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 outdoor adventures that spark curiosity and inspire young naturalists, with activities such as seining in the salt marsh and along the shore, digging for bugs in rotten logs, and searching for critters in oyster bags. Participants may also kayak and paddle board in Marshy Creek and the Chesapeake Bay, visit captive birds of prey, watch owls show off, and photograph birds, wildlife, and native plants and trees. Additional offerings at the center include kayak rentals, boat tours, guided kayak tours, Saturday morning bird hikes, hands-on gardening and learning through the Little Sprouts program, hiking on six miles of walking trails, and picnicking on a small beach.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
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 preserve with six miles of walking trails through tidal marshes, meadows, and forests, platforms for viewing more than 200 species of birds, picnic tables, an education building, outdoor pavilions, and a Visitor Center with a gift shop. CBEC is a birding hotspot with eagles, ospreys, owls, herons, egrets, swans, and ducks abundant at varying times of the year, and the property includes forests, meadows, and marshlands populated with species native to the Eastern Shore.
The Wildfowl Trust of North America Inc. was founded in 1979 and purchased the original 315-acre farm tract in 1981, opening Horsehead Wetlands Center to the public in 1985. In 1998, the Trust purchased an additional 195 acres and placed the now 510-acre preserve under conservation easement, and in 2002 the property’s name was changed to the 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 it serves as a site where restoration techniques are developed and tested through partnerships with private businesses, universities, and state and federal governmental agencies.
Leadership and staff for CBEC include Executive Director Vicki Paulas; Membership & Business Operations staff member Sue Ross; Executive Director Emeritus Judy Wink; Education Coordinator Ashley Peris; Facility Rental/Office Coordinator Alissa Moran; Volunteer Coordinators Anne and Dave Brunson; and Marketing & Social Media Assistant Lily Walsh. Visitors are permitted to bring their dogs on leash and are asked to purchase a Dog Membership, which provides information about the dog’s immunizations.
One teacher from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School describes CBEC’s educational experience as exceptional and a highlight of an AP Environmental Science course, noting that expert staff and dedicated volunteers bring learning to life. A group from RICA Baltimore reported that students enjoyed kayaking on the Bay, seining in the salt marsh and along the shore, and learning about rescued raptors, and that a visit from a snake was especially memorable for the kids. A parent chaperone from Centreville Elementary shared that second graders enjoyed digging for bugs in rotten logs, searching for critters in oyster bags, and watching owls show off, and that staff and volunteers were described as true professionals whose commitment to the environment showed in their presentations.
Last updated July 20, 2026.
• Ages: 3–18 years old
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 preserve with six miles of walking trails through tidal marshes, meadows, and forests, platforms for viewing more than 200 species of birds, picnic tables, an education building, outdoor pavilions, and a Visitor Center with a gift shop. CBEC is a birding hotspot with eagles, ospreys, owls, herons, egrets, swans, and ducks abundant at varying times of the year, and the property includes forests, meadows, and marshlands populated with species native to the Eastern Shore.
The Wildfowl Trust of North America Inc. was founded in 1979 and purchased the original 315-acre farm tract in 1981, opening Horsehead Wetlands Center to the public in 1985. In 1998, the Trust purchased an additional 195 acres and placed the now 510-acre preserve under conservation easement, and in 2002 the property’s name was changed to the 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 it serves as a site where restoration techniques are developed and tested through partnerships with private businesses, universities, and state and federal governmental agencies.
Leadership and staff for CBEC include Executive Director Vicki Paulas; Membership & Business Operations staff member Sue Ross; Executive Director Emeritus Judy Wink; Education Coordinator Ashley Peris; Facility Rental/Office Coordinator Alissa Moran; Volunteer Coordinators Anne and Dave Brunson; and Marketing & Social Media Assistant Lily Walsh. Visitors are permitted to bring their dogs on leash and are asked to purchase a Dog Membership, which provides information about the dog’s immunizations.
One teacher from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School describes CBEC’s educational experience as exceptional and a highlight of an AP Environmental Science course, noting that expert staff and dedicated volunteers bring learning to life. A group from RICA Baltimore reported that students enjoyed kayaking on the Bay, seining in the salt marsh and along the shore, and learning about rescued raptors, and that a visit from a snake was especially memorable for the kids. A parent chaperone from Centreville Elementary shared that second graders enjoyed digging for bugs in rotten logs, searching for critters in oyster bags, and watching owls show off, and that staff and volunteers were described as true professionals whose commitment to the environment showed in their presentations.
Last updated July 20, 2026.
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