May

Spend the day on the Bay

All staff, family and friends are invited to the annual Smithsonian Open House on the Bay at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Md., on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. SI staff and family members can take a free boat ride on the Rhode River aboard the Richard Lee, a beautifully restored Chesapeake Bay ferry boat with an observation deck.

To make the boat for the free staff trip, you must be at the bus stop at Central Middle School by 9:30 a.m. SHARP (see directions below) for a shuttle bus. There is no parking on the main campus of SERC due to limited space and traffic. This is a first-come, first-served trip with no tickets needed. You must bring a valid Smithsonian ID. Buses will be loaded in order of arrival. Please, no more than five people per family group. For those needing more information or for special accommodation, please contact Karen McDonald at McDonaldK@si.edu.

This is your chance to visit SERC and learn all about this branch of the Smithsonian. The day’s activities will include:

Displays by SERC researchers—meet them and talk with them about their research on the Chesapeake Bay and around the world!
5^th Annual Wade-In with the Rhode/West River Keeper and Dignitaries
Visit SERC’s 560-acre farm to see the historical ruins
Children’s games, crafts, scavenger hunt and face painting
Free hayrides around the site
Live farm animals, horses and birds of prey
Colonial re-enactors in period clothing—plus you can visit with Maryland state archaeologists and learn what excavations they’re doing on SERC’s property
Seining, crabbing, oyster bar community, microscope station and more!

Directions from DC:
Take 50 East to Rt. 2 South until it intersects with 214 (Central Ave.). Turn Left and follow signs to next stop light. Turn right into Central Middle/South River High School and follow parking directions of Civil Air Patrol unit. Bus transportation to and from SERC runs continuously from 9:30 am-4:30 pm.