south Florida
Marine Ecology & Conservation
For this March break trip, a group of students with a strong interest in learning more about marine ecology and conservation will travel to South Florida. Students will engage in a volunteer project and workshops with local partners in Miami. They will visit the Everglades and participate in an outdoor classroom with the MarineLab to study the most pressing challenges and conflicts surrounding marine conservation. Students will better grasp the shared responsibility for sustaining the delicate balance of plant and animal life in offshore and wetlands environmental contexts. They will gain an increased awareness of the importance of the marine ecosystem and management challenges at a local, regional and global scale. Students will return from this trip with a deeper understanding of the complexity of marine ecology, the conflicts surrounding conservation, and their role as global citizens in effecting change in the marine world.
Program Notes
- Families are responsible for transportation from Miami, FL to the student’s destination for the remainder of March break.
- During this trip students will stay in hotels. Meals will be shared at restaurants and on-the-go.
- This trip conflicts with the March 12 SAT test date.
- Students participating in winter post-season tournaments are still eligible to apply for this program.
Program DATEs
March 5- 13, 2022
Program Eligibility
This program is open to all students with a preference towards those who have a demonstrated interest in marine ecology, sustainability and/or other environmental issues. All interested students are encouraged to apply by December 6. Financial Aid is available to all qualifying students.
Faculty Trip leaders
- Heidi Valk; Rowena Schenck
Approx. Trip Cost: $4,475 plus $300 estimated airfare from DA to Miami, FL. (final costs will be dependent on trip enrollment)
Deerfield Academy’s Center for Service and Global Citizenship is committed to running all of our travel programs at cost with overhead expenses subsidized by the Academy.
Helpful Links
- CDC guidance on domestic travel during COVID-19
2022 Preliminary Itinerary
*This itinerary is subject to change.
March 5–6
- Students will stay at a local hotel and will spend time on campus to prepare for their trip.
March 7
- Flight from New England Airport to Miami, FL
- Program briefing
- Exploration of local area
March 8
- Volunteer project with Urban GreenWorks
- Catalyst Miami workshop
- Frost Museum
March 9
- Travel to Deering Estate
- Deering Estate workshop
- Travel to Everglades City: Shark Valley guided visit with NPS Rangers and Buffalo Tiger Airboat Tour
March 10
- Sunrise Kayaking Tour
- Museum of the Everglades and Everglades Conservation workshop
- Travel to Key Largo
March 11
- Arrival to MarineLab, Key Largo
- Lagoon snorkel
- Discussion: Seagrass Ecology
- Lab: Water Quality
- Discussion: Coral Reef Ecology
March 12
- Field Trip: Coral Reef Ecology #1
- Lab: Microplastics
- Lab: Invertebrate Diversity
March 13
- Travel back to Miami
- Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
- Program Closing and Flight Home