|
Maurice River Recollections Project
Osprey Nest Anecdotes
Frankie's Nest
The nest is named for Frankie Marchansini who lived on this stretch of the river for many years. Frank loved the river and fished it most every day until his 80s when he finally moved to his sister's home in Levittown PA so they could pool their energies together. In your 80's, four hands are better than two are. This nest was hoisted in 2006 at which point in time I was 51 years old. I bring this up because it is a great display of someone not being in touch with his or her age or not having acquired the wisdom of age (still working on that). Anyway, we ferried one portion of the crew out to the site ahead of the full complement. I was in this first group. It was lousy cold out and the crew was getting bored waiting for the nest. In such times, I do my best to keep folks focused on fun. For some unexplainable and foolish reason I decided it would be a neat idea to try wrestling a teenage boy to the mud. Well, what ensued was clearly ridiculous and seemed to humor the troops. But it was a reminder that I wasn?t completely up to the task, especially with a young fellow who wasn't going to have his pride bruised by some old lady. Lots of mud later and one destroyed cell phone, I believe we tied- or at least that is how I prefer to remember it. I will say I think the shovel-throwing contest of 2005 was a better idea. By the way, a construction worker won that contest and I think there is a lesson in that.
Author and student intern Ryan Daily teach summer program students how to make a predator guard.
Closest River Reach: Little Haul http://www.cumauriceriver.org/reaches/pg/narratives.cfm?sku=16
|
Osprey Colony Project
Introduction Welcome to Citizens United's River Recollections Project. These stories are but a few of my memories associated to osprey nesting structures along the Maurice River and its tributaries. It is part of a larger project including an interactive map of the of river reach lore, live campfire recollection events, documentaries, presentations and archives held by the organization. I believe the greatest connection that people have to a river is the sharing of their bond to it through the telling of stories. These stories are accurate accounts from my perspective the truth, as I know it. The stories are designed to give you insight into some life history of the osprey but are primarily designed to give you a flavor for being an osprey volunteer. Over 150 volunteers have been involved in the construction of the osprey platforms. Sincerely,
|
If you enjoy these stories or have a love of history, you may find visiting our interactive River Reach Map, which allows you to explore cultural aspects of the Maurice River's tidal reaches, simply click on buoys to begin your voyage.