Afternoon: Please plan on arriving at the motel between 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm for registration.

Dinner: Dinner will be served at 5:30 pm at Maria's Restaurant. For your dining pleasure, this program includes 'A Taste Of The Island.' We will be dining each evening at a different island restaurant, each known for its fine cuisine and friendly service. Restaurants are about 1/2 mile from the motel.

Evening: Introductions, schedule review, and orientation are included in the evening activities.

Lodging: Rodeway Inn

Meals Included: Dinner

Local History / Ponies / Birds/Visit to the host institution - Museum of Chincoteague Island / Assateague National Seashore / Lighthouses

Breakfast: Breakfast at 8:00 a.m.

Morning: We'll start the morning with a trip to the Museum of Chincoteague Island to view and learn about a first order Fresnel Lens. The museum is the home of local history, and sits at the gateway to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Then we will get back on the bus for a short drive to Assateague National Seashore to talk about barrier island migration and just enjoy some time on the beach.

Lunch: Lunch at 12:00 p.m.

Afternoon: This afternoon we will talk about bird identification with a local birding expert, who will help you to recognize some of the birds that you will see while here. More than 300 species of birds migrate through this area each year, using Assateague Island as a resting place. This area of the east coast is known for its abundance and variety of birds. After a coffee break, your coordinator will fascinate you with "The Rest of the Story." This is the local history that you won't find in any history book.

Dinner: Dinner at 5:30 p.m.

Evening: "Lights In The Night" - The focus of the evening lecture will be lighthouses. This talk will be given by a very knowledgeable speaker, and may change some of your ideas of what a lighthouse really is.

Lodging: Rodeway Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at 8:00 a.m.

Morning: Field trip into the interior of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. We will be traveling into a section of the Refuge that is closed to the public to look for some of the more than 300 species of migrating birds that travel through this area. This area is also the home of numerous other animals, including the famous Chincoteague Wild Ponies. Our guide for this excursion is known for her knowledge of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

Lunch: Lunch at 12:00 p.m.

Afternoon: "Geology of The Eastern Shore." Is it global warming or something else? This afternoon we will look into climate change, and the many different effects it has on our earth. This expert lead lecture will have you thinking outside the box.

Dinner: Dinner at 5:30 p.m.

Evening: "Pirates of the Colonies" " Yo-Ho-Ho And A Bottle Of Rum" Tonight we'll take a look at pirates, and separate fact from fiction.

Lodging: Rodeway Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Field trip to the Assateague Lighthouse/Wildlife Art/ "Creatures and Features of the Barrier Islands"

Breakfast: Breakfast at 8:00 a.m.

Morning: Included in the morning activities will be a trip to the Assateague Lighthouse, followed by a Fish & Wildlife Service lecture.

Lunch: Lunch at 12:00 p.m.

Afternoon: A nationally known artist will join us for the afternoon. She will share with you some of the work that goes into a painting long before the brush ever touches the canvas. This will be a lecture and demonstration.

Dinner: Dinner at 5:30 p.m.

Evening: "Creatures and Features of the Barrier Islands" Life, where the ocean meets the shore, is forever changing. While the ocean and shoreline create one ecosystem, the marsh lands on the back side of the barrier islands create another. The marshes around Chincoteague and Assateague Islands are among the most productive in the world, and are home to a countless number of creatures. Today we will examine one or more of these mollusks or crustaceans, and find out how sea life has had an effect on all of us.

Lodging: Rodeway Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at 8:00 a.m.

Morning: This morning we will enjoy the company of an award winning decoy carver. He will share some of the tricks of the trade, while he carves a bird from a block of wood. The chips will fly. Front row seats are recommended.

Lunch: Lunch at 12:00 p.m.

Afternoon: This time slot is left open so that participants may choose their own afternoon activity. There are many attractions in the area that are not included in the program, due to a lack of time. Participants may choose the one that they are most interested in, or spend some time at the beach or on the Refuge.

Dinner: Dinner at 5:30 p.m.

Evening: Wrap-up for the week. We have saved this evening for some special activities that we will all enjoy.

Lodging: Rodeway Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at 8:00 am at a local restaurant

Morning: Meet a Saltwater Cowboy ! This program would not be complete without talking to one of the Saltwater Cowboys. The famous Chincoteague Ponies are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Through their year round efforts, these wonderful animals are able to remain free, and at the same time help to support the fire company. Our program will end after the morning talk at about 11:00am.

Meals Included: Breakfast