Field Studies
Field studies coupled with classroom activities are an integral part of Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences. Find a field study program that gets your students' feet wet and hands dirty.
Find a Program Near You
Begin by choosing the criteria for your search. Matching field study programs will be displayed as pin-points on the map below. Click on a pin-point for details about each program. Be sure to scroll through all your results using the "next" button at the bottom of the page.
If you know of a great field study not included in the Bay Backpack let us know by suggesting a field study.
Create Your Own Field Study
Learn how to create your own field study at a local park or on your school grounds.
Theme
- All Themes
Habitats and Critters- History and Culture
- Land Use and Agriculture
- Pollution and Pressures
- Restoration
Level
- All Levels
- Early Learning
- Elementary School
- Middle School
- High School
Length
- All Lengths
- Day Trips
- Multi-Day Trips
Organization
- All Organizations
- Abbott's Mill Nature Center
- Accokeek Foundation
- Adkins Arboretum
- Alice Ferguson Foundation
- Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring
- Amry Corps of Engineers
- Anacostia Watershed Society
- Anita C. Leight Estuary Center
- Annapolis Maritime Museum
- Apple Ridge Farm
- Aquatic Resources Education Center
- Arlington Echo
- Audubon Naturalist Society
- Black Hill Nature Center
- Blackbird State Forest Education Center
- Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
- Brandywine Valley Association
- Cacapon State Park
- Calvert County Parks
- Calvert Marine Museum
- Carbon County Environmental Education Center
- Carroll County Outdoor School
- Casey Trees
- Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
- Chesapeake Bay Field Lab
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation
- Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
- Churchville Nature Center
- Clearwater Nature Center
- Delmarva Discovery Center
- Discovery Creek
- Echo Hill Outdoor School
- Environmental Concern
- Fair Hill Nature Center
- Fairview Outdoor Education Center Facilities
- Frederick County Outdoor School
- Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center
- George Washington Carver Outdoor School
- Gifford Pinchot State Park
- Great Valley Nature Center
- Greenwood Furnace State Park
- Harford Glen Environmental Education Center
- Hawk Mountain
- Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
- Hickory Environmental Education Center
- Hoffler Creek Wildlife Foundation
- Horn Point Laboratory
- Howard B. Owens Science Center
- Howard County Conservancy
- Indian Springs WIldlife Management Area
- Irvine Nature Center
- Jamestown 4-H Educational Center
- Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum
- Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary
- King's Gap Environmental Education and Training Center
- Lancaster County Environmental Center
- Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center
- Little Buffalo State Park
- Little Pine State Park
- Living Classrooms Foundation
- Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region
- Locust Lake State Park
- Mariners' Museum
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Maymont
- Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary and Visitor's Center
- Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area
- Millbrook Marsh Nature Center
- Montour Preserve
- Mt. Pisgah State Park
- National Aquarium in Baltimore
- National Arboretum
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Nauticus
- Nixon County Park Nature Center
- Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center
- North Bay Adventure
- Northumberland County Conservation District
- Oregon Ridge Nature Center
- Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm
- Parker Dam State Park
- Pemberton Park
- Phillips Wharf Environmental Center
- Pickering Creek Audubon Center
- Prince Gallitzin State Park
- R. B. Winter State Park
- Renfrew Institute for Cultural and Environmental Science
- River & Trail Outfitters
- Rock Creek Park
- Rogers Environmental Education Center
- Saturaday Environmental Academy
- Shaver's Creek Environmental Center
- Shenandoah National Park
- Sideling Hill Exhibit Center
- Sizerville State Park
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
- Strawberry Hill Nature Center
- Stroud Water Research Center
- Sultana Projects
- Susquehanna Riverlands
- The Schuylkill Center
- The Watermen's Museum
- The Wildlife Center of Virginia
- Thorpewood
- Tuckahoe State Park
- Tuscarora State Park
- Valley Falls State Park
- Virginia Living Museum
- Virginia National Estuarine Research Reserve at VIMS
- Wildwood Lake Sanctuary
- William Schmidt Environmental Center
- York County Solid Waste Authority
Keywords
- All Keywords
- adaptation
- agriculture
- aquatic grass SAV
- beaver
- biodiversity
- blue crab
- boats, canoes and kayaks
- culture and watermen
- development
- dissolved oxygen
- economics
- ecosystem and biomes
- erosion
- experiments and investigations
- fish
- food web
- forest
- geocaching (GIS/GPS)
- green development
- habitat and niche
- identification
- invasive species
- John Smith and colonial times
- land use
- litter, trash and recycling
- Native American
- nitrogen and carbon cycle
- non-point source
- orienteering
- oyster
- photosynthesis
- point source
- pollution
- population growth
- predator prey relationships
- renewable resource
- restoration
- salinity
- schoolyard habitat
- sediment, soil and rocks
- smart growth
- stormwater
- stream study
- student action
- water and energy conservation
- water cycle and movement
- water quality
- water testing
- watershed
- weather
- wetland
- wildlife
> Chesapeake Bay Foundation > water testing Stanley Norman Skipjack Program in St. Michaels
The Stanley Norman, one of the last of the Chesapeake's famous fleet of skipjacks, provides an authentic setting to study the Bay's resources. Originally built in 1902, the Stanley Norman is an unforgettable venue for participants to dredge for oysters, test water quality, and imagine what it was like to work on a 65 wooden sailing vessel. CBF instructors utilize activities to deepen participants’ understanding of local ecosystems and give relevance and depth to the classroom curriculum. Our goal is to actively engage students and promote higher order thinking skills by learning through active experience.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 213 North Talbot St. St. Michaels, MD 21663 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, land use, oyster, blue crab, culture and watermen, habitat and niche, water quality, water testing
Susquehanna Watershed Education Program (SWEP)
The Susquehanna Watershed Education Program (SWEP) is a hands-on mobile watershed education program that enables students to explore local rivers and streams in central Pennsylvania, monitoring the effect of agriculture and other land uses on water quality. Traveling by canoe on a local creek, river, or lake, students investigate the local flora and fauna, perform water quality tests and biological surveys, and explore local issues, history, and geography.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 14 North Front Street, Suite G Harrisburg, PA 17101 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Restoration, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, land use, watershed, development, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, restoration, water testing
Arthur Sherwood Study Center Program
Combining the resources of a fully equipped research vessel with the hands-on experience of flat water canoes, the Arthur Sherwood program allows students to gain a more complete understanding and appreciation of the ecosystem. On the open Bay and within sight of the Bay Bridge and U.S. Naval Academy, students aboard the Marguerite conduct biological sampling, test water quality, and dredge for oysters. Additionally, students explore the quiet shallower waters of Meredith Creek, identifying marine and plant species and evaluating water quality.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 1750 Colbert Rd Annapolis, , MD 21401 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, oyster, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, water quality, water testing
Baltimore to the Bay Program
Baltimore to the Bay is a one-day combination boat and canoe program that will accommodate groups of 26 to 52 people. Students will explore the mouths of the Back and Middle Rivers, learning of their connection to the Bay. Through combined use of canoes and workboat, students discover the complex relationship between land and water.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 501 E. Pratt St. Baltimore, MD 21202 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, culture and watermen, water quality, water testing
Urban Ecology and Environmental Policy, Baltimore Harbor Program
During this one-day program, students board the workboat Snowgoose to access areas surrounding superfund sites, brownfields, waste-water treatment plants and power plants, as well as a variety of local industries. Water quality investigations are complemented by the sampling of benthic, planktonic, and other aquatic communities. CBF field educators work individually with each instructor to design a program that meets their curricular needs. This program is suited for high school AP classes, college/university courses and other adult special interest groups.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 501 E. Pratt St. Baltimore, MD 21202 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, point source, land use, watershed, habitat and niche, water quality, water testing
Baltimore Harbor Program
The workboat Snowgoose provides a unique platform from which participants study the dynamic relationship between the Port of Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay’s Patapsco River. Students investigate environmental issues and trends, often within the context of urban ecology. The Baltimore Harbor program is an excellent venue for students to learn about the fragility and the resiliency of ecosystems under the pressure of a modern working river.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 501 E. Pratt St. Baltimore, MD 21202 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, point source, land use, watershed, habitat and niche, stream study, water quality, water testing
Stanley Norman Skipjack Program in Annapolis
The Stanley Norman, one of the last of the Chesapeake's famous fleet of skipjacks, provides an authentic setting to study the Bay's resources. Originally built in 1902, the Stanley Norman is an unforgettable venue for participants to dredge for oysters, test water quality, and imagine what it was like to work on a 65 wooden sailing vessel. Programs run out of Annapolis. CBF instructors utilize on-board activities to deepen participants’ understanding of local ecosystems and give relevance and depth to the classroom curriculum. Our goal is to actively engage students and promote higher order thinking skills by learning through active experience.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: City Dock, Randall Street Annapolis, MD 21401 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, land use, oyster, blue crab, culture and watermen, habitat and niche, water quality, water testing
Smith Island Study Center
Located within Tylerton MD, one of three watermen's communities on Smith Island, this center emphasizes the culture and ecology of a Chesapeake fishing village. Steeped in Chesapeake lore and heritage, Smith Island is the largest inhabited offshore island in the Bay. Participants gain insight into island culture to better understand how the community has interacted with the Bay for more than 300 years. Extensive wetlands, underwater grass beds, oyster reefs, and forests are easily explored on foot and by canoe and workboat.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 20846 Caleb Jones Rd Ewell, MD 21824 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Multi-Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, wetland, watershed, oyster, blue crab, forest, habitat and niche, restoration, stream study, water quality, water testing, wildlife
Fox Island Study Center Residential Program
Built in 1929 as a hunting and fishing lodge, the center is surrounded by the waters of Tangier and Pocomoke Sounds in Virginia. Fox Island's location, history, and simplicity make it truly magical. CBF field staff will work with you during the pre-trip call to tailor your experience so that it complements your classroom content. The following are examples of sample topics: History and folklore, salt marsh exploration, underwater grasses, crabbing, fishing, and oystering and Weather watch. The center has Clivus Multrum composting toilets that use no water or chemicals. Solar panels provide electricity for a handful of lights, a refrigerator, and the “gray water” system. Visitors should bring a flashlight. The lodge has a natural heating and cooling system. It uses a wood stove for warmth in common areas in the cooler months, and lots of windows for cool breezes in warmer weather. A 70-ft. well provides water for washing hands and dishes, but students will NOT be showering while at Fox.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: Fox Island Fox Island, VA 0 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Multi-Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, wetland, land use, weather, watershed, oyster, blue crab, green development, restoration, stream study, water quality, water testing
Potomac River Program
This program is based in the heart of the nation's capital at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. While aboard the Susquehanna, CBF's 42 research workboat, participants test water quality, perform plankton studies, trawl for fish, and learn about the local features that impact the ecological integrity of the surrounding waterways. This is a unique opportunity to explore a hidden side of D.C., discover a diverse watershed of the Chesapeake, and investigate a habitat that few people are able to witness.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: Gang Plank Marina, 600 Water St. SW Washington, DC 20024 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, land use, watershed, stream study, water quality, water testing
Port Isobel Island Study Center
Port Isobel is a 250-acre island east of Tangier Island. It is the southernmost point between the Tangier Sound and the Chesapeake Bay proper. All buildings have electricity, central air, and heating systems, and Clivus Multrum composting toilets that use no water or chemicals. The dorm and the conference center were architecturally adapted from working barns in Pennsylvania to become some of CBF's first environmentally friendly buildings. Facilities include a full kitchen with a stove, microwave, refrigerator, and oven.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: Port Isobel Island Port Isobel Island, VA 0 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Multi-Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, wetland, land use, watershed, green development, habitat and niche, restoration, stream study, water quality, water testing, wildlife
Hampton Roads Study Center
Near the southernmost port on the Chesapeake, students aboard the new workboat / floating classroom Bea Hayman Clark explore the Elizabeth and James Rivers and learn about the relationship between the land, the rivers, and the Bay. Participants explore rivers and tributaries, sample aquatic life, and perform water quality tests. They learn about the effects of human activities on the estuary, local ecosystem health, and system dynamics. Through hands-on activities, students discover how water quality is degraded by our actions and learn what we can do about it. Offered at the Portsmouth Portside, Lynnhaven Waterway Marina, and Newport News James River Marina.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: Waterside Dr Norfolk, VA 23510 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, land use, watershed, oyster, blue crab, stream study, water quality, water testing
James River Program
Aboard the workboat Baywatcher, participants engage in water quality testing, biological sampling, and analysis while overlooking locations that have significant historical ties to the river plantations, heavy industry, and serene wildlife preserves. Students sample aquatic life and perform basic water quality tests.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 109 Jordan Point Rd Hopewell, VA 23860 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, land use, watershed, restoration, stream study, water quality, water testing
Karen Noonan Study Center Residential Program
The Karen Noonan Memorial Environmental Education Center is situated on 20 acres of marsh in southern Dorchester County, Maryland. Participants explore pine forests, underwater grass beds, and native oyster reefs that surround the center. The nearby Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest tidal wetlands on the East Coast, also provides opportunities from which to investigate this ecosystem. Once one of the great Chesapeake hunting lodges, the Karen Noonan Center was completely renovated in 1995 to create an environmentally sound, state-of-the-art residential center. Participants in our program can see how a “green building,” with its alternative energy sources and composting waste facilities, can function not only as a learning tool, but also as a home.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 1304 Phillips Gunning Club Rd. Crocheron, MD 21627 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Restoration, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Multi-Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, wetland, watershed, water and energy conservation, green development, habitat and niche, renewable resource, restoration, stream study, water quality, water testing, wildlife
Virginia Watershed Education Program
The Virginia Watershed Education Program (VWEP) gives participants an exciting new perspective on their own local tributary and its connection to the Bay. While paddling freshwater, non-tidal rivers and streams, students and educators examine the relationship between human activities and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Hands-on activities encourage sensitivity and knowledge of local ecosystems, giving relevance and greater understanding to classroom curricula. Our program staff provides opportunities for careful observations, data collection, analysis, and synthesis of information gathered during the field study experience. They encourage participants to explore the complexity of the watershed, and to see themselves as part of the solution. Serving, Charlottesville and Virginia west of Interstate I-95.
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 1108 East Main Street, Suite 1600 Richmond, VA 23219 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Restoration, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, nitrogen and carbon cycle, pollution, land use, watershed, agriculture, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, water quality, water testing
Virginia Canoe Program
From Northern Virginia to Richmond to Virginia Beach, the mobile Virginia Canoe Program travels to a river or stream near you. Trip participants probe the Bay's biologically diverse flat water to learn about the effects of creekside land uses and study the area's plants and wildlife. CBF staff travel to many Virginia rivers to investigate some of the most scenic waterways in the watershed. While paddling these tidal rivers and streams, students and educators examine the relationship between human activities and water quality in the Chesapeake Bay
Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay FoundationLocation: 1108 East Main Street, Suite 1600 Richmond , VA 23219 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Restoration, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, nitrogen and carbon cycle, pollution, land use, watershed, agriculture, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, restoration, water quality, water testing
