Kelby Booth ’23

Chesapeake Bay Studies is an immersive opportunity for students to be in unique outdoor activities, which allows for students to learn about themselves and their connection to the environment. 
 

During Bay Studies, I got the unique opportunity to explore the marshes on Tangier Island. I’ve never been to a marsh and the idea of walking through mud was a little daunting, especially since the weather was harsh. I took it one muddy step at a time, and then all the sudden, I was knee deep in mud! Although walking through a marsh is a bit intimidating and unpredictable, this is a memory I will never forget. 

One unexpected outcome of Bay Studies is learning about new activities or subjects you enjoy, how you adapt to new environments, and learning about your own personal connection to nature. In that marsh, not only did I learn about detritivores, I also learned to take advantage of new opportunities. It’s during these unusual opportunities that you make the best memories, make friends, and learn about yourself.

Overall, the main goal of Bay Studies is to create a deeper understanding of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. To achieve this goal, students participate in various activities. This year students learned how to harvest and cook local food, how to harvest soft shell crabs, and learned how to mud muck.

Gunston sends students to many different locations to do these fun activities. This year students visited the outer banks in North Carolina to study comparative watersheds, went to New York to learn about barrier islands, and stayed overnight on Tangier Island to learn about island erosion. Some other locations students visited this year include Cape May, Smith Island, Annapolis, and the Appalachian trail!  

Gunston also partners with many different organizations including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Sultana Foundation, Echo Hill, and 26 others.

As you can see, a lot of planning is required for the Chesapeake Bay Studies to run smoothly. In addition to planning locations, partnerships, and groups, chaperones and transportation are also vital parts to the success of Bay Studies. 
 
“We ran 18 field courses across the watershed and to six states. Four school buses, three limo-buses, seven 15 passenger vans (four from Gunston’s fleet), and six minivans transported our students. We weathered the weather, whatever the weather, from the rainy and cool start to the week to the sunburns later in the week,” said Emily Beck, director of environmental programming at Gunston. 

Bay Studies was especially important this year because it carried a lot of anticipation. The Chesapeake Bay Studies has been modified in previous years due to COVID. This meant a lot of students this year have not yet participated in a full Bay Studies experience, but have heard so much about this tradition. Luckily, Bay Studies is back in full swing and running smoothly! 

Thank you to Ms. Beck for all of the hours you spent planning this year's Chesapeake Bay Studies experience. Gunston appreciates all of the hard work you put into creating such an impactful Bay Studies week for us all.