All field trips will depart from campus on Thursday, July 25, 2019. Make your selection on the Conference Registration Form.

There is limited space available on all field trips. Reserve early as they may sell out quickly! Times are approximate and include travel time to/from campus.

By land or by sea, there’s a lot to experience in the Seacoast Region. Sign up for a field trip to connect, explore and get inspired!

Great Bay Kayaking Tour & Walk

Age: Adults
Cost per person: $45
Time: 7:45 am return approximately 11:30 am
Transportation: Must provide own transportation

Join naturalists from the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve as we explore the Great Bay Estuary by kayak! Departing from the Great Bay Discovery Center, we will spy birds that make the bay their home, such as osprey, great blue heron and belted kingfisher.

Learn about this unique and essential water body as you explore it by boat! A short paddling lesson is included, as well as all gear and safety equipment. The trip will be approximately 3 hours, and you’ll have time to explore the Great Bay Discovery Center or nearby trails afterward.

Each participant must complete a participation waiver. Please bring the signed waiver with you on Thursday morning. Blank waivers will be available at the Information table if needed.

Whale Watch

Age: All ages
Cost per person: $75/Adult; $65/Youth
Time: 7:15 am - 3:15 pm
Transportation: Included

Join the Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation and Granite State Whale Watch for a trip into the Gulf of Maine to look for our local whales! The trip is 4-5 hours, and includes the opportunity to see species including fin, humpback and minke whales, Atlantic white-sided dolphins, harbor porpoise, seals, sharks and ocean sunfish.

Trips are expertly narrated by a Blue Ocean Society naturalist, who is also available to answer all your questions. The trip lasts 4-5 hours, and includes a boxed lunch and transportation to scenic Rye Harbor, NH.

Note: wear comfortable shoes, dress in layers (it’s 10-15 degrees cooler on the ocean) and remember your sunscreen!

Eating from the Ocean: Gulf of Maine Eco-Culinary Class & Lunch

Age: Adult
Cost per person: $50
Time: 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
Transportation: Included

Learn about "Eating from the Ocean" with Food Network's award-winning "Chopped" Champion, Chef Evan Hennessey and New Hampshire Sea Grant's fisheries specialist, Dr. Gabriela Bradt.

We'll travel to Chef Hennessey's restaurant, Stages at One Washington, in Dover, NH. Chef Hennessey will conduct a cooking demonstration using local seafood and sea vegetables, which will include a green crab bisque, pollock poached in ocean water, pickled nori, and sea rocket. Learn how he prepares these dishes, enjoy samples, and participate in a Q & A with the chef.

Following the demonstration, we'll have a program from Dr. Gabriela Bradt on her work with local fishermen and aquaculturists to keep local seafood accessible to NH communities through outreach, education, and research. Dr. Bradt works extensively with local restaurants and breweries to create markets for lesser known seafood including sea vegetables and green crabs. She directs the NH Green Crab Project, which engages citizen scientists in monitoring invasive green crabs and researches green crab molt time to explore the feasibility of a soft-shell crab market. Dr. Bradt also leads the Seaweed Mania! workshops, where participants learn how to sustainably forage for seaweed and prepare healthy dishes with their fresh sea vegetables.

Lunch is on your own, with several restaurants nearby in Dover, NH to choose from.  

Shoals Marine Lab Tour & Boat Ride

Age: Adult
Cost per person: $110
Timing: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Transportation: Included

FULL

Enjoy a day at Shoals Marine Laboratory, located on Appledore Island approximately 6 miles off shore from Portsmouth, NH. Shoals Marine Lab has been operating as a field station and undergraduate teaching and research facility for more than 50 years. The boat ride to the island provides an opportunity for bird watching, marine mammal sightings and a full view of the seacoast of Maine and NH. While on the island you will learn about the history of the Isles of Shoals and Appledore Island. Enjoy a walking tour along footpaths and learn about the lab’s efforts to promote sustainable living practices. Participants will have time to explore the rocky intertidal of Appledore Island or simply relax and enjoy the sea breeze.

Round trip boat transportation from Portsmouth to Appledore Island and lunch in the lab’s dining hall are included. Note: the boat ride is approximately 1 hour. No restroom on board. Comfortable walking shoes are highly recommended.

Each participant must complete a participation waiver. Please bring the signed waiver with you on Thursday morning. Blank waivers will be available at the Information table if needed.

Over Under Boat Tour: Gundalow Cruise and USS Albacore Tour

Age: Children welcome with accompanying adult
Cost per person: $65 adult/$58 youth
Timing: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm
Transportation: Included

First, experience a sail aboard the Piscataqua, a traditional reproduction of a gundalow - a flat-bottom barge that was once prevalent along local waterways. Enjoy the scenery of Portsmouth Harbor, including the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Naval Prison, two lighthouses, and the beautiful communities along the Piscataqua River. While underway, the crew will showcase several educational activities including towing for plankton, exploring human impact on the watershed using a 3D watershed model, and navigating the river with a nautical chart and compass.

After the cruise, we’ll have a short time to explore the beautiful gardens at Prescott Park, near the gundalow dock. We'll then be transported to the USS Albacore Museum.

Enjoy lunch near the Piscataqua River, and then explore the submarine, which was a research submarine designed by the U.S. Navy to test experimental features used in modern submarines. The Albacore was built by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1953. She was decommissioned in 1972, and finally transported to her current home in 1985. Tour the submarine and participate in hands-on activities led by Portsmouth Naval Shipyard personnel.

Great Bay EcoCruise on the Gulf Challenger

Age: Adult
Cost per person: $65
Timing: 7:15 am - 2:30 pm
Transportation: Included

Join fellow explorers on an activity-based cruise from Portsmouth up the Piscataqua River into the Great Bay Estuary and to the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory. You are likely to get your hands wet as you learn about marine and estuarine ecosystems on this informal, educational cruise. You'll be invited to tow for plankton and marvel at its movement in a magnifying scope; capture water from below the surface and test its characteristics; observe, handle and hear about plants and animals from the unique habitats of the estuary; deploy an otter trawl; and find out what scientists study about The Great Bay.

The Great Bay Estuary system adds approximately 150 miles to New Hampshire's relatively small coastline. Those 150 miles include everything from industrial, historical and military landmarks to a wildlife refuge and National Estuarine Research Reserve. There will be opportunities to learn more about these landmarks, and plenty of time to enjoy the fresh air, sights and sounds of the estuary with your on-board companions as we scan for bald eagles, osprey, and harbor seals. The cruise is aboard the 50 foot UNH Research Vessel, Gulf Challenger. It will be led by knowledgeable UNH Marine Docents, a NH Sea Grant water resources educator, and the crew of the Gulf Challenger. The boat departs from the UNH Coastal Marine Lab. Time aboard the boat is approximately 5 hours including about a half-hour visit to the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory. Transportation and boxed lunch provided.

Each participant must complete a participation waiver. Please bring the signed waiver with you on Thursday morning. Blank waivers will be available at the Information table if needed.