunity to our advantage,” said Kristen Lycett, Ph.D. and Executive Director of the Phillips Wharf Environmental Center. “While the bus was sitting unused, we wanted to redesign the exhibits and get the bus back into working order.”

Redesigning and updating displays is time-consuming and costly, so Lycett looked to the Operation Round Up program and the Choptank Electric Trust Board to aid them. “We’re so thankful for the donation and the opportunity to touch more people’s lives,” said Lycett. “With this funding, we were able to update most of our exhibits and pay for some necessary repairs to the bus.” 

The Fishmobile is dedicated to showing people what underwater life is like in the Chesapeake Bay and helping people feel more connected to the aquatic environment. With the grant money provided by the Trust, they were able to update their shadow box displays that enclose fossils found locally, updated their hands on bins that give guests the opportunity to touch and feel real fossils, added a “Trash in the Bay” display, salinity display, and updated their water tanks that house many seasonal creatures also found in the bay. Mechanical problems with the bus were also repaired.

With their displays updated and the bus back up and running, the Center is looking forward to being back on the road once more. The educational aspect of the Fishmobile is multifaceted. History of the bay and the region, how our daily activities affect wildlife, and the interactive tanks all create an immersive learning experience. 

“One of the great things about the Fishmobile is it brings the Chesapeake Bay onto land so we can share that with our guests. They may have only seen these animals in a specific setting or haven’t spent much time on the water in general and, therefore, haven’t had much interaction with these animals or the environment,” said Lycett. “We allow people to experience animals in a more natural setting and see them in the water, interact with them. It’s amazing to see the faces of our guests light up in wonder.” 
“This service is near and dear to many in the community,” said Mike Boyle, representative for Talbot County on the Choptank Electric Trust Board. “And being able to re-energize its displays means better education for future generations, and for our adult community members as well.” 

For more information about the Choptank Electric Trust and how you can apply, members can visit our website or call our Member Service Center at 1-877-892-0001. For more information about the Phillips Environmental Center and their mission, you can visit https://phillipswharf.org/