Youth Programs and Summer Camps at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, 600 Discovery Ln, Grasonville, MD 21638
About
Youth Programs and Summer Camps at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center include summer camps and education programs for preschoolers and school-age children. Participants can kayak and paddle board in Marshy Creek and the Chesapeake Bay, join kayak rentals and boat tours, take part in a fishing derby, hike and walk six miles of walking trails, have a picnic, visit captive birds of prey, and photograph birds, wildlife, and native plants and trees. The program is part of a broader set of offerings that also includes the Little Sprouts program, LIFE Adult Education, the Critters & Cocktails speaker series, and the School’s Out Program.
• Ages: 3–17 years old
• Schedule: CBEC is open from 9 am to 5 pm daily except some holidays; the Visitor Center is open mid-April through mid-November; kayak season runs May to November; Saturday Morning Bird Hikes are one-hour monthly guided bird hikes throughout 2026; Boat Tours run April–September 2026.
The mission of Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) is to connect people to nature through adventure-based learning that contributes to the conservation of the Chesapeake Bay. CBEC operates as a 510-acre nonprofit nature preserve with six miles of walking trails through tidal marshes, meadows, and forests, and it is described as a birding hotspot with eagles, ospreys, owls, herons, egrets, swans, and ducks at varying times of the year, along with forests, meadows, and marshlands populated with species native to the Eastern Shore. CBEC offers platforms for viewing more than 200 species of birds and is deeply committed to environmental sustainability, and restoration techniques developed and tested there have Bay-wide implications. Visitors are permitted to bring their dogs on leash and are asked to purchase a Dog Membership that provides information about the dog’s immunizations.
The Wildfowl Trust of North America Inc., which oversees CBEC, was founded in 1979 and purchased its original farm tract in 1981, opening Horsehead Wetlands Center to the public in 1985. In 1998, the Trust expanded the property and placed the now 510-acre preserve under conservation easement, and in 2002 the name was changed to Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center with a renewed mission to focus on habitat restoration and education. Since 2004, CBEC has been recognized by the State of Maryland as a site to explore effective and efficient restoration methods and has helped educate, conserve, and restore the Bay for over 45 years. Through partnerships with private businesses, universities, and state and federal governmental agencies, CBEC serves as a site where restoration techniques are developed and tested, and it combines environmental education programs, restoration projects, and community engagement.
Leadership and coordination for CBEC include Executive Director Vicki Paulas and Executive Director Emeritus Judy Wink, along with Education Coordinator Ashley Peris, Facility Rental/Office Coordinator Alissa Moran, Volunteer Coordinators Anne and Dave Brunson, Marketing Assistant Lily Walsh, and Membership & Business Operations staff member Sue Ross. Governance is provided by the Board of Trustees of the Wildfowl Trust of North America, Inc., including President Dave Airel, Vice President Anne Brunson, Treasurer Sandy Harrison, Secretary Bill Bennett, and members Andy Cheezum, Kevin Cashen, Doris Key, Chris Miller, and Carl Tenner.
Teachers and parents have shared detailed feedback about their experiences with CBEC’s programs. Nathan Price from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School describes CBEC’s educational experience as a highlight of his AP Environmental Science course and notes that the expert staff and dedicated volunteers bring learning to life. Donna Wasserbach from RICA Baltimore reports that students enjoyed kayaking on the Bay, seining in the salt marsh and along the shore, and learning about rescued raptors, and she notes that students who often have difficulty staying on task were engaged and worked cooperatively during the planned activities. Parent chaperone Tim McCluskey describes a 2nd grade field trip where students dug for bugs in rotten logs, searched for critters in oyster bags, and watched owls, and he states that the staff and volunteers are true professionals whose commitment to the environment shows in their presentations.
Last updated January 22, 2026.
• Ages: 3–17 years old
• Schedule: CBEC is open from 9 am to 5 pm daily except some holidays; the Visitor Center is open mid-April through mid-November; kayak season runs May to November; Saturday Morning Bird Hikes are one-hour monthly guided bird hikes throughout 2026; Boat Tours run April–September 2026.
The mission of Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) is to connect people to nature through adventure-based learning that contributes to the conservation of the Chesapeake Bay. CBEC operates as a 510-acre nonprofit nature preserve with six miles of walking trails through tidal marshes, meadows, and forests, and it is described as a birding hotspot with eagles, ospreys, owls, herons, egrets, swans, and ducks at varying times of the year, along with forests, meadows, and marshlands populated with species native to the Eastern Shore. CBEC offers platforms for viewing more than 200 species of birds and is deeply committed to environmental sustainability, and restoration techniques developed and tested there have Bay-wide implications. Visitors are permitted to bring their dogs on leash and are asked to purchase a Dog Membership that provides information about the dog’s immunizations.
The Wildfowl Trust of North America Inc., which oversees CBEC, was founded in 1979 and purchased its original farm tract in 1981, opening Horsehead Wetlands Center to the public in 1985. In 1998, the Trust expanded the property and placed the now 510-acre preserve under conservation easement, and in 2002 the name was changed to Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center with a renewed mission to focus on habitat restoration and education. Since 2004, CBEC has been recognized by the State of Maryland as a site to explore effective and efficient restoration methods and has helped educate, conserve, and restore the Bay for over 45 years. Through partnerships with private businesses, universities, and state and federal governmental agencies, CBEC serves as a site where restoration techniques are developed and tested, and it combines environmental education programs, restoration projects, and community engagement.
Leadership and coordination for CBEC include Executive Director Vicki Paulas and Executive Director Emeritus Judy Wink, along with Education Coordinator Ashley Peris, Facility Rental/Office Coordinator Alissa Moran, Volunteer Coordinators Anne and Dave Brunson, Marketing Assistant Lily Walsh, and Membership & Business Operations staff member Sue Ross. Governance is provided by the Board of Trustees of the Wildfowl Trust of North America, Inc., including President Dave Airel, Vice President Anne Brunson, Treasurer Sandy Harrison, Secretary Bill Bennett, and members Andy Cheezum, Kevin Cashen, Doris Key, Chris Miller, and Carl Tenner.
Teachers and parents have shared detailed feedback about their experiences with CBEC’s programs. Nathan Price from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School describes CBEC’s educational experience as a highlight of his AP Environmental Science course and notes that the expert staff and dedicated volunteers bring learning to life. Donna Wasserbach from RICA Baltimore reports that students enjoyed kayaking on the Bay, seining in the salt marsh and along the shore, and learning about rescued raptors, and she notes that students who often have difficulty staying on task were engaged and worked cooperatively during the planned activities. Parent chaperone Tim McCluskey describes a 2nd grade field trip where students dug for bugs in rotten logs, searched for critters in oyster bags, and watched owls, and he states that the staff and volunteers are true professionals whose commitment to the environment shows in their presentations.
Last updated January 22, 2026.
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