Spring field trips: Spring trip requests are accepted between September 15 and October 1, and field trip requests for the spring will be processed around November 15. (See below for late or last minute bookings) You will be notified of your field trip date by mail after December first.* (Don't forget to enclose a check or Purchase Order for the entire amount...No USPS postal orders.) Fall field trips: Please submit your requests after May 1, but before the end of the school year (and be sure to include an address where we can send your confirmation and bill over the summer.). Summer field trips: Send summer requests after January first. Camps should include billing information and/or Purchase Order, anticipated numbers, and you should plan to pay on June 15th after your enrollment is set. Late or last minute bookings: Don't panic and please don't call us. First check our Calendar for openings. The Spring calendar is posted after January first. You may contact us with the reservation information by email to advise us after your written request is in the mail, but plan to immediately follow-up the request with full payment or a faxed Purchase Order once we have secured a date for your school. *Note: If you need to confirm Spring dates before our regular scheduling confirmations are to be sent out in December, please include dates in March and April when there is less likelihood of a scheduling conflict with other schools and we can more easily schedule your class. For late or last minute requests, please send us as many dates as possible that you are certain your school is available for a trip. If you have special-needs students or special requests (waivers, etc.), these must be stated with your field trip request form. Please do not contact us after the trip is scheduled to make additional requests. One person - the teacher, principal or secretary - should be the sole contact for the group. Please have parents make special requests through that person. This will avoid confusion on the day of your trip. (Questions that need answers right away? Click here.). Review different seasonal requirements for your trip? Go to Tips for Trips. Weekly Updates
*Note: If you have special-needs students or special requests (waivers, etc.), these must be stated with your field trip request form. Please do not contact us after the trip is scheduled to make additional requests. One person - the teacher, principal or secretary - should be the sole contact for the group. Please have parents make special requests through that that person. This will avoid confusion on the day of your trip. (Questions that need answers right away? Click here.)
STUDENT PROGRAMS (prices subject to change)
STUDENT PROGRAMS: Sea Creatures: An introduction to marine life allows the students to explore the sea from its edge. Students collect algae, crabs, fish and shells. With these in hand, they discuss and discover the interrelationships between the sea and the land. Teachers can arrange for this program at their convenience. Grades: K-12 Time: 3-4 hours This is our most popular program for all grades.
Explore the Shore: An in-depth view of the coast is offered for older students. Comparisons of the dynamic bay, beach and ocean, physical and biological environments are used to introduce ecological principles. Topics that can be emphasized include: coastal geology, water chemistry, erosion, local marine life, and marine careers. Teachers can arrange for this program at their convenience. Grades: 7-12 Time: 3-4 hours This is our most frequently requested program for upper grades.
Great Storms of the Jersey Shore: study the impact of great storms on our coast, the mechanics of their formation and visit sites that have borne the brunt of their fury; and likely sites of future destruction. Learn about coastal engineering structures and attempts to protect the shore. This program is particularly rewarding during the winter months when the impact of storms is most severe. Grades: 4-12 Time: 3-4 hours
SPECIAL PROGRAM OFFERINGS: Sampling the Sea: Oceanographic cruises can be arranged for your class! Sailing the protected waters of Sandy Hook Bay, students collect water and sediment for analysis and capture deep-water marine life for study using a full array of oceanographic equipment - nets, dredges and water-sampling devices. Teachers may prepare for this program by attending one of our onboard workshops held each spring and fall. Grades: 6-12 Time: 3-4 hours Boat trips must be paid in full at least two weeks in advance.
The Forest and the Sea: New Jersey has an ancient forest right here at Sandy Hook. Our maritime holly forest is unique, uncut and recognized nationally as the best preserved forest of its type. Learn how the plant and animal communities here interact with the sea and have struggled for survival for over a thousand years. This is an especially good trip for the colder months, but can be arranged any season. Grades: 4-12 Time: 3 hours
Birds Along the Beach: New Jersey has great numbers of resident and migratory birds that often congregate along the coast in the fall, winter and spring. Learn about their adaptations, migration and nesting patterns along the beach and discover how other long distance fliers like butterflies and dragonflies make their way along our coast. This program can be offered at different sites depending on the season and availability of species. Grades: 4-12 Time: 3 hours
S.H.O.R.E.: Sandy Hook Out-Reach Experiences Our Sandy Hook staff offers hands-on programs at your school for teacher training and student enrichment. Materials are drawn from our award-winning curriculum materials: Estuaries, Sandy Hook!, and Saving N.J. Wetlands. Teacher programs include: Planning a flawless field trip, Marine Biology and Oceanography, Weather and Climate, NJ Wetlands, and various Environmental Educational themes. Student programs include: Careers, Local Seashores, the Underwater World, Plankton, Coastal Geology and Erosion, Pollution Solutions, Wetlands, Global Climate Change, Weather and Weather Satellite reception in the classroom, and of course, horseshoe crabs.
Weather, Climate and Global Change An introduction to global systems and processes that lets you study world wide change and environmental threats with the latest in remote sensing technology. Learn about a weather monitoring station, interpret weather pictures from US, European and Russian satellites, and track storms and ocean currents from space. Grades: 4-8 Time: 3 hours Dates: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays only
The Living Shore: Visit Sandy Hook facilities to learn about research on local fish and marine life. Topics include classroom and field activities about fishing, fish tagging, migration, and taxonomy. This program is jointly presented by the American Littoral Society and Ocean Institute and will feature specialists from these organizations. Time: 3-4 hours Grades: 1-6 Class size: limited to 25 students Dates: Thursdays only, December through March
The Winter Beach: Winter is the best time to learn about coastal geology, the effects of storms and to collect sea shells and other flotsam and jetsam. Includes classroom lecture and grade appropriate activities on beaches and field trips on Sandy Hook. This program is jointly presented by the American Littoral Society and Ocean Institute and will feature specialists from these organizations. Time: 3-4 hours Grades: 4-12 Class size: limited to 25 students Dates: Thursdays only, December through March
WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS (see Ornithology program listing) Boatride on Sandy Hook Bay: An oceanographic cruise on the quiet waters of Sandy Hook Bay is held each spring and fall for teachers, students and anyone interested in the sea. Biological sampling, water testing, bird watching and pollution studies are offered for those interested in developing their own course materials and in enhancing their marinelife collections. Time: 3 hours Spring Cruise: first Friday in May Fall Cruise: first Friday in October
Beachwalk at Sandy Hook: A guided walk of the marsh, beach and forests of Sandy Hook is offered spring and fall to teachers and group leaders who plan to utilize Sandy Hook’s outstanding features in their programs and who are seeking additional materials and specimens for classroom use. Time: 3 hours Spring Workshop: last Friday in April Fall Workshop: last Friday in September
Great Storms of the Jersey Shore: Join coastal experts and mark the anniversary of the famous March 1962 northeaster that caused billions of dollars in damage to the Jersey Shore and is the benchmark against which all other storms are measured. Lecture, slides and a field trip to areas at-risk along the coast. Time: 3 hours. Dates: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays only, November 1 through April 15 Note: this is a special cooperative program offered jointly with the American Littoral Society and space is limited.
New Jersey's Coastal Land Use Policy: A public forum for teachers, decision makers and other citizens on land use law, local zoning, and how regulations work (or are supposed to work). Topics will include runoff, non-point source pollution, construction along waterways and the coastal zone. Site visits to coastal areas and discussions with coastal experts will follow. Time: 5 hours Note: this is a special cooperative program offered jointly with the American Littoral Society and space is limited.
Food from the Sea: A look at the fishing industries and their dependence on water quality in New Jersey's coastal waters. Lecture and classroom discussion of fish populations, identifications and harvesting, and field trips to local shellfish depuration plant and fish landings. Time: 4 hours Note: this is a special cooperative program offered jointly with the American Littoral Society and space is limited.