An avid swimmer, sailor, paddle-boarder, and surfer, Severn School senior Baillie McNitt said she’s spent most of her life on or in the water.
Inspired by those passions, she earned a place as one of 15 Van Eney ’09 Fellows engaged in independent study projects by proposing to construct a “trawl” to filter micropollutants from Maryland waterways.
The moment she was chosen a fellow, she began sourcing materials to construct a LADI Trawl (Low-tech Aquatic Debris Instrument) – a net-like research tool that collects microplastics at the surface of the ocean when towed behind a boat.
Micropollutants are small particles from materials that disintegrate in the water and are hazardous to fish, waterfowl and other aquatic life. Typical examples are particles of degraded Styrofoam or exfoliating face scrubs containing microbeads of plastic. In our region, fishing wire that breaks down into small pieces is a serious problem.
“My aunts, who live in Nova Scotia, told me about ‘Manta Trawl’ pollutant monitoring programs off their coasts,” Baillie said. “I loved the idea of using a trawl to measure levels of micropollutant runoff from land to water during hurricane season.
“Unfortunately, assembling an open source Manta Trawl costs about $4,000. No way could I afford that.”
Seeking a less expensive alternative, she found a build-it-yourself LADI Trawl she could complete for about $400 and used her baby-sitting money to buy the materials.
Constructing the trawl involved building a wooden frame as a mount for an attached plankton net coming off the back and series of PVC pipes coming off the sides for flotation and buoyancy.
The project was ambitious. Baillie hypothesized that excessive surface runoff from rains would be heaviest during hurricanes. So she planned to track levels of micropollutants in the oceans off the coasts of Maryland and the Florida Keys from July to the end of the season in November.
She soon realized her plan was too complicated to undertake during senior year and modified it. She transitioned from a purely research project to one aimed at inspiring “citizen scientists” to replicate what she was doing by launching a YouTube channel documenting her project. She then limited her testing to the Chesapeake Bay.
“I’ve always been engaged with my community off Spa Creek,” she said.
Using YouTube and her blog at https://severnfellows20bmcnitt.weebly.com/bullet-journal, she wants to show neighbors, students and others how she built the trawl so they can build their own.
There were frustrations like waiting for the arrival of a plankton net ordered from Aquatic Instruments, the discovery that PVC cement smells horrible, and the realization that her carpentry skills left much to be desired. Regardless, excitement built as she finished the trawl and readied for testing.
Being involved in her school and community is the norm for Baillie. At Severn, she’s one of 12 senior prefects mentoring freshmen and serving as a role model.
She is president and founder of the school’s Surfrider Foundation, a student club that promotes awareness of the environmental challenges faced by our waterways and fosters a love for the Chesapeake Bay.
While a sophomore, she was inspired by her history teacher and sailing coach Thomas Sitzmann to become co-founder and president of the Severn School Historical Society which is dedicated to reconnecting the Severn community to its past. The Society’s publication, The Sextant, features student essays about historical topics.
Sitzmann describes Baillie as a natural leader with the rare combination of great energy, kindness, thoughtfulness, and work ethic.
“Combined with her keen intellect, she was one of the best history students I’ve worked with and a dedicated and critical component of the Historical Society’s success”, he said. “She led meetings, recruited new members, and motivated The Sextant editing staff… “always with a smile”.
A lacrosse player since age 4, the senior plays Varsity Lacrosse for Severn and high-level Varsity and Club Lacrosse for Maryland United East 2020.
For fun, she’s portrayed “Pirate Pete” on the crew of the Sea Gypsy VI pirate ship in the Annapolis Harbor for four seasons. A skilled surfer, she’s frequently seen catching a swell off Assateague Island.
Academically, her interests lean toward marine biology, English and history. However, she loves kids and is considering becoming a pediatrician. Not surprisingly, she’s looking into colleges on either coast – providing they’re “near the water.”
Meantime, she’s collecting her initial test samples using a Boston Whaler to tow the trawl at five knots for 30 minutes.
Mary Ellen Carsley, director of the fellows program, said faculty mentors are enjoying Baillie’s zeal for “saving the marine ecosystem through efforts like hers.”
“This year there are 11 fascinating projects between 15 fellows,” Carsley said. “They proposed their projects during a rigorous application process while juniors, were accepted into the program last May and completed 40% of their work through the summer. They make periodic presentations updating their progress.”
Just before graduation, Baillie and the other fellows will present their completed projects before a large audience of students, friends and families and receive official recognition for their achievements.
