(Dec. 31, 2015) Shake off New Year’s Eve festivities while being surrounded by nature during Assateague Coastal Trust’s 36th annual Ilia Fehrer/Judy Johnson New Year’s Day Beach Walk at Assateague State Park on Friday, Jan. 1.
The walk will also be a final 50th anniversary celebration of the Assateague Island National Seashore’s existence.
Former National State Park Service Ranger, Chris Seymour, will be leading participants north, up the beach to scenic and pristine views, with Ocean City’s strip in the distance. Everyone will meet on the deck of the concession stand next to the beach, said Assateague Coastal Trust developmental director Steve Farr.
“[Seymour] knows the island more than anyone,” Farr said. “It will be an educational, entertaining and invigorating day.”
The retired park ranger has led the New Year’s Day Beach Walk for more than 25 years and only missed two years during that time due to a government shutdown and retirement.
Keeping with the anniversary theme, Seymour will focus on “Happy Birthday” during the walk while talking about the life spans of Assateague animals and plants in addition to pointing out clues found on the beach that determine the age of Assateague.
The walk has uncovered skeletons of sea life, clam shells thousands of years old, boat wrecks, dolphin carcasses and even a giant navigation buoy was spotted from Egg Harbor, N.J. throughout the last 35 years.
The length and time of the beach walk varies, depending on the weather, but make sure to dress accordingly. The average time is about 1.5 to 2 hours. If it’s a nice day, Seymour can keep talking and walking. People can choose to walk as far as they want and turn back whenever.
The ACT office started the tradition years ago, when the beach walk first began. Everyone who participated would sign a clam shell to record the memories. This started when only 20 people were participating. The shells are displayed in their office to remind everyone how special the New Year’s Beach Walk is to everyone involved.
Anywhere from 100 to 400 people come out every year and the numbers fluctuate depending on the weather. Last year, 150 people participated.
The history of the beach walk is as rich as Assateague Island itself.
In the early 1970s, Judy Johnson formed the Committee to Preserve Assateague Island to draw attention to its beauty.
Around the same time, Ilia Fehrer, of Snow Hill, came down to Assateague on New Year’s Day wanting to reconnect with the wilderness. She was an avid voice in preserving the wetlands and shorelines on Assateague Island. Her family continued to join every year, even coming down from Baltimore. The invite went out to Assateague Coastal Trust, formally the Committee to Preserve Assateague Island to join and members started participating. It became bigger and bigger every year.
“It’s a family tradition that turned into an organization’s tradition. We just keep it going,” said Assateague Coastkeeper Kathy Phillips.
The first beach walk was organized by Fehrer and Johnson on Jan. 1, 1980, the same year former President Jimmy Carter declared “Year of the Coast.”
The New Year’s Day tradition is now named in their honor.
“Part of what this walk is about is to remember our founders and their efforts to preserve Assateague Island,” Phillips said. “The continued goal of keeping the island undeveloped and natural.”
Entry into the park is free for the New Year’s walk, and hot chocolate and cookies will be offered at the end.
“It’s a great way to get outdoors after a social evening,” Farr said. “Assateague is a beautiful island to walk on and its a good way to get blood flowing for the new year.”
Meet ACT staff and Seymour at the Assateague State Park concession stand at 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1 to join the walk.
From Route 50, follow Route 611 south across the Verrazano Bridge, then drive to the end of the road and turn right into the State Park’s parking lot.
Call ACT at 410-629-1538 or visit ACTforBays.org for more information.
The walk will also be a final 50th anniversary celebration of the Assateague Island National Seashore’s existence.
Former National State Park Service Ranger, Chris Seymour, will be leading participants north, up the beach to scenic and pristine views, with Ocean City’s strip in the distance. Everyone will meet on the deck of the concession stand next to the beach, said Assateague Coastal Trust developmental director Steve Farr.
“[Seymour] knows the island more than anyone,” Farr said. “It will be an educational, entertaining and invigorating day.”
The retired park ranger has led the New Year’s Day Beach Walk for more than 25 years and only missed two years during that time due to a government shutdown and retirement.
Keeping with the anniversary theme, Seymour will focus on “Happy Birthday” during the walk while talking about the life spans of Assateague animals and plants in addition to pointing out clues found on the beach that determine the age of Assateague.
The walk has uncovered skeletons of sea life, clam shells thousands of years old, boat wrecks, dolphin carcasses and even a giant navigation buoy was spotted from Egg Harbor, N.J. throughout the last 35 years.
The length and time of the beach walk varies, depending on the weather, but make sure to dress accordingly. The average time is about 1.5 to 2 hours. If it’s a nice day, Seymour can keep talking and walking. People can choose to walk as far as they want and turn back whenever.
The ACT office started the tradition years ago, when the beach walk first began. Everyone who participated would sign a clam shell to record the memories. This started when only 20 people were participating. The shells are displayed in their office to remind everyone how special the New Year’s Beach Walk is to everyone involved.
Anywhere from 100 to 400 people come out every year and the numbers fluctuate depending on the weather. Last year, 150 people participated.
The history of the beach walk is as rich as Assateague Island itself.
In the early 1970s, Judy Johnson formed the Committee to Preserve Assateague Island to draw attention to its beauty.
Around the same time, Ilia Fehrer, of Snow Hill, came down to Assateague on New Year’s Day wanting to reconnect with the wilderness. She was an avid voice in preserving the wetlands and shorelines on Assateague Island. Her family continued to join every year, even coming down from Baltimore. The invite went out to Assateague Coastal Trust, formally the Committee to Preserve Assateague Island to join and members started participating. It became bigger and bigger every year.
“It’s a family tradition that turned into an organization’s tradition. We just keep it going,” said Assateague Coastkeeper Kathy Phillips.
The first beach walk was organized by Fehrer and Johnson on Jan. 1, 1980, the same year former President Jimmy Carter declared “Year of the Coast.”
The New Year’s Day tradition is now named in their honor.
“Part of what this walk is about is to remember our founders and their efforts to preserve Assateague Island,” Phillips said. “The continued goal of keeping the island undeveloped and natural.”
Entry into the park is free for the New Year’s walk, and hot chocolate and cookies will be offered at the end.
“It’s a great way to get outdoors after a social evening,” Farr said. “Assateague is a beautiful island to walk on and its a good way to get blood flowing for the new year.”
Meet ACT staff and Seymour at the Assateague State Park concession stand at 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1 to join the walk.
From Route 50, follow Route 611 south across the Verrazano Bridge, then drive to the end of the road and turn right into the State Park’s parking lot.
Call ACT at 410-629-1538 or visit ACTforBays.org for more information.