Friday, July 1 at 12:00 pm – Sandwiched In with Julia Zeh – Whales of New York

Have you ever wondered what the underwater world off New York sounds like? Join marine biologist and PhD candidate Julia Zeh to explore the whales of New York, the sounds they make, and how scientists study them. More than ten species of whales and dolphins can be found in the New York Bight, the body of water that extends from New York Harbor and the New Jersey coast out to eastern Long Island, but very few people know they’re there. Just outside New York City, scientists are investigating a vibrant aquatic ecosystem that includes everything from the most endangered large whale species to the largest animal to ever live. Julia Zeh is a PhD candidate at Syracuse University, where she is a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellow studying behavior and acoustic communication in large whales. Julia graduated from Schreiber High School in 2014 and received her BA from Columbia University in 2018. (Sponsored by the Library’s Nautical Advisory Council)

Friday, July 15 at 12:00 pm – Sandwiched In with Ron Brown – The Empire City Battles Climate Change

Hurricane Sandy swept over the city of New York with a vengeance that seemed to come from the gods. Homes were flooded, the subway system was shut down, supermarket halted service and the Empire City came to a halt. The Empire City reacted to these ravages by launching a massive rebuilding of the city including efforts to make the subway flood-proof, relocating critical infrastructure, restoring wetlands, reducing air and water pollution, and constructing surge barriers around exposed neighborhoods. Will the four-hundred-year-old city be ready for the next time mother nature attacks it?  Join Professor Ron Brown as he explores how the Empire City adapts to being a coastal city and the challenges of a changing climate.  (Sponsored by the Friends of the Library)

Tuesday, July 19 at 12:00 pm – Art Lecture with Alice W. Schwarz – The Arts of Oceania

The Met’s collection of Oceanic art comprises over 2,800 works that reflect the rich history of creative expression and innovation that is emblematic of the region. These exceptional artworks tell a wealth of stories relating to origins and ancestral power, performance and initiation. Join museum educator Alice W. Schwarz in an exploration of indigenous works from Papua New Guinea, Australia,and New Zealand that are made from and illustrate creatures of the water.  (Sponsored by the Friends of the Library)

Friday, July 22 at 12:00 pm – Sandwiched In with Alan Dinn – The Purdy Boat Company

If you had been sailing on Manhasset Bay 50 or so years ago, you would have spotted several large buildings on the shoreline which were the home of the Purdy Boat Company. The Purdy boat yard was one of the best-known employers in Port Washington during the second quarter of the 20th Century.  It was the birthplace of the famous cruiser APHRODITE as well as several other cruisers, a series of champion caliber race boats, and more than 80 small craft for the U.S. Navy in World War II. The company came to Port Washington in 1925, but the Purdys had been in the boatbuilding trade for several decades before that.  Alan Dinn, a native of Port Washington and a grandson of company founder Ned Purdy, will present a brief history of the firm, beginning years before they came to Manhasset Bay but focusing on the famous boats they built here. Alan has written two books and several magazine articles about the company. (Sponsored by the Library’s Nautical Advisory Council)

Friday, July 29 at 12:00 pm – Sandwiched In with Eco-Photo Explorers – Tubbataha: Coral Kingdom of the Sulu Sea

The Tubbataha Reefs lie 93 miles from the nearest land in the Philippine’s Sulu Sea and are at the epicenter of global marine biodiversity in the region known as the Coral Triangle. Journey to these hard to reach atolls with Eco-Photo Explorers and dive the spectacular reefs of this Marine Protected Area. Explore lush coral reefs teeming with life and descend into the depths along sharp drop-offs to encounter schooling Barracuda and Trevally, massive Marbled Rays and the giants of the sea, the Whale Shark. Learn about the successful management program that has been established to keep these reefs healthy and protected. Tubbataha is, in many ways, a surviving example of what healthy coral reefs should look like in the world’s oceans. Join Christopher Weaver and Michael Salvarezza, who are both longtime scuba divers and photographers from Long Island, for this dazzling multi-media presentation. (Sponsored by the Library’s Nautical Advisory Council)