THE WARD MELVILLE HERITAGE ORGANIZATION LTD

By utilizing its historic and natural properties The WMHO provides people of all ages with diverse ways to engage in their surroundings. Three national and state register historic properties with ties to George Washingtons Culper Spy Rings are owned and interpreted by The WMHO. These properties include the Brewster House (c. 1655), The Thompson House (c. 1709), and The Stony Brook Grist Mill (c. 1751). The WMHOs educational and interpretive staff utilize these properties for school tours, lectures, and other educational programs throughout the year. The addition of distance learning equipment at the Brewster House and the Thompson House allows The WMHO to engage classes that cannot physically visit the site with the stories of the families that lived in these properties. Students from as far away as South Dakota have taken advantage of the distance learning technology that allows The WMHO to bring history to life. The WMHO environmental properties include an 88-acre wetland preserve and the Ernst Marine Conservation Center. Access to the 88-acre wetland preserve is led by naturalists on a 27-passenger pontoon boat. Naturalists point out the diverse species that call the wetlands home, pointing out animals of interest as the tour winds through the wetlands. The Ernst Marine Conservation Center houses two classrooms, touch tanks, and scientific equipment that encourage scientific discovery. As with the historic properties distance learning technology is a key component of the programs at the Ernst Marine Conservation Center. The Long Island Sound Connections program helps to bridge the Long Island Sound and connect students with peers on the opposite side. Students from both Long Island and Connecticut explore the Long Island Sound from their location and analyze differences and explore what causes these differences. This program allows students to engage with nature, while also learning how the behaviors of humans affect this important body of water. Beyond school programs, The WMHO engages visitors through a variety of community events bringing art, culture, music and dance to the community. Annually the programs of The WMHO are attended by over 10,000 people.