Virginia
Ocean Science Adventures on Chincoteague Bay With Your Grandchild
Program No. 2579RJ
Learn all about the ocean and the animals that live in it with your grandchild as you study prehistoric horseshoe crabs, explore a salt marsh, collect sea critters and more!
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Protecting the Environment
We offset a portion of the emissions created by your travel. Learn more
6 days
5 nights
14 meals
5B 4L 5D
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Wallops Island
2
National Wildlife Refuge, Island Visit, Campfire
Wallops Island
3
Salt Marsh Ecology, Boat Trip, Movie Night
Wallops Island
6
Photo Slideshow, Crafts, Program Concludes
Wallops Island
At a Glance
Why is the ocean blue? Is a sponge actually alive? We know your grandkids have a lot of questions, and our expert instructors are here to answer them all during a week of fun and exploration with your grandchild on Virginia’s Atlantic islands. Get your hands wet as you examine creek water, pull in a net full of wriggling critters and examine all the life that survives inside a single drop of sea water!
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to half-mile over varied terrain, through water; climb bus stairs.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Enjoy an exclusive visit to Wallops Island NASA base, usually closed to the public, to learn about the sandy dunes and collect shells to take home!
- Take a ride on an Oceanography Research Cruise to learn all about water quality and meet some of the awesome organisms that live in the area.
- Get a truly hands-on experience at our numerous field sites around the area, including a salt marsh plunge and exploration of the intertidal zone.
General Notes
Program is for grandchildren ages 5-8 or 9-13, depending on the date. ATTENTION FOREIGN NATIONALS: Part of this program takes place on Wallops Island, which is a restricted access NASA base. In order to participate in the Wallops Island activities, all foreign nationals must complete additional paperwork at least 6 weeks in advance to be allowed access onto the base. Access is then subject to approval by NASA Wallops Island base. If you are a foreign national enrolled in this program, please contact the program provider directly at julie@cbfieldstation.org to request the required forms.
Suggested Reading List
(5 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Ocean Science Adventures on Chincoteague Bay With Your Grandchild
Program Number: 2579
Misty of Chincoteague
On an island off the coasts of Virginia and Maryland lives a centuries-old band of wild ponies. Among them is the most mysterious of all, Phantom, a rarely seen mare that eludes all efforts to capture her--that is, until a young boy and girl lay eyes on her and determine that they can't live without her. The frenzied roundup that follows on the next "Pony Penning Day" does indeed bring Phantom into their lives, in a way they never would have suspected. Phantom would forever be a creature of the wild. But her gentle, loyal colt Misty is another story altogether.
Marguerite Henry's Newbery Honor Book has captivated generations of boys and girls both with its thrilling descriptions of true incidents from the tiny island of Chincoteague, and its realistic yet wonderfully magical atmosphere. This story of an animal brought into captivity poignantly reveals the powerful opposing forces of humans and nature. Wesley Dennis's pen-and-ink ponies are masterfully depicted with rippling muscles, shaggy coats, and free spirits.
A Field Guide to the Atlantic Seashore: From the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras
More than 1,000 illustrations, arranged according to visual similarities, show plant and animal species of the Atlantic Coast from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Hatteras. This guide includes information on how to locate each species by geographic range, tidal range, tidal level, season, topography, and climate.
Off 13: The Eastern Shore of Virginia Guidebook
Kirk Mariner's book "Off 13 - The Eastern Shore of Virginia Guidebook" offers a highly informative and entertaining guide to an overlooked but tranquil peninsula bounded by the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, not far from the Nation's Capital. Many people know of Chincoteague but may not be aware that the rest of the Virginia eastern shore is well worth exploring. "Off 13" is full of interesting anecdotes and historical information about the area and its many little towns as well as useful and practical information for travellers.
Assateague: Island of Wild Ponies
Children's Book- In a nature tour format, the authors portray the seasons of this famous island. They present facts about the area's ecology while focusing on the ponies. The tone is conversational, written in an informal style and defining equine terms in context. One or two full-color photos on each page show the animals in their habitat. Scenes show both the natural beauty of the island and the ponies in action, sometimes in humorous poses. Photos and text promote Assateague's wildness while cautioning readers about humankind's effects on the fragile environment. Suggest this as background for readers of Marguerite Henry's books, and as a supplement to Jack Scott's Island of Wild Horses
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge: An Ecological Treasure
Beautiful photos of Chincoteague National Wildlife: birds, ponies, sunsets. Not a lot of detailed information but it is a photography book primarily and nice to look at and dream of being there.
