DESLA Camp: Barnegat Bay Field Station

Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science

Drexel DESLA students at the Barnegat Bay Field Station

DESLA students engage in estuarine studies and conduct beach profiling at the Barnegat Bay in 2019.

The Drexel Environmental Science Leadership Academy at Barnegat Bay summer adventure and learning experience for high school students takes place at the Barnegat Bay Field Station in Waretown, New Jersey. Students are immersed in hands-on experience in the field, where they learn about environmental science, biodiversity and discover the processes that shape the landscapes around us today.

drexel student conducting field work at barnegat bay

July 10-16, 2022 | $1,800

DESLA Camp: Barnegat Bay is led by expert scientists from the Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES) and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. If you're thinking of pursuing a degree in Environmental Science or Sustainability this is the adventure for you!

Questions? Ask DESLA@drexel.edu

Schedule Program Directors Contact DESLA Application Closed

Barnegat Bay Field Station

Owned by the NJDEP, Division of Fish and Wildlife, and managed by the non-profit, Natural Resource Education Foundation of NJ, the Barnegat Bay Field Station is situated on 194 acres that encompass a range of habitats, including a maritime forest, salt marsh, tidal streams and a freshwater pond.

Learn more

Experience Barnegat Bay

Click on the images below to view a larger size.

Schedule: July 10-16, 2022

Program content and sequence may change due to weather, staff schedules or other circumstances.

Day 1

Arrival and Check-in at Lighthouse Center
Student Introductions and Orientation
Introduction to the Pine Barrens
Evening Program – Mock Town Meeting – Ecological Services in the Barnegat Bay Watershed

Day 2

All Day Canoe Trip in the Pine Barrens
Estuarine Ecology and Barnegat Bay
Evening Program – Night Hikes

Day 3 and 4

Estuarine Studies – There will be four estuarine programs - student groups will study two per day

Barnegat Bay Boat Trip
Salt Marsh Ecology
Estuarine Fish and Seining
Beach Profiling

Evening Program: Staff Presentation, Country Dance, Frogs and Toads of the Pine Barrens

Day 5

Warren Grove – Terrestrial and Aquatic Studies in the Pine Barrens
Tour and Introduction to Pinelands Preservation Alliance
Evening Program – Shorebird Conservation and Citizen Science
Wildlife Counts Competition

Day 6

Day Trip to North Brigantine Beach
Shorebird Count and Disturbance Study
Free time at the beach
Evening Program – Evening with Algae Invertebrates
Light Traps, Pitfalls and Malaise Traps, Plankton Sampling

Day 7

GPS Course at the Lighthouse Center and/or Maritime Forest Studies
Pack, Room Prep, Clean Up
Picnic Lunch with Parents/Families
Closing Program and Departure

Program Directors

Ron Smith
Instructor, Department of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Science
Environmental Science Educator, Haddonfield High School, Haddonfield, NJ

Research Interests: Shorebird Ecology and Conservation; Amphibians of the NJ Pine Barrens; Restoration Ecology; Climate Change – Regional Effects and Education

Dane Ward, PhD
Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science

Research Interests: Urban Ecology, Conservation Biology, Pine Barrens Ecology, Marine Ecology, STEM Diversity & Inclusion, International Education, International STEM Mentorship

Questions? Email DESLA@drexel.edu.