Massachusetts
Exploring the Wild Side of Cape Cod
Program No. 25145RJ
One of New England’s most famous coastal regions, Cape Cod is for nature lovers! Experience the best Cape Cod has to offer, land and sea, from a naturalist’s point of view.
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Protecting the Environment
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7 days
6 nights
15 meals
6B 4L 5D
1
Check-In, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Boston, MA
7
Program Concludes
Hyannis, MA
At a Glance
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is a nature-lover’s paradise, where conservation and recreation go hand in hand. Explore the peninsula’s rich biodiversity with expert naturalists, including scientists from the world-renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Learn about efforts to protect the region’s iconic wildlife — Piping Plovers, sea turtles, molas (ocean sunfish), Atlantic white sharks and gray seals — through lectures and expert-led walks in scenic nature preserves. Enjoy a morning kayak session on the tranquil waters of Popponesset Bay, an estuary teeming with salt marshes and shorebirds, and set out on unforgettable seal and whale-watching excursions that showcase the Cape’s extraordinary marine life.
Activity Level
Outdoor: No Sweat
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Get a behind-the-scenes experience at both Woods Hole and the Marine Biological Laboratory, some of the oldest and most prestigious marine research facilities in the world.
- Learn about wildlife on Cape Cod and the actions that different organizations like the Mass Audubon Society and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy are taking to conserve them.
- Go whale watching in the Stellwagon Bank National Marine Sanctuary and search for gray seals and sea birds at Monomoy Island.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Joy Marzolf
Joy Marzolf grew up in New England and has always had a passion for animals, wildlife photography, and nature. Holding a B.A. in biology, she has led a variety of animal-related education programs in her professional career. Joy has worked for years as a naturalist and educator at the Mass Audubon Society, and as a Study Leader leading trips all over the world. She is a scuba diver, and serves on the boards of the Boston Sea Rovers and the New England Aquarium Dive Club.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Carol Carson
View biography
Carol “Krill” Carson is a marine biologist who has worked in the New England area since 1980. She spends her summers watching whales and studying the Northern Diamondback Terrapin, a threatened species of marsh turtle. In the fall, Krill and her team rescue marine wildlife that strand on Cape Cod. Krill is the founder and president of the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA), and the author of the book “My Friend Salt: The story of Salt, the most famous humpback whale in the world!”
Joy Marzolf
View biography
Joy Marzolf grew up in New England and has always had a passion for animals, wildlife photography, and nature. Holding a B.A. in biology, she has led a variety of animal-related education programs in her professional career. Joy has worked for years as a naturalist and educator at the Mass Audubon Society, and as a Study Leader leading trips all over the world. She is a scuba diver, and serves on the boards of the Boston Sea Rovers and the New England Aquarium Dive Club.
Suggested Reading List
(16 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Exploring the Wild Side of Cape Cod
Program Number: 25145
Blues
In this classic novella, Hersey turns a tale of a young stranger and an experienced fisherman, out fishing on Cape Cod, into a marvelous meditation on fishing -- and the natural history of the region.
The Outermost House, A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod
The chronicle of a year spent living alone in a remote Cape Cod beach house in 1925. These beloved essays, first published in 1928, capture the essence of the Cape, the sea, weather and animal life.
Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket: An Explorer's Guide
A practical guide to the popular tourist destinations of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, compiled by a local photographer and writer.
The House on Nauset Marsh
A Cape Cod classic first published in 1947, these leisurely essays form a reflective portrait of the land, sea and wildlife.
The Enduring Shore: A History of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
The natural and human history of Cape Cod and its surrounding islands, as written by a resident of Martha's Vineyard.
National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England
A compact, easy-to-use overview of 1,000 of New England's trees, wildflowers, mammals, insects and other flora and fauna. It also provides an extensive overview of the area's geology, weather patterns and natural sites.
The Big House, A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home
The author's personal tribute to the elaborately eccentric home where he spent most of his summers. This poignant memoir records 100 of history of the house, which was perched on a Cape Cod promontory overlooking Buzzards Bay.
Cod, A Biography of a Fish That Changed the World
A sparkling extended essay on the cod in the tradition of Lopez or McPhee, looking at the importance of the fish to cuisine, commerce and history, throwing light on Viking voyages, the Hanseatic League, and both Scnadinavian and Canadian economic history.
Cape Cod Map
A map of Cape Cod, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island, at a scale of 1:107,000.
National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America
From Alaska to Baja California, Nova Scotia and Florida, this guide is the veteran's choice for birding anywhere in the United States. Tabbed for easy access, the color range maps in this sixth edition are outstanding.
Death of a Hornet and Other Cape Cod Essays
A collection of serene essays on the nature, wildlife, and inhabitants of Cape Cod by a keen observer and year-round resident.
The Whale
A deeply engaging meditation on all things whale. Philip Hoare saves his special love and attention for the sperm whale -- not only via a beautiful literary analysis of Moby Dick -- but also by indulging in a childhood fantasy and actually swimming with the whales in the Azores.
Against the Tide, The Fate of the New England Fisherman
A discussion of the crisis that faces the New England fishing industry from a journalist who spent a year among the fishermen of Cape Cod.
The Perfect Storm, A True Story of Men Against the Sea
A gripping, now-famous blow-by-blow account of a 1991 disaster at sea. Junger reconstructs the final hours of six men aboard a 72-foot swordfish boat in the North Atlantic, battling against a torrential storm.
Cape Cod
The classic work, accompanied by Scot Miller's stunning photography of beach scenes which may have inspired Thoreau.
Cape Cod Seashore Life, An Introduction to Familiar Plants and Animals
A handy foldup plastic card with color illustrations for easy identification.