ICMB

All field trips will be held Friday, May 19, 2023. Field trip ticket reservations will only be honored for registered conference attendees. Please register for the conference now if you have not already done so.

Registration and Payment

• Click on the button below to reserve tickets for your preferred field trip. There is no payment due with your reservation request. Your reservation secures tickets for your preferred field trip, but each field trip must meet a minimum participation requirement in order to go ahead.

• Once we have confirmed that your field trip has met its minimum participation requirement, we will send an invoice for online payment to the email address entered with your reservation. Invoices will be sent in late April, and payment must be completed in advance of the field trip.

• If the field trip you have chosen does not meet its minimum participation requirement, we will do our best to offer you a spot on another field trip.

Guest Tickets

Registered conference attendees can reserve tickets for up to 3 guests. If you wish to reserve tickets for more than 3 guests, please email us to discuss possibilities. Caregiver tickets are available if you or your guests need that accommodation, and can be requested on the final page of the ticket reservation form.

Field Trip Itineraries

Port of Baltimore from the Water

The Port of Baltimore is one of the most important shipping facilities in the U.S. See Baltimore from the water and learn what the Port is doing to manage invasive species. After a short walk from the conference venue, we'll board a chartered boat to tour Baltimore Harbor and discuss shipping-related invasion patterns and policy.

• When: May 19, 2023, 10:00am–11:30am.
• Where: Baltimore Harbor (tour departs on foot from the conference venue).
• Cost: $35 USD; includes: guided boat tour.
• Capacity: 24 people.
• Accessibility: Boat and/or landing may require a step up or be lacking a ramp. Crew will do what they can to assist those with mobility issues. Total walking distance: less than 0.25 mi / 0.4 km.
• Ages: All ages welcome.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Tour

Visit the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), whose beautiful campus is located on the largest block of contiguous preserved land on the Western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Meet SERC researchers, explore four miles of hiking trails, and tour the innovative Mathias Lab, a 92,000 sq. ft. LEED-Platinum green building. Cap off the visit with a boat ride and research talk on the scenic Rhode River.

• When: May 19, 2023, 8:00am–2:00pm
• Where: Edgewater, Maryland (~1h from Baltimore; bus departs from conference venue).
• Cost: $75 USD; includes: bus transportation, lunch, tours, and boat ride.
• Capacity: 24 people.
• Accessibility: Boat ride is not wheelchair accessible. Restrooms and dedicated nursing/lactation space available at destination. Hiking trails are mostly flat, but unpaved. Total walking distance (excluding optional hiking): less than 0.25 mi / 0.4 km.
• Ages: All ages welcome, but anyone under 90 lbs / 41 kg wishing to go on the boat ride must provide their own well-fitting United States Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (life jacket).

Poplar Island Habitat Restoration Site

A full-day trip to Poplar Island, where lost remote island habitat within Chesapeake Bay is being restored using dredged material collected from the approach channels to the Baltimore Harbor. Tour this scenic restoration site with Dr. Lorie Staver from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and learn how the restoration effort is helping enhance local habitats and prevent the spread of non-native species. After arriving by bus at local favorite [Sandy Point State Park], participants will embark on a 60–90 minute boat trip across the Chesapeake Bay to reach the island, followed by a 2-hour van tour around the island. After lunch, we'll return the way we came via boat and bus.

• When: May 19, 2023, 8:00am–4:00pm.
• Where: Annapolis, MD (~1h from Baltimore; bus departs from conference venue).
• Cost: $65 USD; includes: round-trip bus transportation, guided boat tour, guided van tour, lunch.
• Capacity: 14 people.
• Accessibility: We regret that due to conditions at the site, this field trip is not wheelchair accessible. All participants must be able to step on and off a boat comfortably and be able to walk up and down steps. Restrooms available before embarking on the boat trip, and on the island. Total walking distance: less than 0.25 mi / 0.4 km.
• Ages: All ages welcome, but please note that guided tour is geared primarily for an adult audience. Any participant under 50 lbs / 23 kg must provide their own well-fitting United States Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (life jacket).

Baltimore Waterfront EcoTour with Mr. Trash Wheel

Mr. Trash Wheel is a semi-autonomous trash interceptor (with a sparkling personality!) that is placed at the end of a river, stream or other outfall. The original Mr. Trash Wheel sits at the mouth of the Jones Falls, right next to our conference venue. On this lighthearted jaunt, Mr. Trash Wheel’s human associates will provide a funny, engaging, and inspirational guided walking "EcoTour" of restoration projects along the waterfront, including floating wetlands, oyster gardens, rain gardens, a turtle basking platform and, of course, Mr. Trash Wheel himself.

• When: May 19, 2023, 9:00am–10:00am (first tour; additional tours may be scheduled to meet demand, and will depart on the hour).
• Where: Baltimore's Inner Harbor (tour departs on foot from the conference venue).
• Cost: $12 USD; includes: guided waterfront walking tour.
• Capacity: 20 people per tour.
• Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Level, paved surfaces. Total walking distance: 1 mi / 1.6 km.
• Ages: All ages welcome.