chincoteague bay field station

We're glad you enjoyed the Nature Lovers Dinner. Hope you learned some fun facts and will visit us again!

My wife and I came here on another of our Road Scholar birding programs, continuing our desire to bird at major migration path locations throughout the US. Consequently, we are likely to see some of the same birds as on other trips. We rely upon exceptional groups such as the Chincoteague Bay Field Station to point out critical differences and interspecies dependencies rather than just do bird counts. We certainly got that guidance here. For example, classroom presentations touched on the interplay among the maritime, marsh and sea systems here and highlighted specific interactions between horseshoe crabs and red knots. Important teaching and ecological work is being done here, and should be supported. We definitely got the most out of the short time we had here. I'd like to come back here again. Thanks to all the friendly, knowledgeable and personable people who organized, taught, led and fed us.

Friendly staff, clean and beautifully organized weekend with great leaders and participants.So much more than I expected. We will be back next year.Eva Jo Wu

This was a peak experience for both my grandson and myself. We went here through a Road Scholar inter-generational camp but you can participate in a coastal ecology program with varying program lengths directly with the Bay Station. It was extremely educational and well-organized. We were there for a week, housed in a basic dormitory, with cafeteria food for a reasonable price. The educators were OUTSTANDING.Not only were they very knowledgeable and children oriented but enthusiastic and patient with young and old. There were fun evening activities and a balance of classroom lessons and in the field explorations. We spent a morning on a research vessel, measuring current speed and direction along with water density, salinity and ph utilizing actual research equipment. We collected water organisms and examined in the lab with microscopes and field guides.

Very well organized and full of fun activities. Perfect mix of outdoor exploration and science education. You get a lot for your money, and the memories are priceless!

This past weekend, I attended the first annual Delmarva Nature and Wildlife Photography Summit at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station (formerly the Marine Science Consortium) on Wallops Island and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. The summit ran from the evening of Thursday 14 November 2013 through lunchtime on Sunday 17 November 2013. During this time I participated in several classroom sessions and field trips led by one of the four faculty members. It was a fun and educational experience, as well as a great opportunity to take photographs and meet and talk to other photographers. I learned a lot and I think that I took some great photographs. This was without a doubt one of the best, it not the best, organized and run photography workshop I have attended. The Chincoteague Bay Field Station (CBFS) staff were always helpful, friendly and upbeat. The staff, along with the faculty, are what made this such a great event.For those interested in logistical issues, the CBFS staff were well organized for the summit check-in with a room key, name tag and information packet for each person. I was in a four room/ 2 bathroom suite with four other men (we each had our own rooms, but double occupancy is available if that is what you want). The rooms were dorm-like, but comfortable (bring an extra pillow and some hangers). Two of us shared one bathroom with two sinks and two showers, so it was quite comfortable. The program included breakfast lunch and dinner. We began each evening with beer/wine and hors d'œuvres before dinner and the evening program. The food in the cafeteria was quite good, better than you would expect, and quite filling. As with everyone else at CBFS, the cafeteria staff was always friendly, helpful and welcoming. Overall, it was a great experience and I'm already looking forward to attending next year. If you are interested in nature photography, or just photography in general, I would highly recommend this program.

Excellent staff and guest instructors, lots of camaraderie with the participants, comfortable, if plain, facilities, and the cafeteria cooks served up good food and plenty of it. Well-organized, clean, friendly. Great experience.

I have attended four nature photography workshops with the best professionals, and happily drive 10 hours each way to do so. Each workshop has involved extensive field shoots, seminars, lectures and demonstrations, and especially the opportunity to have my own work critiqued and improved. I leave with a sense of accomplishment and excitement about digital nature photography. In addition to the pros' enthusiastic attentiveness, the staff support is always superb : efficient, competent, and cheerful. They are there to be helpful. The accommodations are fine if you don't depend on TV, and the food far exceeds what one expects at events like these. As a result, one finds himself/herself among a cohort of happy participants. Can't wait for the next one.

Jean P Koon is a great teacher! She took me, who only came with a friend to get near the ocean, and got me interested and even enthusiastic about weaving. The staff who organized and assisted us throughout the week made this one of my top-rated vacations. I know more about this part of the country and I will be back.

I've attended classes here, visited with college students when I was in High School, been a pre-college Oceanography class Counselor and more. This is an excellent place with dedicated staff who teach hands-on science with a passion that I rarely see anymore. There are so many events and camps and opportunities to get involved that you can keep coming back for more and not see or do the same thing. I'm looking forward to the Alumni weekend coming this Fall. This time I was down just to tour the place and see the changes that have taken place (and eat at Wrights).

We attended an Intergenerational Camp at the MSC campus. Everything about this experience was top notch. The program leaders and interns were knowledgable, helpful and fun. Their planned activities were age appropriate, interesting and enjoyable. The science facilities were comfortable and modern. Wow...all in all, a great experience.

What a spectacular week. The facilities at the Marine Science Consortium were very nice and the people there were friendly and helpful. They feed us very well. Most of the meals were in the cafeteria, but there were at least three were cook outs just for our group (6 people making 5 kayaks) and we were treated to meals at fancy seafood restaurants twice.Leigh, our kayaking building instructor was very good, and did a fine job teaching. He struck a good balance between helping and letting you do it yourself when you wanted to.The kayaks we built are Skin On Frame style. They're incredibly light for the size, and handle very nicely.So we didn't have to sit around and watch paint dry MSC took us on paddles in their tandem kayaks and a field trip to a seldom visited beach.There are lots of pictures posted at http://DavidReedSmith.shutterfly.com

I cannot overstate how much fun my daughter and I had at the family camp. We explored Wallops Island, collected shells, walked through mud flats scooping up little creatures in nets, canoed at a beautiful park, hiked through the woods, bird-watched. The staff was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and great with the kids.

We came here for a Valentine's Day dinner and animal trivia; the meal was delicious, the staff was very friendly and helpful, and we had a great time! Thanks so much for making the night special for us, we're definitely looking forward to attending programs here in the future.

I took 2 of my grandchildren, both aged 10, to MSC in August. The girls and I had a great time. We learned about sea critters; seined in a creek, walked through mud, swam in the ocean, saw Chincoteague Ponies; ate wonderful ice cream cones; went on a boat ride, searched for shells, and generally enjoyed ourselves. We met people from all over the country and learned songs and skits which everyone at home enjoyed.Our accommodations were comfortable, the food was ample and good; the schedule kept us moving most of the day into the early evening. Our favorite thing was the Crab Boil dinner. Yum Yum. The staff was knowledgeable, pleasant and informative. I highly recommend it, no matter your ages.