Field trips are subject to cancellation if minimum numbers of participants are not reached. Others may be canceled because of inclement weather. If a field trip is cancelled, money will be refunded. To reduce the carbon footprint, most trips will include public transportation, such as subway or ferry, or walking. To register for a field trip, check the appropriate box on the registration form.
Community Rating System Success: Quincy Walking Tour
Whale Watching
Spectacle Island
Managing Natural Resources around Logan International Airport
Boston Harbor Management and Ecology Boat Tour
Date and Time: Sunday, July 19, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $10.00
Participants: Minimum 15, Maximum 25
Located just minutes south of Boston, the City of Quincy participates in the National Flood Insurance Program’s Community Rating System (CRS). This system was implemented in 1990 to recognize and encourage community floodplain management activities that exceed minimum standards. On this guided walking tour, you will hear about the city’s participation in the program, and you will visit several mitigation projects that have earned the city CRS credit points, including the Broad Meadows Marsh Restoration, Strand Pump Stations Project, Black’s Creek Tide Gate Project, and Wollaston Beach Rehabilitation Project.
Note: Participants should be prepared for lots of walking and wear comfortable shoes. Sunscreen and sunglasses are a must. Lunch will be on your own.
Date and Time: Sunday, July 19, 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Cost: $42.00
Participants: Minimum 25, Maximum 50
Humpback whales will be the main attraction on this trip, although you may also spot minke whales, finback whales, and white-sided dolphins. The tour will take you into the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and sanctuary information will be available.
You will sail on a catamaran featuring three outside decks for optimum viewing. Inside you will find climate-controlled cabin space featuring seating, state-of-the-art audio-visual systems, and a galley with a selection of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. The main deck of the catamaran is handicap accessible.
Note: We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and bringing a light sweater or jacket. Sunscreen and sunglasses are a must, and do not forget your camera or binoculars. The trip is rain or shine, with refunds only for cancellation due to high seas.
Date and Time: Sunday, July 19, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Cost: $30.00
Participants: Minimum 20, Maximum 30
Spectacle Island is a 105-acre island in Boston Harbor, situated four miles offshore of downtown Boston. It features a marina, visitor center, café, lifeguarded swimming beach, and five miles of walking trails that lead to the crest of a 157-foot hill, offering views of the harbor and the city. The island has a varied history and today is a public park, forming part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. You will take a ferry from Boston out to the island, where a park ranger will lead you in a walking tour, describing the island’s history and flora and fauna. Following the walking tour, you will have time to explore the island and its many trails on your own.
Note: Participants should be prepared for lots of walking and wear comfortable shoes. Sunscreen and sunglasses are a must. Lunch will be on your own.
Date and Time: Sunday, July 19, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Cost: $20.00
Participants: Minimum 15, Maximum 20
Massport will be our host as we hear about the interface between the working airport and a variety of marine and coastal resources surrounding the airport. The tour will address the management of intertidal and subtidal resources, including salt marsh, commercial soft-shell clam fisheries, and a re-establishing bed of eelgrass. Discussions will also address the balance between critical upland and marine wildlife habitat and wildlife hazard management. Current and future coastal mitigation strategies for a series of runway-end safety improvements will also be described.
Note: We recommend wearing comfortable shoes. Identification will be required at the airport for security purposes.
Date and Time: Sunday, July 19, 1:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $35
Participants: Minimum 30, Maximum 60
Coastal planners and scientists from the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management Program, the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston, and the U.S Environmental Protection Agency Region I will lead you on a tour of Boston Harbor on board the M/V Columbia Point, an eco-friendly 64-foot UMass Boston research and education vessel. On this trip, you’ll hear about the management and ecology of this important estuary, especially as it relates to Boston Harbor being designated a No Discharge Area (NDA), and its recovery from decades of sewage discharges. Dr. Anamarija Frankic, coordinator of the UMass Green Boston Harbor Project, will discuss her students’ efforts to integrate components of education, research, and outreach in support of the Boston Harbor NDA. You’ll visit pumpout facilities and other docks among the Boston Harbor Islands and also travel by the Deer Island Sewage Treatment Plant, the USS Constitution, and private piers. The trip starts at the UMass Boston dock next to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The boat will drop participants off in downtown Boston near the New England Aquarium and Quincy Market (close to shopping and restaurants) and a short walk to the Park Plaza conference hotel.
Note: We recommend wearing comfortable shoes. Sunscreen and sunglasses are a must. Water, but no food, will be provided on the tour.
Contact Jan Kucklick, Coastal Zone 09 technical program chair, at Jan.Kucklick@noaa.gov or (843) 740-1279.