Field Trips
A variety of field trips are offered on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. Limited seating is available. To ensure participation, please register today. Field trip descriptions are provided below.
Climate Change and Protected Areas: Explore the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
$45 per person
11:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
China Camp State Park is one of two sites that comprise NOAA’s San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR).
The park protects some of the best remaining salt marshes in the San Francisco Bay estuary, as well as critical rocky intertidal and
mudflat habitat, and the surrounding forested uplands. San Francisco Bay NERR coordinates and supports diverse research projects
within the park, including climate change impacts on native oysters, sea-level rise effects on plant communities, and several long-term
monitoring programs. During the California and World Ocean tour, education and research staff from the NERR will share insights learned through current research, lead the group to a vista point with panoramic views of the estuary, and provide hands on opportunities to get close to the marsh and its inhabitants.
For more information on the NOAA’s San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, please visit http://sfbaynerr.org.
Please note: Lunch and an afternoon snack will be provided. Trip to vista point is not wheelchair accessible. Light hiking involved.
Sunscreen is recommended.
Education in Action! Experience Cutting-Edge Marine Education at the California Academy of Sciences and the
Environmental Science Center
$45 per person
10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Trained docents from the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary will escort you through the California Academy of Sciences highlighting the California Coast Exhibit at the Steinhart Aquarium, home to 38,000 live animals, representing more than 900 separate species from around the world, representing more than 900 separate species. The Academy and Sanctuary have partnered to train docents to help with field research along the coast of California as well as interpretation on the Academy floor.
After your exciting visit to the California Academy of Sciences, you will be driven to the Environmental Science Center at Fort Funston, located on Skyline Drive, about 20 minutes away. At the Center, you will be introduced to the marine and coastal environment by twenty experienced elementary school students who will demonstrate how to build a watershed out of items found on the beach, present information on the local coastal and marine life, and take a core sample of sand to assess sand crab populations.
Housed in a recycled army barrack on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the Center is used for both day and overnight programs for kindergarten through fifth grade classes. Fort Funston offers access to miles of beautiful coastline and the freshwater ecosystem of Lake Merced.
For more information on the California Academy of Sciences, please visit http://www.calacademy.org.
For more information on the Environmental Science Center, please visit http://sfportal.sfusd.edu/sites/esc/default.aspx.
Please note: Lunch and an afternoon snack will be provided.
Ocean Health and Wildlife: Up Close and Personal at the Marine Mammal Center
$45 per person
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
The Marine Mammal Center is an interesting and inspiring destination for all! During a private, one-hour guided tour of the state-of- the-art facility, you will learn how the Center rehabilitates and releases sick, injured and orphaned marine mammals and see seal and sea lion patients. The tour will include behind the scene areas and activities such as the fish kitchen, chart room, laboratory and a post-mortem (optional). The visit will conclude with the 3Rs for Marine Mammals class (Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Release.) The class will include video clips of an actual rescue, animal care, feeding, surgery, and a release allowing you to “experience” aspects of the Center’s that you may not have seen on the tour.
The Center is located in the Marin Headlands within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, just minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge and west of Sausalito. In June 2009, the Marine Mammal Center opened the doors of its newly re-built hospital and education facility. Over the last 35 years, the Center has cared for more than 15,000 animals that have been found along 600 miles of Northern and Central California coastline.
For more information on the Marine Mammal Center, please visit www.marinemammalcenter.org.
Please note: Lunch and a snack will be provided.
All Aboard! Offshore Tour on NOAA Vessel Fulmar: Experience Marine Spatial Planning in Action
$65 per person
8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries protect some of the most productive and biologically diverse waters in North America. The NOAA Sanctuaries’ research vessel Fulmar will take a group offshore of San Francisco, north of the Golden Gate and ultimately to the Farallon Islands to observe marine spatial planning within these two sanctuaries. The tour will include a chance to observe first hand various human activities and important zones for those activities in sanctuary waters. The trip will also include a chance to observe the abundance of wildlife, including whales, seals and sea lions, sea birds, and if lucky, a white shark – the Farallon Islands are at the heart of one of only three population centers for white sharks in the world, and the sharks begin aggregating in September.
For more information on National Marine Sanctuary Programs, please visit http://www.sanctuarysimon.org/regional_sections/fulmar/index.php.
Please note: Lunch and an afternoon snack will be provided. Participants must be able to step on and step off of a boat under their own power. There are no medical facilities on-board. Those prone to sea sickness should consider taking motion sickness medication or patch (please take/administer at least one hour before the trip). Bring sunscreen, sun glasses, and a jacket.
Navigate the Bay and Keep Our Waters Safe on the P/V Marlin
$65 per person
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Enjoy a 3-hour voyage on San Francisco Bay aboard the California Department of Fish and Game’s 58-ft. law enforcement vessel the P/V Marlin. You will learn about the operations of the department’s Office of Oil Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) and in particular their response to Cosco Busan oil spill which occurred in November 2007. In addition, a DFG warden will discuss fisheries enforcement issue in San Francisco Bay, including ongoing efforts to stem black market collection of sturgeon and leopard shark. Other topics covered will include maritime navigation and safety.
For more information on the P/V Marlin, please visit http://www.dfg.ca.gov/news/news04/04079.html.
Please note: Lunch and a snack will be provided. Wheelchair access is restricted to the deck (will have to lift onboard). No wheelchair access in the ship’s cabin. If you are susceptible to ocean sickness, please take motion sickness medication or patch (please take/ administer at least one hour before the trip). You will need to sign a waiver onsite. Participants will not be allowed on the P/V Marlin without a signed release. Sunscreen, a brimmed hat, and a windbreaker are recommended.
Discover the San Francisco Estuary from the Ground and Aboard a Helicopter!
$85 per person
First tour: 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. / Second tour: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
See firsthand the nation’s largest tidal marsh restoration west of the Everglades! You will also witness dramatic success in eradicating the mega-invasive non-native Spartina (Atlantic Smooth Cordgrass). The trip will start with a bus tour to one or more restored tidal marshes, where eradication of invasive Spartina is underway. On the bus and at the site, presentations will be made by staff of the San Francisco Invasive Spartina Project, State Coastal Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others. From there, a short trip will take you to the airport, where you will board a helicopter for an aerial tour of existing and planned salt pond restoration sites.
For more information on the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project, please visit www.spartina.org.
Please note: Lunch and a snack will be provided. Must be at least 6 years of age, and a minimum of 60 pounds. With advanced notice, most disabilities, including para/quadriplegic, can be accommodated, but wheelchairs must be left on the ground. No medical oxygen or other materials classified as hazardous materials can be taken onto the helicopter. Each field trip participant will be required to sign a standard Release of Liability prior to boarding the helicopter. Participants will not be allowed on the helicopter without a signed release.