The Eastern Shore is highly regarded as one of the world's hot-spots for birding, as it's a prime stopover point for migratory wildfowl and songbirds. The Delmarva peninsula is truly a nature photographers paradise and is the reason why Chincoteague Bay Field Station hosts the Delmarva Nature & Wildlife Photography Summit each year.

The summit is ideal for photographers who are looking to take their work to the next level, especially those who aspire to create imagery with particular consideration for conservation and the environment. With esteemed and seasoned professional photographers like Jim Clark, Nikhil Bahl, Bill & Linda Lane, and Brian Zwit, participants are guaranteed to be inspired by not only the luscious landscapes but also by the fantastic set of faculty.

This year we had nearly 50 participants join us from the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond - from Texas and Florida to Ohio, Illinois, and Maine. During the summit, participants choose from a variety of workshops and field sessions that are taught by each of the summit instructors.  Examples of this years sessions included "The Essentials of Bird Photography," "Capturing a Sense of Place," and "Using the Other Half of the Day: Nighttime Photography."  The passion of the group transformed campus into a true photographers haven, where networking and gadget-talk permeated meals and downtime.

CBFS hosts a variety of photography programs throughout the year through Road Scholar that are taught by Jim Clark and Nikhil Bahl. Be sure to check these programs out and save the date for next year's Summit on November 17-20, 2015.

CBFS staff hosts groups young and old alike to the Field Station to participate in our camps and day trips. Last week, we welcomed a group of grandparents and grandchildren for our first Road Scholar Intergenerational Camp of the summer! These camps offer a hands-on learning experience for children and their grandparents, a great way to promote learning science and a fun bonding adventure with family.

On Thursday, our campers went to Wallops Island to learn more about dune ecology. As a barrier island, Wallops acts as a border between the mainland and the ocean, catching marine life and ocean materials from the deep sea. Assateague and Chincoteague are also barrier islands. Educator Maria taught the campers that dunes are important because, like the islands, dunes are barrier systems.

After boarding the bus, Chaz talked about the different aspects of Wallops that we would soon see on the beach. CBFS has access to the side of Wallops Island owned by the Navy/NASA, and is able to take participants on site to see a relatively pristine coastal ecosystem. Typically, Wallops Island is open only to government employees.

At the beach, campers collected shells and identified examples of dune succession, including parts like embryo dunes, accumulating dunes, and mature dunes. Children made observations about shells and organisms that washed up on the beach while their grandparents collected shells as a memento of this experience. After everyone had enough time to enjoy the beach and observe the environment, Maria and Chaz answered questions about the shells the campers found and talked more about the dunes and the organisms found on the beach, including a ghost crab that happened to scuttle out in the day time.

Back at the lab, the campers identified different micro and macro organisms and learned more about what they saw today. They rotated through different stations and used field guides to confirm the names of a variety of plants and animals, learning fun facts along the way.

Wallops Island is just one trip on a six day adventure. The campers take a trip each day to explore barrier islands on Virginia's Eastern Shore, learning about the islands’ history and coastal ecology.

Some participants were returning to the Field Station for a second or third time, bringing different grandchildren to share this special bonding experience. Chincoteague Island always has something new and exciting to offer, whether it’s you first time here or your fifth!

You can read more about our grandparent/grandchild trips here, and more about our other family programs here!