Arrival & Hotel Check-in, Program Registration & Orientation, Dinner & Introduction to New Orleans

Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Available from 4:00pm.

PROGRAM REGISTRATION: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar desk in the lobby to pick up your arrival packet containing your name tag, up-to-date schedule, and other important information.

Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible.

ORIENTATION: During the orientation session, you'll have an informative overview of the program plus an opportunity to meet the local staff and your fellow participants during an introductory get-acquainted session. We’ll review the updated schedule, cover responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. (If you arrive late, please pick up your packet at the hotel front desk.)

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel. Variety of New Orleans special dishes from which to choose.

Evening: PRESENTATION: New Orleans and Its Unique French Quarter. Your instructor is from New Orleans and loves her city. Learn and be entertained at the same time.

This new service learning program is a cooperative effort between Road Scholar and Earthwatch. During the service learning project portion of the program, you will be working with and assisting scientists in their research. It is a cooperative effort in many ways. For example, participants assist in meal preparation and clean-up at the Earthwatch field station.

Lodging: Holiday Inn New Orleans Downtown

Meals Included: Dinner

The Oil Spill & Its Aftermath, City Field Trip Including Katrina Museum, Preservation Hall

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at hotel. Spread of eggs, meats, oatmeal, grits, yogurts,fruit, cereals, pastries. The choice is yours.

Morning: PRESENTATION: Oil Spill Clean Up First Responders. Meet a team member from one of the first groups of responders for the oil spill clean up, a long time resident who will tell you what the experience was really like.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant. New Orleans is known for its special southern dishes--you will have choices.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Get an overview of the city’s environment including Lake Pontchartrain, Bayou St. John, City Park with its magnificent oak trees, and the famous above-ground cemeteries. You’ll also see a neighborhood that still shows the effects of Hurricane Katrina and visit the Katrina Museum.

Dinner: DINNER ON YOUR OWN: Choose from the multitude of options to savor the flavors of your choice (at your expense). The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. If you’re interested in one of the famous New Orleans restaurants, we advise that you make reservations well in advance.

Evening: EXTRACURRICULAR: You’ll have a voucher to attend Preservation Hall in a building originally constructed in 1750. After numerous incarnations from private home to tavern to art gallery, Preservation Hall opened its doors in 1961 as a shrine and sanctuary to protect and honor New Orleans Jazz. Patrons flock to hear New Orleans jazz played by veterans in their 70's and 80's and younger musicians learning and embracing this music that animates your spirit.

Lodging: Holiday Inn New Orleans Downtown

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Note: Field trips in Gulf

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet.

Morning: TRANSFER: A van from Earthwatch will pick up the group and drive to Port Sulpher to begin work on the service project, "Loons and the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill." The trip should be approximately an hour-and-a-half depending on traffic.

Lunch: Arrive at the Earthwatch field station and have lunch -- typically sandwiches (cold-cuts), fruit, and vegetables. During the project, participants assist in meal preparation and clean-up.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Under the guidance of Earthwatch scientists, you’ll take the boat out and spend time on the water, helping to gather data on habitat use, daily and seasonal movements and behavior of loons. At the end of the afternoon, we return to dock and drive back to the field station.

Dinner: Join in helping to prepare the evening meal and eat together. Dinners may include pasta, rice, tortillas, seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit (depending on seasonal availability).

Evening: VARIABLE: Evening activities range from night capture of loons and related research to presentations and discussions, entering data, and free time for relaxation.

Lodging: Port Sulpher Field Station

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: late evening captures

Breakfast: Breakfast typically includes choices such as oatmeal, cereal, eggs, pancakes, toast, fruit.

Morning: SERVICE PROJECT: Go over the capture protocol for the evening, go over data sheets, assign specific duties to individuals and ensure that everyone is comfortable with the evening's capture protocol.

Lunch: Typically sandwiches (cold-cuts), fruit, vegetables.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Spend several hours on the water looking for loons and gathering data on behavior and habitat use. Or, we will try to get radio signals by driving along the point and getting out on the levees. At the end of the field trip, we'll return to the field station.

Dinner: Early Dinner. Join in helping to prepare the evening meal and eat together. Dinners may include pasta, rice, tortillas, seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit (depending on seasonal availability).

Evening: FIELD TRIP: First team goes out in the boat and assists in capture, which can take anywhere from one to one-and-a-half hours. After we catch one bird, the first team will return and the second team will head out on the boat. As long as the weather is cooperative and capture conditions are good, we will keep going until midnight.

Lodging: Port Sulpher Field Station

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: enter data

Breakfast: Breakfast typically includes choices such as oatmeal, cereal, eggs, pancakes, toast, fruit.

Morning: SERVICE PROJECT: Go over the capture protocol for the evening, go over data sheets, assign specific duties to individuals and ensure that everyone is comfortable with the evening's capture protocol.

Lunch: Typically sandwiches (cold-cuts), fruit, vegetables.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Spend several hours on the water looking for loons and gathering data on behavior and habitat use. Or, we will try to get radio signals by driving along the point and getting out on the levees. At the end of the field trip, we'll return to the field station.

Dinner: Early Dinner. Join in helping to prepare the evening meal and eat together. Dinners may include pasta, rice, tortillas, seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit (depending on seasonal availability).

Evening: Depart Field station. First team of volunteers goes out in the boat and assists in capture, which can take anywhere from one-to one and a half hours. After we catch one bird, the second team of volunteers will head back out on the boat. As long as weather is cooperative and capture conditions are good, we will keep going until midnight.

Lodging: Port Sulpher Field Station

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: gather info on loon behavior

Breakfast: Breakfast typically includes choices such as oatmeal, cereal, eggs, pancakes, toast, fruit.

Lunch: Typically sandwiches (cold-cuts), fruit, vegetables.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP: Spend several hours on the water looking for loons and gathering data on behavior and habitat use. Or, we will try to get radio signals by driving along the point and getting out on the levees. At the end of the field trip, we'll return to the field station.

Dinner: Early Dinner. Join in helping to prepare the evening meal and eat together. Dinners may include pasta, rice, tortillas, seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit (depending on seasonal availability).

Evening: Depart Field station. First team of volunteers goes out in the boat and assists in capture, which can take anywhere from one-to one and a half hours. After we catch one bird, the second team of volunteers will head back out on the boat. As long as weather is cooperative and capture conditions are good, we will keep going until midnight.

Lodging: Port Sulpher Field Station

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: 6 hours on water

Breakfast: Breakfast typically includes choices such as oatmeal, cereal, eggs, pancakes, toast, fruit. We'll also pack lunches for later.

Morning: DAY PREP: go over the day's objectives, pack lunch.

FIELD TRIP: Depart for one of two boat launches. Teams will take a boat out and spend 6-8 hours on the water, where we will gather data on habitat use, daily and seasonal movements and behavior.

Lunch: We'll have the lunches we prepared this morning.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP continues.

Dinner: Dinners may include pasta, rice, tortillas, seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit (depending on seasonal availability).

Evening: VARIABLE: Evening activities range from night capture of loons and related research to presentations and discussions, entering data, and free time for relaxation.

Lodging: Port Sulpher Field Station

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Note: study loons

Breakfast: Breakfast typically includes choices such as oatmeal, cereal, eggs, pancakes, toast, fruit. We'll also pack lunches for later.

Morning: DAY PREP: We'll go over the day's objectives.

FIELD TRIP: Depart for one of two boat launches. Teams will take a boat out and spend 6-8 hours on the water, where we will gather data on habitat use, daily and seasonal movements and behavior.

Lunch: We'll have the lunches we prepared this morning.

Afternoon: FIELD TRIP continues.

Dinner: Dinners may include pasta, rice, tortillas, seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit (depending on seasonal availability).

Evening: VARIABLE: Evening activities range from night capture of loons and related research to presentations and discussions, entering data, and free time for relaxation.

Lodging: Port Sulpher Field Station

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast typically includes choices such as oatmeal, cereal, eggs, pancakes, toast, fruit. We'll also pack lunches for later.

Morning: After breakfast depart for New Orleans where you will be brought either to Holiday Inn or the airport.

Meals Included: Breakfast