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

Level

Length

Organization

Keywords

Field Studies > oyster  
1 - 22 of 22


Chesapeake Bay Ecology Program

This hands-on, 90-minute program allows students to explore the Chesapeake Bay estuary through its history, bounty, and ecology. Beach seining, aquaculture, and seagrass restoration activities help students to understand the complex nature of estuarine systems and our coastal environments.

Organization(s): The Watermen's Museum
Location: 309 Water Street Yorktown, VA 23690 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, wetland, watershed, oyster, blue crab, aquatic grass SAV, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, restoration, water quality, wildlife, fish
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Catch of the Day Program

designed to address Virginia's Standards of Learning for Kindergarten through third graders. Every year, over 1,500 students from our region participate. Each classroom involved receives a pre/post visit activity book to help teachers prepare and reinforce the lessons learned in the program. Once they arrive for their Museum visit, students see and touch live oysters, clams and crabs; learn to identify and sort shellfish by type; tong for oysters; and hear about the methods used locally to gather seafood, from those used by the region's Native Americans to the ones used today. Each student participating receives a take-home activity bag and coupons to return free with family members.

Organization(s): The Watermen's Museum
Location: 309 Water Street Yorktown, VA 23690 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures
Level(s): Early Learning, Elementary School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: watershed, oyster, blue crab, culture and watermen, habitat and niche, John Smith and colonial times, Native American, restoration, water quality, water testing
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Aqua Partners

AquaPartners is a standards-based, cross-curricular Chesapeake Bay program for elementary schools. The program targets 4th and 5th grade students throughout the school year. The AquaPartners program features in-school large group programs, hands-on lab investigations, field experiences in local ecosystems and teacher professional development. 4th grade classes receive an auditorium program at their school which highlights the cultural role of watermen on the Chesapeake Bay and the health of oyster and blue crab populations in the fall. Students also have an opportunity to explore different aspects of waterman life through activities like oyster tonging and oyster harvesting activities. In the winter, students participate in the Trash in a Marsh program at their school. This program examines the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, marsh ecology and human impact on the bay. In the spring, students take a field trip to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine and explore the Fort McHenry Field Station marsh. 5th grade classes receive an auditorium program focusing on the biology and ecology of oyster reefs and perform a water quality experiment at their school in the fall. In the winter, students re-examine the role oysters play in the health of the Chesapeake Bay and revisit water quality tests in a lab at their school. In the spring, students take a field trip to Sandy Point State Park. At the park, students perform water quality tests on Chesapeake Bay water and explore the wildlife living in and around the bay. E-mail: outreach@aqua.org

Organization(s): National Aquarium in Baltimore
Location: 501 E. Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures, Restoration
Level(s): Elementary School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, point source, non-point source, invasive species, wetland, food web, adaptation, oyster, blue crab, biodiversity, culture and watermen, ecosystem and biomes, erosion, experiments and investigations, predator prey relationships, water quality, water testing, wildlife
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Field Trips to the Baltimore Aquarium

Take a self-guided through the exhibits or schedule a tour with aquarium staff. Explore the wonders of the underwater world and fish from all over the globe.

Organization(s): National Aquarium in Baltimore
Location: 501 E. Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures
Level(s): Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: pollution, wetland, food web, adaptation, watershed, oyster, biodiversity, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, predator prey relationships, restoration, water quality, wildlife, fish
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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 Foundation
Location: 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
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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 Foundation
Location: 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
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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 Foundation
Location: 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
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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 Foundation
Location: 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
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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 Foundation
Location: 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
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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 Foundation
Location: 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
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Sultana Center Programs

Sultana's state-of-the-art aquarium system is home to creatures from the Chester River including perch, rockfish, oysters, catfish, snapping turtles, Atlantic blue crabs and more! On the first Friday of each month, the Sultana Center welcomes children ages 3-12 for hands-on educational programs provided by Sultana's educational staff. Programs can include examining historic artifacts, Native American crafts and even handling fish and crabs in a special touch tank.

Organization(s): Sultana Projects
Location: 107 South Cross Street Chestertown, MD 21620 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture
Level(s): Early Learning, Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: wetland, oyster, blue crab, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, John Smith and colonial times, Native American, wildlife, fish
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Spatuti - Oyster Education Program

Take a ride on the Skipjack Rebecca to learn about the oyster and what an oyster bar looks like by dredging some up with Captain Wade Murphy. Learn about what oysters eat and how they filter water. Then conduct an oyster experiment to learn how oysters filter the water in the bay and make it cleaner.

Organization(s): Phillips Wharf Environmental Center
Location: 21604 Chicken Point Road Tilghman, MD 21671 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, oyster, culture and watermen, water quality
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The Remarkable Oyster Program

Discover the amazing filtering ability of this important mollusk and its effects on Chesapeake Bay water quality. Participants will learn about the life cycle of an oyster and the process of restoring the oyster population that many restoration organizations are currently engaged in. Participants will also explore the importance of oyster reefs so vital to the Bay’s biodiversity by learning different reef structures and configurations and the success of these artificial habitats.

Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
Location: 600 Discovery Lane Grasonville, MD 21638 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Restoration
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: oyster, biodiversity, ecosystem and biomes, habitat and niche, restoration
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Estuary Chesapeake Program

Estuary Chesapeake is SERC's most popular education program where students explore the living and non-living aspects of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The program involves a series of five stations at SERC's dock, covering the following topics; oyster bar community, water testing, about crabs, investigating plankton and going fishing.

Organization(s): Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Location: 647 Contees Wharf Road Edgewater, MD 21037 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Pollution and Pressures
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, wetland, watershed, oyster, blue crab, stream study, water quality, water testing
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Half-Shell Shipboard Program

Join the Living Classroom Foundation for an opportunity to sail aboard a historic buy boat, Half Shell. While onboard, students participate in hands-on activities centered on applied science and math, history, language arts, and the physical environment. The program is customizable so that it fits with the curriculum covered in the classroom.

Organization(s): Discovery Creek
Location: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 410 Washington, DC 20007 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Restoration
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School
Program Length(s): Day Trips Multi-Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, land use, oyster, blue crab, water quality
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Skipjack Tours

Take an environmental and natural history tour aboard the Skipjack Dee.

Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay Field Lab
Location: 16129 Piney Point Road Piney Point, MD 20674 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures
Level(s): High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, oyster, blue crab
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Choptank Discoveries

Explore the shores of the Choptank River! Catch fish, crabs, and other aquatic life, including jellyfish, plankton, and a myriad of other spineless creatures. Visit the oyster hatchery, and find out what Horn Point Laboratory is doing to help oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.

Organization(s): Horn Point Laboratory
Location: 2020 Horn Point Road Cambridge, MD 21613 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, Restoration
Level(s): Elementary School
Program Length(s): Multi-Day Trips
Keywords: oyster, blue crab, habitat and niche, wildlife
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Chesapeake Heritage Initiative Program

Chesapeake Heritage Initiative blends the science and the history of the Bay. Aboard historic Chesapeake Bay work boats on the Chester River, students learn in the heart of Maryland's Upper Eastern Shore, where time and tradition have all but stood still. Students will eat, sleep, and live on board Echo Hill Outdoor School's two historic bay craft, the buy-boat Annie D. (1957) and the skipjack Elsworth (1901). Activities include fishing, setting sails, navigating with map and compass, interviewing people on the River, and learning about regional lifestyles and folklore.

Organization(s): Echo Hill Outdoor School
Location: 13655 Bloomingneck Rd Worton, MD 21678 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture
Level(s): High School
Program Length(s): Multi-Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, oyster, blue crab, habitat and niche, wildlife
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Chesapeake Champions and Teasure Our Waters

During the 30-minute program each week, students meet people who work on, work with, or are inspired by the Chesapeake Bay and together they explore the natural and cultural history of the Chesapeake Bay through hands-on experiences and exploration opportunities not available in school. The first six weeks have included a boat ride, an in-depth exploration of oysters and terrapins, meeting a working waterman, and writing their own Bay-inspired song with singer-songwriter Janie Meneely.

Organization(s): Annapolis Maritime Museum
Location: 723 2nd St Annapolis, MD 21403 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures, Restoration, Land Use and Agriculture
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips Multi-Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, pollution, watershed, oyster, habitat and niche, water quality, wildlife, fish
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Chesapeake Bay Bounty Tour

In this hands-on program discover what it means to follow the water to the many people who work the Bay year-round harvesting crabs, oysters, eels, and fish. At Waterman's Wharf, step inside a waterman's shanty and follow his seasonal rounds. Try hand-tonging for oysters, baiting eel pots, and setting a crab pot. Board an oyster dredgeboat and lend a hand raising sail.

Organization(s): Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Location: 213 N. Talbot Street St. Michaels, MD 21663 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters, History and Culture, Pollution and Pressures
Level(s): Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: boats, canoes and kayaks, oyster, blue crab
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Black Maritime History and the Oyster

Learn the skill of caulking and find out how many African Americans used maritime skills to pursue their dreams of freedom. Dissect oysters and discover their importance to the Chesapeake Bay and the African-American workers, from a time when this bivalve was a national and international obsession.

Organization(s): Living Classrooms of the National Capital Region
Location: 2000 Half Street, SW Washingtong, DC 21046 (Map It)
Theme(s): Habitats and Critters
Level(s): Early Learning, High School
Program Length(s): Day Trips
Keywords: oyster, Native American
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Bay Buddies Program

Bay Buddies serves 80 students with special needs, ages 5-21, with a unique summer enrichment program. During the program, students participate in a wide variety of hands-on experiences. Activities include arts and crafts, model paddle boat construction and racing, field trip to the MD Council for Special Equestrians (therapeutic horseback riding), sailing aboard skipjacks, and a gardening project.

Organization(s): Living Classrooms Foundation
Location: 802 South Caroline Street Baltimore, MD 21231 (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
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