News

Recently, a group of SLNC employees volunteered with the Ascension Island government’s conservation team, assisting in their efforts to build a fog catcher on Green Mountain, a national park on the island. 

The SLNC team helped move materials to the build site, hauling everything by foot over the course of two treks and three hours. By moving the equipment up the mountain, the SLNC volunteers were able to save the Ascension Island Conservation team a week’s worth of work.

“This was a great way for me to give back to the island in a meaningful way, especially since I’m also interested in environmental engineering,” said Michael Couloucoundis, part of the SLNC Operations team on Ascension. 

What is a fog catcher and what does it do?

Fog catchers condensate moisture in fog and low lying clouds, collecting water that can be used for irrigation or drinking. “The fog catchers [the SLNC team assisted with] will provide water for critically endangered native plants on rock faces in Green Mountain’s cloud zone. These plants have declined in recent droughts and are seriously threatened by climate change,” say Ascension Island Plant Project Officer James McGurk and Restoration Ecologist Phil Lambdon. 

Ascension Island is home to several endemic native plants species that are unique to the volcanic atoll. The fog catchers are just one of several actions underway on the island to protect the delicate environment on Ascension. Learn more about conservation here: Ascension Island Conservation

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James McGurk and Phil Lambdon from AIG Conservation Dept leading the efforts and carrying one of the two water tanks with SLNC personnel assisting the endeavor.

One fog catcher already installed on Green Mountain bank made of squared meshed panels to capture water for the native plants living on the bank.

In July, SLNC Magothy completed the Pacer Goose Sustainment Mission to Thule, Greenland for Military Sealift Command.  The SLNC Magothy and her crew transported more than 1,000 tons of critical supplies that will be used to sustain Thule Air Base throughout this year.

The crew and all involved in the mission adhered to strict COVID protocols during load out, sailing and discharge.  As Captain Noah Myrus said, “As in all aspects of life, the COVID-19 pandemic has created very difficult and unforeseeable challenges for Pacer Goose. Through the resilience and adaptability of all entities and persons involved this critical supply mission will be accomplished.” Many thanks to the Captain Myrus and the entire SLNC Magothy crew for their diligent efforts to successfully and healthily complete Pacer Goose Sustainment Mission 2020.

For more information about this important mission, read MSC’s article in the Sealift:    https://www.msc.usff.navy.mil/Portals/43/Publications/Sealift/2020/09/Sealift-2020-09.pdf

Schuyler Line Navigation Company virtually attended NDTA/USTRANSCOM’s Fall meeting in October.  The conference theme ‘innovative and disruptive…20/20 vision for the future’ was well served with engaging virtual sessions and even virtual booths for attendees.  Schuyler Line Navigation Company was honored to receive the award for Corporate Distinguished Service.  We are proud to support NDTA and USTRANSCOM by providing unparalleled service to remote and austere ports around the world.

SLNC Magothy recently completed Operation Pacer Goose, the annual resupply mission to Thule Air Force Base in Greenland. This year’s operation was the 68th annual resupply mission and the first Pacer Goose mission completed during a global pandemic.  All crew, stevedores, and operations personnel adhered to strict COVID-19 protocol and quarantine restrictions during the period leading up to and during loading operations to minimize the risk of community transmission of COVID-19. Operation Pacer Goose is a critical mission to deliver supplies to Thule Air Base during the few weeks of summer when sailing conditions allow a vessel to access the port. After discharging the mission critical cargo, the SLNC Magothy loaded obsolete cargo for discharge back in Virginia.  Thanks to our crew, operations personnel, stevedores, and everyone involved in the mission for their diligent efforts to ensure a safe and healthy 68th Operation Pacer Goose! For more information about the voyage, read this article.

The Schuyler Services team, based at US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay (NSGB), Cuba recently completed a project to deliver, assemble, and install Smart TVs for use at the base’s school.  The W.T. Sampson school received a shipment of 52 Smart TVs and mobile stands for the 2020-2021 school year, which faced a unique logistical challenge due to COVID-19 restrictions.  The Schuyler Services team was nominated by Ecotech-Imaging, and with COVID-19 protocols in place, prepared the NSGB school for their academic year.  Schuyler Services and Schuyler Line Navigation Company team wish the students and teachers a successful school year!

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The Partners shared the message below with all employees. (Download PDF)

Dear Employees,

Over the past many weeks, we have all witnessed the heartbreaking and tragic events across our nation that are a result of racial inequality in the United States. Today we want to address our responsibility to become actively anti-racist and what Bold Ocean plans to do to promote social justice for our Black communities and all communities of color.

As a U.S. flag shipping company, Bold Ocean and our subsidiaries have an unwavering commitment to the United States of America, and we are proud of our work in peacetime and in crisis.  Flying the American flag on our ships means we represent the American ideals of equality, and unbiased, just human rights.

Our core values are the heartbeat of our company and we must live those values.  Our focus on integrity means we have to be honest and transparent about our beliefs and, more importantly, we must act on these beliefs.  We cannot ignore the recent events of racism and the longstanding inequality and injustice that have afflicted our nation for centuries. We are committed to standing together with our employees, crew, and communities to build an equal and unprejudiced future for Black Americans and all persons of color in the United States.

We believe that Black Lives Matter and we need to do better in putting our beliefs into action.  Bold Ocean is committing to change and is donating to the organizations below that are fighting racism and leading the way for social justice.

• NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund – https://www.naacpldf.org/
• Equal Justice Initiative – https://eji.org/about/

These are only some of the critical organizations leading the fight against institutional racism and we will also match employee donations to all organizations that are advancing social justice and combatting racial inequality (details to follow).  In addition, moving forward we will invest in and require diversity and sensitivity training for all employees. We will actively speak out against bias and micro-aggressions in our own workplace. The change we need for our nation must start from within.

We are committed to listening and learning. We welcome all ideas, suggestions, and feedback as we combat racism and promote social justice and equality.  It’s time to recognize these issues and do the work necessary to ensure the promise of this nation for every American.

In justice and solidarity,

Russell Paret, Keith Zelinsky, Christopher Hughes, and Carlos Damian