This is one in a series of stories that feature the work that our staff and partners do to preserve the land and waters of Buzzards Bay.

There is rain in the forecast on this day when an Itty Bitty Bay Adventure is taking place.

Thankfully, by the time the group is to venture out onto the paths of the Sawmill in Acushnet, the rain has stopped.

Vernon Baptista leads an adventure

The rain has created a lot of puddles, which the young children splash in with delight as they follow Vernon Baptista, the Coalition’s Bay Adventures manager. Thankfully, all the parents came prepared, outfitting their kids in raincoats, rain boots, and at least one in a full body water-repellant get-up that would keep someone dry in a raging monsoon.

Vernon plans and almost always leads the many free, guided activities that take place at our reserves. Participants hike trails and walk along rivers and beaches across the watershed. Many of them include biking, kayaking, fishing, and more.

Vernon studies up on his plants, birds, and insects before and after an outing. He knows that every interaction with his young participants is a chance to engage them with the Bay and the Watershed.

While he plans meticulously for each outing, he also is very aware that with nature many interesting things to point out can present themselves at any time. Therefore, he often leaves some time for participants to explore on their own and come to him with questions.

Vernon has been learning the native plants and animals of the region through various means. “I take a lot of books out of the library, including various Audubon guides.” He also consults web sources on his phone when he doesn’t recognize something.

Vernon’s previous jobs were in residential counseling, engaging and interacting with kids, guiding them through learning life skills in addition to the work they were doing in school. “I was helping kids find stuff that interests them, that gives them reason to persevere,” he says. This is his first job in nature exploration.

While he is not a full-blown expert in all these natural phenomena, Vernon knows that his passion for learning along with those participating in a Bay Adventure is what makes the journey to explore nature so compelling.