What if the key to saving the Chesapeake Bay lies not in grand gestures, but in helping one person at a time fall in love with the creatures that call it home?
For Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, this simple truth drives everything they do. Whether it’s a child meeting their first seahorse or an adult learning what it means to care for an oyster, these moments of connection create the foundation for lifelong environmental stewardship.
At Full Sail Media, we’re excited to spotlight Phillips Wharf Environmental Center as our July 2025 Changemaker community partner. This month, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Kristen Lycett, Executive Director, about the organization’s vital work connecting people to the Chesapeake Bay.
Our monthly Changemaker initiative celebrates organizations that strengthen the fabric of our Maryland communities. These partners embody the spirit of stewardship and education that creates lasting positive change, and Phillips Wharf Environmental Center exemplifies this commitment through their hands-on approach to environmental education.
From Vision to Reality: A Legacy of Bay Connection
Phillips Wharf Environmental Center began with a simple but powerful vision. Founded in 2005 by the late Kelley Phillips Cox, the organization started with a clear understanding that “the best way to save the Bay was to get people to care about it,” explains Dr. Lycett.
What started as a rebuilt crabbing shanty along the Knapp’s Narrows grew into a comprehensive environmental education center. Though the pandemic forced the closure of their original Tilghman Island location, Phillips Wharf has emerged stronger in their new home at Easton Point Park along the Tred Avon River.
“During the pandemic, we shut down all of our operations in Tillghman and in March of 2022, moved into our new space where I am currently, which is in Easton Point Park in Easton, MD,” Dr. Lycett shares. “In this new space we are currently working to open up a visitor center, aquarium space to the public.”
The organization’s mission remains unwavering: to encourage, educate, and engage people with Chesapeake Bay stewardship through hands-on experiences that create lasting connections between people and the natural world.
Bringing the Bay to Communities Across Maryland
Phillips Wharf’s impact extends far beyond their physical location through their innovative mobile programs and community partnerships:
The Fishmobile: Education on Wheels
The heart of Phillips Wharf’s outreach efforts is their traveling aquarium, the Fishmobile. This mobile classroom features 13 live animal tanks showcasing creatures that live in and around the Chesapeake Bay, from blue crabs and painted turtles to their newest stars—seahorses discovered in an oyster cage on Irish Creek.
“The Fishmobile was originally started because Tilghman is a little out of the way for most folks,” Dr. Lycett explains. “The goal was to take the show on the road and bring the Chesapeake Bay to students and anyone else, wherever they were.”
During the school year, the Fishmobile visits schools throughout Maryland, reaching as far as Frederick and Salisbury. In summer, you can find them at county fairs, community events, and partnerships with organizations like the Queen Anne’s County Mobile Library and the Maryland Food Bank.
Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE)
Phillips Wharf’s intensive educational programming goes beyond simple field trips. Their NOAA-funded MiWEE program provides comprehensive oyster education for all 4th graders in Talbot County Public Schools, culminating in hands-on action projects.
“An example from June: 4th graders at Easton Elementary wanted to build oyster reef balls,” Dr. Lycett shares. “We brought in the Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland, which has mobile reef ball building trailers, and the kids made the reef balls right on the school grounds. Those reef balls are now with CCA Maryland and will be used in oyster restoration projects.”
Tilghman Islanders Grow Oysters (TIGO) Program
Since 2011, Phillips Wharf has participated in the statewide Marylanders Grow Oysters program, connecting community volunteers directly to restoration efforts. Volunteers host juvenile oysters on their docks for nine months before the oysters are planted in the Harris Creek Sanctuary.
The numbers speak to the program’s success: Phillips Wharf volunteers have planted over 840,000 juvenile oysters, supplementing the state’s larger restoration efforts in what has become one of Maryland’s most successful oyster recovery projects.
Creating Connections That Last a Lifetime
What sets Phillips Wharf apart is their understanding that environmental education is most powerful when it’s personal and hands-on.
Dr. Lycett notes the joy of watching children build relationships with the animals during Fishmobile visits: “kids will often come back multiple times during the day because they fall in love with a particular animal and want to say goodbye before they leave. It’s fun because even over a few hours, you can build a little bit of a relationship.”
Their adult education programs through partnerships with the Chesapeake Forum create similar connections, offering sessions on everything from blue crab biology to sustainable seafood choices.
“We talked about native plants, pollinator gardens, invasive species, oysters, and sustainable seafood. We also did a session on composting,” Dr. Lycett explains of their recent workshop series.
How You Can Support Phillips Wharf Environmental Center
As Phillips Wharf continues developing their new facility at Easton Point Park, they’re positioned to expand their impact significantly. The location offers unique advantages as “the only waterfront park in Easton” in a county where “there’s not a lot of public water access.”
To support their future impacts, you can join the effort to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay now. Here’s how you can get involved:
- Experience the Fishmobile: Watch for Phillips Wharf at local fairs and events throughout the summer and fall, including Waterman’s Appreciation Day (August 10th), Tilghman Island Day (October 11th), OysterFest (October 25th), and the Waterfowl Festival (November 14-16th).
- Join the TIGO Program: If you have dock access, consider hosting juvenile oysters through their restoration program by emailing oysters@phillipswharf.org.
- Volunteer: From working onboard the Fishmobile to helping with animal care, Phillips Wharf offers numerous volunteer opportunities. Contact volunteer@phillipswharf.org to learn more.
- Make a Donation: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Phillips Wharf relies on community support to fund their vital educational and restoration programs.
- Book a Program: Bring the Chesapeake Bay to your school or event by booking the Fishmobile at fishmobile@phillipswharf.org.
At Full Sail Media, we’re honored to partner with organizations like Phillips Wharf Environmental Center that understand the power of connection in creating change. Just as we work alongside businesses to help them grow through authentic relationships, Phillips Wharf builds lasting bonds between people and the natural world that surrounds us.
Their work reminds us that environmental stewardship is about more than policies and regulations. It’s about fostering the kind of wonder and care that comes from meeting a seahorse face-to-face or watching your oysters contribute to Bay restoration.
To learn more about Phillips Wharf Environmental Center and their programs, visit their website or follow them on social media.
