the Birds of the Pedricktown Marsh on November 12,  7-9 pm.

SJLWT habitat assessment coordinator and renowned

nature photographer, Michael Hogan, will also talk about the flora and

fauna of Oldmans Creek and share the results of SJLWT's bird surveys

of the Pedricktown Marsh and stream assessments of the area.

The Pedricktown Marsh is a large saltwater, tidal marsh located on

lower portion of Oldmans Creek. This expansive area of open wetlands

contains stands of wild rice, cattails and arum and provides habitat

for migratory shorebirds, waterfowl and raptors. It is also a well

known endangered species location and is designated as an "Important

Bird Area" by the New Jersey Audubon Society.

Directions: The Holy Nativity Lutheran Church in Wenonah (3 Lenape

Dr.) just off Rte 553 (Woodbury Glassboro Rd.) south of the light at

Mantua Ave.

For more information and directions contact Christine Nolan at

856-881-2269 or sjwatersheds@verizon.net. The South Jersey Land and

Water Trust mission is to preserve and protect the land and water

resources of Southern New Jersey - maintaining and enhancing the

natural, cultural, and historic heritage of the region. For more info

visit HERE

Title:

Led by naturalist Kristina Merola, the seasonal, family-oriented hikes provide attendees with a hands-on, interpretive experience through a variety of activities for all ages. Binoculars are recommended.

The cost to participate is $5 per person, $15 per family and FREE for PCNP members. Reservations are recommended as the programs fill up quickly.

This easy trail will introduce you to one of the last remaining untouched native hardwood forests in the Oldman's Creek Watershed. The property includes several vernal pools that attract migratory song birds. SJLWT habitat assessment coordinator, Michael Hogan, will serve as guide to flora and fauna. Free for members and $3 for non-members.

The South Jersey Land and Water Trust acquired the 100-acre property through a $400,000 state Green Acres grant and $400,000 from the DEP Office of Natural Resource Restoration from a natural resource damage settlement. SJLWT subsequently turned the property over to New Jersey Conservation Foundation, which will keep it as a nature preserve.

For more information and directions contact Christine Nolan at 856-881-2269 or sjwatersheds@verizon.net. The South Jersey Land and Water Trust mission is to preserve and protect the land and water resources of Southern New Jersey - maintaining and enhancing the natural, cultural, and historic heritage of the region. For more info visit HERE .

"The last couple of years I watched the show," DePasquale said. "Now I will be able to handle the crabs."

Yes, DePasquale will handle the catch.

He will oversee the cooking of Alaskan king crabs at the Deadliest Crab Fest, a fundraising dinner on Nov. 13 to support GCIT student activities and school-based youth services programming.

DePasquale and about 60 culinary students will help cook the crabs.

"It is very exciting, our kids are fired up," he said.

GCIT will serve 450 pounds of Alaskan king crab legs flown in from the fishing vessels of the Bering Sea, as seen on "The Deadliest Catch," in the school cafeteria.

"This is exciting, I've never done this before," said senior Zach Reif, who will help cook the crabs. "I like crabs, but I never had king crabs."

Both Reif and senior Zack Grieco are big fans of "The Deadliest Catch."

"This is pretty cool," said Grieco, who also will cook the crabs, "I never worked for so many people, it will be a rush."

The complete crab sit-down dinner is sold out.

"We were more than pleasantly surprised," said Kim Glazer, the director of school-based youth services.

Don't panic, though, king crab lovers -- take-out orders of 5- and 10-pound clusters are available.

"This is a first for the school-based youth services and for GCIT," said Glazer.

Pat Mulvenna, a student assistance counselor at GCIT, initiated the event. Mulvenna met Russ Newberry, a star on "The Deadliest Catch," through a friend a few years back on a motorcycle ride in Milwaukee.

"It is a unique opportunity and way to raise funding from traditional beef-n-beers," Mulvenna said. "We are anticipating a guest from Homer, Alaska."

It might be Newberry.

IF YOU GO

The Deadliest Crab Fest fundraising dinner is on Nov. 13 and includes a complete sit-down dinner of crabs. Take-out orders only remain available by calling (856) 468-1445, ext. 2009. Leave your name, phone number and the number of dinners wanted.

Despite staying up late to watch the Phillies on Saturday night and rain on Sunday morning, Stephanie Przybyszewski participated with thousands of others in Run the Bridge.

Proceeds from the run/walk across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge benefit the the Larc School in Bellmawr.

"I do it for them," said Przybyszewski, 17, of Blackwood and a senior at Paul VI High School in Haddon Township. "I feel like they need my support."

Many others felt the same way as about 4,000 runners and walkers participated in the Cooper-Norcross Run the Bridge event presented by AmeriHealth New Jersey.

Przybyszewski's mother, Sue, walked with her daughter and two dogs, Reggie and Zoey, to support the Larc School, which operates at no cost to the families of its students.

"I'm very fortunate to have two healthy children," said Sue, 46, a Blackwood resident about Stephanie and son, James, 22, a senior at Rowan University.

Peter Petrucci, 58, bravely wore a Yankees hat while walking to support Larc. Petrucci's 3-year-old grandson, Tyler Townsend, attends the school, which was established in 1968 by a group of concerned parents. The school is committed to providing educational, therapeutic and recreational services to children with severe disabilities throughout five counties in South Jersey.

"He is more alert," Petrucci said about Tyler when asked how he is helped from Larc. "We do see he is more alert."

Participants ran and walked over the historic blue bridge to Philadelphia and back while the runners continued through the scenic Camden Waterfront, passing the Susquehanna Bank Center, Adventure Aquarium and the Battleship New Jersey before finishing in Campbell's Field for the 6.2 miles, a 10K race. It is one of the most popular 10K runs in the tri-state area.

More than 100 members of Tyler's family participated, wearing blue "Team Tyler" T-shirts reading: "Hope is a risk that must be run." Many of Team Tyler came from upstate New York like Peter Petrucci.

Michelle Petrucci, 22, the daughter of Peter and sister of Tyler's mother, Jennifer, drove down from Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

"We've been planning this for months," Michelle Petrucci said.

She pushed Tyler in a stroller while walking.

"He had fun," she said about Tyler, "he was smiling all the way."

Keith Kosut, 22, came from Narragansett, R.I., to walk and support Tyler, his nephew. His four-months pregnant wife, Sandra, sister of Tyler's mother, ran under cloudy skies and a light drizzle.

"It is a great cause," Keith Kosut said

The run/walk started at the foot of the bridge in front of the toll plaza next to Rutgers University in Camden.

Dave Madden, 28, a Rutgers law student from Haddon Township, pushed his 3-year-old niece, Macie, in a stroller over the bridge.

"It is a good cause," echoed Madden, "it is a good way to get out here and support everything they do."

Madden participated for the first year with 11 family members in support of Larc and James Madden, who is on the board of directors of the private, nonprofit Larc school.

"When we work so hard to create an event of this magnitude and you know the reason you push harder and harder each year is for the kids and their families," said Susan Weiner, executive director of the Larc School.

This was the seventh year the event took place on the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which was closed to traffic early in the morning. The event saw participants from 11 states.

Judith Roman, president and chief executive officer of AmeriHealth New Jersey, said it was an honor to sponsor the event.

"This is an opportunity to do something for your health as well as benefit the Larc School, which does so much to benefit so many throughout New Jersey," Roman said inside Campbell's Field.

Alene Reta, 27, of New York finished first of the 2,941 runners with his time of 30:00 while Alemtsehay Misqanaw, 29, of New York was the first female finisher in 34:42.

However, the times of the runners were secondary on this day.

While walking on the downside of the bridge with her mother and the two dogs, Przybyszewski reflected on her health.

"I don't take anything for granted," said Przybyszewski, who will attend Kutztown State University and major in physical therapy, "and, I don't complain."

Not even after a Phillies loss. Not even in the rain.

RACE RESULTS

For race results: http://results.active.com

Gene D'Agostino and his painting at Flora Lea Farm (Photo by an artisic-less Kevin Callahan)

Ben Cohen has painted professionally, but now at 86 years old, the Cinnaminson resident paints for fun.

"I look at it when I decided to retire from my work, it was the same as my hobby, so I have it made," Cohen said smiling during a break from painting a rusted blue pickup truck in pastel at Flora Lea Farm in Medford.

Cohen is a member of the Rancocas Valley Plein Air Painters, a group of artists who enjoy painting and photographing cityscapes and landscapes on location.

The mission of founder Gene D'Agostino is to facilitate a group environment with a sense of security, support and camaraderie.

And to do this outdoors. Plein air is a French expression that means "in the open air."

D'Agostino quotes the great French post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne, who said, "but you know all pictures painted inside the studio will never be as good as those done outside . . . I see superb things, and I must resolve to paint only outdoors."

"It is true," D'Agostino said.

D'Agostino, 80, is originally from Philadelphia but has lived in Pemberton since 1969.

He thought about studying art in high school but decided to go into drafting because it was more practical for making a living.

This is why he encourages anyone who has a passion to paint to join the Plein Air Painters. Not everyone can paint for a living.

"It is a place where people want to be. It is like fishing -- if you don't get the rod and get up early to fish, you won't fish," D'Agostino said. "If you don't make a concentrated effort to go, you won't do it."

The Plein Air Painters meet once a week from early spring to late fall. They usually meet on a weekday.

"You have a lot of people who are retired or available during the week. We do have some people who take off the day we paint," D'Agostino said.

All outings are coordinated through an e-mail newsletter approximately two days prior to the gathering.

Cohen looks forward each week to receiving D'Agostino's e-mail, saying "it is like where are we going today."

The club has 112 members.

"There is no politics or no membership," D'Agostino said.

The club began in 2001 when D'Agostino set up a network of interested artists.

"I started sending newsletters out to see if people wanted the camaraderie or security of group painting," D'Agostino said.

Belonging to the club is free.

The club just paints or draws or photographs. They don't meet to discuss.

Some of the scheduled locations are Kirby's Mill in Medford, Smithville Mansion in Eastampton, Johnson's Corner in Medford, Long Bridge Park in Westampton, Wood Street in Burlington City, Clark's Canoe House in Pemberton, Curtains Marina in Burlington City, Strawbridge Lake in Moorestown, Amico Island in Delran, Allen's Farm in Southampton, Sawmill Park in Vincentown and Flora Lea Farm in Medford.

"I know people who would like to paint outdoors and when I say this is a group, they feel more comfortable," Cohen said. "Before, when I would go out, I felt like I was trespassing."

D'Agostino checks first with the owners of the land to make sure the club members are welcome.

"My job is to pave the way and make sure there is a toilet facility and parking," D'Agostino said. "There is a lot of places you see when driving down the road, but you can't park."

D'Agostino and a group of a half dozen or so painters even go out to dinner after painting each week.

"You are in good company here," Cohen said. "It is always more pleasant painting in a group, plus you can get critiqued."

Even current professional painters join the fun.

Susan Barnes, 64, is a professional painter from Medford who has a studio, but on a recent day she was outside with the group doing an oil painting of an open field with horses at Flora Lea Farm.

"It is better to paint with other people," Barnes said. "In a studio in a house, you are isolated, you need people to talk to and seeing people sometimes gives you other ideas. You can learn from everyone."

Arlene Marcoe, 57, of Tabernacle, painted in oil the house on the farm with the rope tire swing hanging from a tree.

"The thing that unites us is the art," said Marcoe, who is also a professional painter. "We critique each other. It is subtle, though."

Painting in a group allows artists to walk away from their work and take a break.

"You can go see what someone else is doing," Marcoe said.

Kathy Fader of Mount Laurel is a newcomer to the Plein Air Painters, although she isn't new to painting. She taught art for 40 years at Steinert High School in Trenton before retiring.

"This is my first fall not teaching," she said excitedly.

This was her fourth outing with the Plein Air Painters. She painted in oil the side of the white brick house at Flora Lea Farm.

"This is great," she said. "This is wonderful."

The only drawback for Fader is needing to organize her painting material better since she requires all the tools of her trade with her in the outdoors.

"I think painting is better when you are out in it," she said. "I didn't realize I would like it so much."

The activity has another benefit, Cohen said.

"It is very relaxing," he said. "You forget the whole world around you."

Dr. Dan Fuzer working his magic.

Although the Cooper River runs through Pennsauken and the Delaware River borders the township, there is no ocean. So it just sounds odd to hear there is a Pennsauken Surf Fishing Club.

"A lot of people say it is a really long cast," Dan Fuzer said with a laugh.

Fuzer can laugh easily about the club because he is having so much fun surf fishing with his fellow members.

And this isn't an upstart club, either. It's celebrating its 55th year.

The Pennsauken Surf Fishing Club was started in 1954. Its members frequently travel to the ocean to pursue their passion.

Bob Wagner Sr. joined the club that year. Wagner, 86, still fishes with the club -- and he still lives in Pennsauken.

"This fall we got to get some bass," Wagner said.

Wagner joined the club in 1954 when he got out of the Army.

"When I came out of the service I just joined. The fellows there at the time were just starting up," Wagner said. "I was a fresh water fisherman but where I got my gas, the fellows went down to Long Beach Island and I just joined them a time or so and next thing I know I joined the club."

Wagner is thrilled the club is going strong after all these years.

"A lot of times we caught nice fish," Wagner said. "We had all kinds of fun."

Fuzer, who grew up in Pennsauken, has helped to keep the club strong. He has been president of the club since 1992.

The Palmyra chiropractor found out about the club by going to an outdoor expo in Pennsauken as a kid.

"I walked up to the table and introduced myself," Fuzer said.

Fuzer, 49, started surf fishing with his grandfather, Bill Stiffel, near Tuckerton.

"I grew up surf fishing," said Fuzer, who now lives in Mount Laurel.

The club has 40 members.

"We have juniors, we have life members and we are always looking for new people and there is always room," Fuzer said. "We have a family picnic every summer and we have our tournament and we host a children's tournament every June."

"We do a lot of good, trying to get kids to fish," Wagner said.

Wagner's son, Bob Jr., has been involved since he was a kid, starting with the club in 1960 when he was 12 years old. He has been a member ever since -- except for a brief tour overseas.

"I was otherwise occupied in 1968 at the University of Saigon in a helicopter," said Wagner, 61.

Wagner, who still lives in Pennsauken, hears the quips about a surf club in Pennsauken, too.

"Not even close to the ocean, Chambersburg (Pa.) used to have an active club, but we are about as far as you can be from the ocean and still be a surf club," he said. "It is a group of guys who just have a shared common interest."

He recently wrote a book called "30 Days on the Beach in Brigantine."

Fuzer said the club's members come from areas from Philadelphia to Tabernacle.

"We fish all the tournaments that are sanctioned by the Association of Surf Angling Clubs," Fuzer said. "There are usually three or four in the spring and after Labor Day we start the Saturday after Labor Day until the first week of November. This is when we start to catch bass."

The club meets at the Pennsauken Public Library on the first Wednesday of every month, where it is a long cast to the ocean.

"That is what people say, "Pennsauken Surf Fishing Club, you are pretty far from the ocean,' " Fuzer said.

WHERE TO CALL

For more information about the Pennsauken Surf Fishing Club, call (856) 231-9110

The Penna Highlands offers 1.9 million-acres of land available for recreational activity.  As part of the effort to increase activity in the Pennsylvania Highlands, The Appalachian Mountain Club launched a series of 22 “Hike the Highlands” trail cards.

A few interesting facts about the Pennsylvania Highlands:

• Extends from as close as the Delaware River at the New Jersey border all the way to the Maryland border in south-central Pennsylvania
• 1.9 million-acres of gorgeous landscape
• 95 miles of Class A Trout Stream
• 520 miles of Fish & Boat Commission streams
• 12 state parks
• Two state forests
• 100 miles of trails that provide abundant recreational activity
• More information is available by clicking HERE

In an effort to encourage people to “Hike the Highlands,”  the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Wildlands Conservancy have partnered to unveil a set of 22 Pennsylvania hiking cards. The “Hike the Highlands cards” feature scenic trails in 13 counties of southeastern PA (including the nearby Schuylkill River Trail) and provide directions, descriptions of what there is to see and maps.

They launched a Scavenger Hunt that will run from now until Sunday  Oct. 31 in which people must hike a minimum of three trails to find answers to a series of questions which are posted online. If they get at least 3 answers correct they are eligible to win a variety of prizes.

Enjoy an outdoor adventure exploring a wide array of plants and animals by participating in a

Led by naturalist Kristina Merola, the seasonal, family-oriented hikes provide attendees with a hands-on, interpretive experience through a variety of activities for all ages. Binoculars are recommended.

The cost to participate is $5 per person, $15 per family and FREE for PCNP members. Reservations are recommended as the programs fill up quickly.

About Palmyra Cove

Palmyra Cove Nature Park is located under the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge in Palmyra, NJ.  Open to the public year-round, visitors can enjoy the 250-acre nature preserve and a variety of interactive exhibits in the Cove’s 10,000 square foot Environmental Discovery Center.  Hours are Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  For more information, including various nature hikes and activities, call (856) 829-1900 x267, or visit www.palmyracove.org.

On Saturday, the Zoo will debut a new exhibit, Aye-Ayes of the Night Forest, in  PECO Primate Reserve; featuring the creepiest primates around, aye-ayes, in an exhibit that replicates their native home-the nighttime forests of Madagascar.

Aye-ayes are critically endangered nocturnal lemurs that can be found climbing through the trees in the northwestern forests of Madagascar.  With their beady eyes, big ears, bushy tails, and uncannily long, skinny middle finger on each hand, aye-ayes are sure to surprise.  Some Malagasy people believe that seeing an aye-aye is a bad omen.

The Philadelphia Zoo is one of only three zoos in the United States that exhibits aye-ayes, a critically endangered species.  Before protection laws were enacted, aye-ayes were killed because of the bad luck with which they are often associated.  Habitat loss due to deforestation is the primary cause of the aye aye’s decline.

If you are ready for a Halloween surprise like no other, come meet male Tolkien and female Medusa beginning Saturday at the Philadelphia Zoo.

About the Philadelphia Zoo:

Philadelphia Zoo, America's first zoo, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its founding. Chartered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 21, 1859, the Zoo is currently home to over 1,300 animals from around the world, many rare and endangered. Welcoming more than one million visitors each year from throughout the region and beyond, the Zoo serves children and families as a unique and engaging public resource for wildlife conservation and education. The Philadelphia Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information or to purchase and print tickets online, visit www.philadelphiazoo.org.

Dave Juliano at his Ghost Huntin store in Mt. Holly (Photo by a scared Kevin Callahan)

Dave Juliano didn't actually see a ghost; however, this paranormal researcher will explain what he didn't see.

"Stuff was coming up and down the steps to the second floor, setting off the motion sensors," Juliano said about a case he was investigating. "I'm sitting in a chair staring at the steps and there is nothing there. It must have happened six or seven times."

Juliano said the motion sensors read infrared heat "coming off of stuff.

"So it has to be something solid in an infrared sense. It is giving off enough heat. That is the only way they chime," Juliano continued about the motion sensors in his staircase experience at the Friends Meeting House in Woodbury a few years back. "You need something like the size of a child to set these things off. When they are going off, regardless of what your eyes are saying, there is something."

Juliano said he has been investigating haunted locations and consulting on cases for more than 24 years. That adds up to thousands of cases around the world.

And now he has opened the Shadowlands Ghost Hunter Store in the Mill Race Village in Mount Holly for you to do investigating.

The cozy row home store isn't a place for kids to buy costumes of ghosts; rather, it is a place that has "all the gear for people who are interested in looking for ghosts in their homes or preferably other homes," Juliano said.

Juliano said ghost hunting is a fun hobby that has increased in popularity recently.

"Five years ago you had one or two groups in each state. Now I have lost track. There are hundreds in New Jersey," Juliano said. "Most are for hobby, to have fun, but there are more serious groups, people who do research and help people."

The 41-year-old director of South Jersey Ghost Research credited the Internet and TV for the ghost hunting explosion.

"Everything I sell I have used before," Juliano said. "I don't sell anything that I haven't tested."

Juliano, 41, a Sterling High School graduate, said he was haunted in his childhood home.

"I started seeing something when I was 3 years old. I was terrified into my teens," said Juliano, who lives in Philadelphia. "That is what basically got me into doing this, looking for answers for myself. I didn't realize there were people out there doing what I do now, helping other people."

MORE INFORMATION

The Shadowlands Ghost Hunter Store is at 16 Church St. in the Mill Race Village in Mount Holly. For more information, visit www.theghosthunterstore.com or call (856) 296-0623.

They spoke at this national gathering about resources available to anyone in crisis. They made bracelets to promote those resources.

As a result, they saved the life of a girl in Virginia.

"We got an e-mail last year from someone who said their friend was in crisis, but she got a bracelet and she knew where the resources were to go," said Toni Terpolilli, a cosmetology teacher at GCIT who provided guidance to the Suicide Awareness Project. "The girl who was in crisis now hangs the bracelet in her car."

The students of the Suicide Awareness Project have only just begun to fight this problem, which is the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds.

The school is sponsoring the first Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk in South Jersey at GCIT last Sunday.

"It is growing through their efforts," said Terpolilli about the group's latest endeavor to raise suicide awareness. "People are becoming more aware of the resources available to them in crisis situations."

Only one other Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk has taken place in the state. It was in North Jersey.

"It is our senior year and it is good to leave the school with something," said Mary Patterson, a senior from Elk. "This walk will be here for many years and we started it. We will be leaving the school on a good note."

Last year, members of the GCIT SkillsUSA Chapter participated in the Out of the Darkness Walk in New Brunswick.

More than 400 people throughout the state participated in the walk. They carried banners, signs and photographs in memory of relatives and friends lost to suicide.

The walk had such an effect on the 54 students, along with six teachers and three counselors from GCIT, that they wanted to host a walk this year at GCIT.

"It means a lot to make a difference in the community and to know you are helping out," said Bianca Pagano, a junior from Washington Township. "It is great to be part of it."

The Suicide Awareness Project originated at GCIT after Terpolilli suffered the loss of a nephew to suicide in 2006.

"We started because of her," Patterson said. "We wanted to do something for her. We wanted to make everyone aware of this."

Terpolilli said she is touched by the effort.

"It is overwhelming. They stepped up and picked up the ball and the project is getting bigger and bigger," she said. "Knowing this is reaching people is actually great."

Terpolilli is the co-chair of the walk with Eduardo Ruiz, a student assistance counselor at GCIT.

"Our kids are always coming up with cool and creative ideas and they run with them and we push them to make it bigger," Ruiz said.

More than 200 students have signed up for the walk at GCIT.

"Students are forming teams and classes are forming teams," Terpolilli said.

The money raised from the walk will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The SkillsUSA group has also delivered its message on the stage at GCIT as part of the Acting Out program.

"This will never go away," Patterson said of what the group has started. "You can help make a miracle."

HOW TO HELP:

www.outofthedarkness.org.

Atlantic City over Labor Day weekend in September 2009. (By DENISE HENHOEFFER/Courier-Post)

Students at Rowan University posted an informative blog site on issues surrounding the election next week and the candidates title Decision NJ 2009.

Blogs range from smear adds, to independent candidates striving to be heard, to the future of Atlantic City, which is certainly significant to OUTdoor enthusiasts.

Learn what the candidates propose to do to protect the environment!

Obviously, it is important to be informed: Public Question #1 is a vote on the Green Acrees Clean Water Act.

Check out the blog site at:

http://decisionnj2009.wordpress.com/

OR just click HERE

For more information on the Green Acres Clean Water Act:

www.NJKeepItGreen.org

OR just click HERE

"We run into each other all over and we say, "Hey, there is a witch from the boat,' " Jen Moughan said.

They really aren't witches, of course, but there really is a boat.

These women from East Greenwich are members of a dragon boat team with a catchy moniker. Megan Hayer, a team captain with Moughan, chose the name -- a play on the John Updike novel and movie "The Witches of Eastwick."

"We are having a lot of fun with costumes and witches and all kinds of fun stuff," Moughan said.

The most amusement, though, came from rowing the dragon boat. They competed in the eighth annual Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival on Oct. 3.

"It was an awesome day," Karen Burnham said.

The Witches of East Greenwich team took the silver medal in the novice women's division.

"There were three heats and we had some incredible adrenaline running during the race," Burnham said. "We amazed ourselves."

The result of the race, however, wasn't what really counted.

"There is a lot of camaraderie and a lot of team building and there is a sense of unity because we are doing something together," according to Burnham.

Hayer, 39, a mother of three, had rowed the last three years with co-workers at Jefferson Hospital, where she is a nurse.

"I had told friends about this and they would say how much fun it would be to do," Hayer said.

Dragon boats are the world's largest flat-water racing canoes. These ancient Chinese boats are propelled by a crew of 20 with a drummer and a steersperson.

The Witches of East Greenwich Dragon Boat team consisted of 50 women who filled two boats.

They were mostly mothers and wives ranging in age from 35 to 55 and some with full-time careers. Among them are an FBI agent, an emergency room nurse, a speech therapist, a financial adviser, a beautician, a teacher and business owners.

"It has pulled together women who didn't know each other who are from a lot of different backgrounds," said Burnham, 39, a mother of three. "Most of our children play sports and the mothers and dads take them to games and cheer for them on the sideline. This time, the mothers get the treatment and the kids are on the sidelines."

The team has been especially meaningful to Rosael Amoroso.

"They really came together for me when I had brain surgery last year," said Amoroso, 42. "They provided dinners and things like that until I was better enough to cook and it gave me something to strive for. This is something I wanted to do with them."

Moughan, 41, who has a son and a consulting business, has been contacted by other woman in the community who want to row next year.

ON THE WEB

For more information on the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival, visit www.philadragonboatfestival. com.