CAU > Seminars and Study Tours > Cape Cod Ecology: Beaches, Salt Marsh, Beech Forest, and Birds

Cape Cod Ecology: Beaches, Salt Marsh, Beech Forest, and Birds

September 17-20, 2009

The registration period for this program has passed.
Please contact us if you have any questions.

Overview

Shortly after Labor Day each year, the great majority of tourists abandon Cape Cod. In the quiet that follows, we'll have the opportunity to enjoy and observe, undisturbed, the fascinating ecology of this hook of land. At First Encounter Beach and Coast Guard Beach we'll study the beach and salt meadow systems that support the shorebirds we'll see.

At Province Lands we'll visit another beach setting and a beech forest with its own fauna and flora. And on an afternoon aboard ship, as we look for whales and pelagic birds, we will have yet another opportunity to observe a very different life system.

Faculty

Our leaders for this trip will be CAU favorites Charlie Smith and Bob Budliger. Charlie is a senior associate in the Department of Natural Resources, avid birder, butterfly observer and photographer, and field biologist. Cornellian Bob Budliger is a specialist in coastal ecologies, former director of environmental education for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and enthusiastic birder, ecologist, and teller of stories.

Itinerary

Our headquarters will be at the newly remodeled Four Points Sheraton in Eastham, Massachusetts, where we can easily reach our destinations by car pools each day. This very pleasant establishment has an indoor swimming pool and ample meeting spaces for our lectures. The program will begin Thursday with a reception and dinner and will conclude before lunch on Sunday. We'll divide into two smaller groups in the field and switch leaders during the weekend.

Program Cost and Travel Arrangements

The program fee of $1,395 (per person, double occupancy) includes all lodging, meals, field trips, entrance fees, taxes, gratuities, management services, and the full educational program. The supplement for single occupancy is $185.

Program Notes

We will walk over uneven ground and trails that may be wet. You should be able to walk for at least a mile at a leisurely pace and to stand and observe the outdoors for most of the day. Autumn on Cape Cod can be hot and sunny or cool, wet, and windy.

Map

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