Event Calendar

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August 2025

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Morning Bird Hike
Family Program

These programs are free and open to ages 13 and older!

Saturday, June 28, 2025 - 7:30am - 9:00am Saturday, July 12, 2025 - 7:30am - 9:00am Saturday, July 26, 2025 - 7:30am - 9:00am Saturday, August 9, 2025 - 7:30am - 9:00am
Event Location
Reed Education Center - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Enjoy a 1-1.5 mile morning hike along the beautiful trails of our campus to look for summer birds.

7:30am - 9:00am
 
SERC Teen Summer Programs
Workshop

All spots full! To be on a waitlist, email JacksonH@si.edu.

Saturday, June 28, 2025 - 10:00am - 12:00pm Saturday, July 12, 2025 - 10:00am - 12:00pm Saturday, July 26, 2025 - 10:00am - 12:00pm Saturday, August 9, 2025 - 10:00am - 12:00pm
Event Location
Reed Education Center - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Explore the world of Smithsonian scientists with educators from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Learn about biodiversity through hands-on activities reflecting real research practices.

June 28th - Marine Biology
July 12th - Bat Biology
July 26th - River Otter Biology
August 9th - Marsh Ecology

10:00am - 12:00pm
 
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Chesapeake Water Watch: Satellites & Samples
Participatory Science

Join us for a special day of water quality data collection!

Tuesday, August 12, 2025 - 9:00am - 3:00pm
Event Location
There are 5 collection hubs (listed in the event details)

Attention outdoor enthusiasts and volunteer scientists! We need your help to get as many water samples from the Chesapeake Bay as possible on Tuesday, August 12th.

There will be two high-resolution satellites, Landsat-9 and Sentinel-2a, gracing the skies above the Chesapeake Bay. We can use your water samples to improve the water quality monitoring algorithms for not one but two satellites. Your small act can still make a big impact in safeguarding our coastal ecosystems. Don't miss out on the fun!

9:00am - 3:00pm
 
Bay Shore Explorers
Workshop

These programs are free and open to kids ages 5-7!

Tuesday, June 17, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am Tuesday, August 12, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am
Event Location
Reed Education Center - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Through story time and activities, kids will learn about animals of the Chesapeake Bay with our SERC Educators and Splash the River Otter Puppet!

June 17th - Butterflies
July 1st - River Otters
July 15th - Bay Fish
July 29th - Bay Birds
August 12th - Turtles

10:00am - 11:00am
 
 
 
 
 
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Jun 28, 2025, Jul 12, 2025, Jul 26, 2025, Aug 9, 2025

  • Morning Bird Hike

    Morning Bird Hike

    These programs are free and open to ages 13 and older!

    Saturday, June 28, 2025 - 7:30am - 9:00am Saturday, July 12, 2025 - 7:30am - 9:00am Saturday, July 26, 2025 - 7:30am - 9:00am Saturday, August 9, 2025 - 7:30am - 9:00am
    Event Location
    Reed Education Center - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
    Advance Registration Required
    Yes

    Event Details

    A trail through the forest

    Enjoy a 1-1.5 mile morning hike along the beautiful trails of our campus to look for summer birds. Trails are crushed gravel with a few small hills. All experience levels are welcomed. Please bring your own binoculars. We will have a limited supply of binoculars available to borrow. Limited to 20 participants and those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

    Free!

    June 28, July 12, July 26, and August 9, 2025, 7:30am - 9:00am

    SERC Reed Education Center

    Learn more about SERC Education

    Directions to SERC

    7:30am - 9:00am
  • SERC Teen Summer Programs

    SERC Teen Summer Programs

    All spots full! To be on a waitlist, email JacksonH@si.edu.

    Saturday, June 28, 2025 - 10:00am - 12:00pm Saturday, July 12, 2025 - 10:00am - 12:00pm Saturday, July 26, 2025 - 10:00am - 12:00pm Saturday, August 9, 2025 - 10:00am - 12:00pm
    Event Location
    Reed Education Center - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
    Advance Registration Required
    Yes

    Event Details

    All dates are now full! If you would like to be added to a waitlist, contact Haley Jackson at JacksonH@si.edu.

    A river otter in front of aquatic grass and a blue crab, with a bat flying above

    Explore the world of Smithsonian scientists with educators from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Learn about biodiversity through hands-on activities reflecting real research practices. Limited to 12 Teens and they must be accompanied by an adult.

    June 28th, Marine Biology: You’ll be collecting data, examining a variety of biodiversity in the Rhode River, and able to participate in oyster dissection.

    July 12th, Bat Biology: Learn about bats in Maryland, echolocation, and their importance in food webs with a Smithsonian Scientist.

    July 26th, River Otter Biology: Learn all about river otters and discover what their presence means for the Chesapeake Bay. You'll explore their role in the food web using microscopes, otter scat, and trail cameras.

    August 9th, Marsh Ecology: You’ll get to study marsh ecosystems with the same types of equipment and methods that our scientists use, from soil horizons and measuring marsh grass to identifying plant species.

    Free!

    June 28, July 12, July 26, and August 9, 2025, 10:00am - 12:00pm

    SERC Reed Education Center

    Learn more about SERC Education

    Directions to SERC

    10:00am - 12:00pm

Aug 12, 2025

  • Chesapeake Water Watch: Satellites & Samples

    Chesapeake Water Watch: Satellites & Samples

    Join us for a special day of water quality data collection!

    Tuesday, August 12, 2025 - 9:00am - 3:00pm
    Event Location
    There are 5 collection hubs (listed in the event details)
    Advance Registration Required
    No

    Event Details

    Attention outdoor enthusiasts and volunteer scientists! We need your help to get as as many water quality observations from around the Chesapeake Bay as possible on Tuesday, August 12th.

    There will be two high-resolution satellites, Landsat-9 and Sentinel-2a, gracing the skies above the Chesapeake Bay. We can use your water samples and observations to improve the water quality monitoring algorithms for not one but two satellites. 

    Here's how you can participate:

    1. Collect a water and/or HydroColor sample from the Bay or from any tidal river that flows into the Bay
    2. Fill out a quick datasheet
    3. Drop off your water sample and datasheet at a nearby collection hub

    Your small act can make a big impact in monitoring our coastal ecosystems. Don't miss out on the fun!

    Time

    The drop-off window varies by collection hub, so be sure to check where you would like to drop off your sample. 

    Samples must be dropped off at the collection hubs by the end time indicated to ensure we have enough time to transport and process the samples.

    What You'll Need

    An empty plastic water bottle

    A smartphone/device to record GPS coordinates

    CWW data sheet (or piece of paper to record data)

    A rubber band (or something similar) to attach datasheet to sample bottle

    Collection Hubs

    *Check Collection Hub Details Before Dropping Off Your Sample *

    Please note: During collection events, most "self-testing" sites become drop-off locations.

    Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

    Day-of contact: Ray Terracina (TerracinaR@si.edu).

    647 Contees Wharf Road,
    Edgewater, MD 21037

    Drop-off window: TBD

    Press red button above cooler to notify of drop-off.

    ShoreRivers' Easton Office

    Day-of contact: Ray Terracina (TerracinaR@si.edu).

    114 S Washington St. Easton, MD 21601

    Drop-off window: TBD

    Drop off sample in the cooler at the front entrance.

    Marshy Point Nature Center

    Day-of contact: Ray Terracina (TerracinaR@si.edu)

    7130 Marshy Point Rd,
    Middle River, MD 21220

    Drop-off window: TBD

    Enter the classroom on the left, walk to the back corner with cabinets to find the CWW machines and protocol binder. If you need to fill out a datasheet, you can find them in the binder. Rubberband your datasheet to the binder and place sample in the cabinet. 

    Anne Arundel Community College

    Contact: Tammy Domanski (tldomanski@aacc.edu)

    101 College Parkway,
    Arnold, MD 21012

    (443) 994-9236

    Drop-off window: TBD

    Scan QR code to notify drop-off.

    The Ryan Resilience Lab

    Day-of contact: Ray Terracina (TerracinaR@si.edu)

    4610 Colley Ave.  

    Norfolk, VA, 23508

    Drop-off window: TBD

    * Cooler will be near the front door. Scan QR code to notify drop-off.

     

    How To

    Water Sampling Protocol
    Click on the image to view the PDF version

    CWW Virtual Training: Collecting a Water Sample

    For drop-off locations that are not at SERC, you may stop the video at 1:44.

    Get GPS Coordinates on Google Maps and Apple Maps

    This is very important! Accurate GPS points are required for successful data analysis. No GPS location = We can’t use the data!

    Google Maps app icon

    Google Maps

    Android

    1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app Maps.
    2. Touch and hold an area of the map that isn’t labeled to drop a red pin.
    3. In the search box, you can find the coordinates.

    iPhone or iPad

    1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app Maps.
    2. Touch and hold an area of the map that isn’t labeled to drop a red pin.
    3. At the bottom, tap Dropped pin to find the coordinates.
    Apple Maps app icon

    Apple Maps

    Get GPS Coordinates in Maps on iPhone and iPad

    Open Maps on your iPhone or iPad and then follow these steps to get your current location’s GPS coordinates.

    1. Tap the current location button on the top right.
    2. When the blue circle for your spot appears on the map, tap it.
    3. Swipe up from the bottom to view full details for your location and you’ll see the Latitude and Longitude.
    get-gps-coordinates-in-maps-on-iphone-and-ipad.png
    Credit: AppleToolBox

    Collection Tips

    • Your safety is our #1 priority. If weather does not permit for collection, that’s okay! We will have more events and ways to get involved in the future.
    • Be sure to write clearly on your data sheet! We need to be able to match up the water sample to the data on your datasheet. Without both, we won’t be able to use your sample!
    • Try to take a water sample as far from the shore as possible. If it’s too close to shore, wave action may contaminate the sample and not give us an accurate representation of the overall body of water.
    • Transport your water sample in a cooler or thick bag. Some of the measurements we get from water samples can be affected by heat and light. 

    9:00am - 3:00pm

Jun 17, 2025, Jul 1, 2025, Jul 15, 2025, Jul 29, 2025, Aug 12, 2025

  • Bay Shore Explorers

    Bay Shore Explorers

    These programs are free and open to kids ages 5-7!

    Tuesday, June 17, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am Tuesday, July 1, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am Tuesday, July 15, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am Tuesday, July 29, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am Tuesday, August 12, 2025 - 10:00am - 11:00am
    Event Location
    Reed Education Center - Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
    Advance Registration Required
    Yes

    Event Details

    A collage of 5 photos consisting of a butterfly, an osprey, a small fish, a river otter, and a diamondback terrapin

    Through story time and activities, kids will learn about animals of the Chesapeake Bay with our SERC Educators and Splash the River Otter Puppet! Limited to 10 kids and they must be accompanied by an adult.

    June 17th - Butterflies

    July 1st - River Otters

    July 15th - Bay Fish

    July 29th - Bay Birds

    August 12th - Turtles

    Free!

    June 17, July 1, July 15, July 29, and August 12, 2025, 10:00am - 11:00am

    SERC Reed Education Center

    Learn more about SERC Education

    Directions to SERC

    10:00am - 11:00am

Aug 19, 2025

  • The North Atlantic Right Whale: Stewardship at the Edge of Extinction

    The North Atlantic Right Whale: Stewardship at the Edge of Extinction

    Tuesday, August 19, 2025 - 7:00pm - 8:30pm
    Advance Registration Required
    Yes

    Event Details

    The heads of three North Atlantic right whales breach the surface of a blue ocean.
    North Atlantic right whales, Eubalaena glacialis, in the Bay of Fundy (Credit: Stuart Tingley, CC-BY-NC-4.0)

    The right whales of the North Atlantic Ocean are one of the rarest of the great whales, clinging to existence on the very brink of extinction. Their story, along with efforts by scientists and conservationists to save them, has made them icons for the larger quest to restore the ocean. In this illustrated presentation, Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo will describe the past, present and future of right whales, including the latest progress to understand and protect them. He’ll also reveal how new research could change the ways we manage open ocean habitats around Cape Cod, where the last right whales still live.

    This event will be hosted entirely online, and it will be recorded. Closed captions will be available at the live event and on the recording. By signing up on Zoom, you will also receive a link to the recording a few days after the live event.

    Sign up on Zoom to watch live or on demand

    See more SERC science webinars

    7:00pm - 8:30pm