We all go to conferences to share science, but we know the most important information exchange can happen in the hallways between sessions and the most lasting impressions happen on fieldtrips!
In conjunction with the ERF 2003 conference in Seattle, we have planned a series of fun and informative field trips. You will be able to tour local estuarine and other sites for a few hours, or travel for a day or longer to estuaries that are remarkably different from those you know at home, as well as visit other unique areas of the Pacific Northwest. The list of potential field trips is in the Call for Abstracts. A selection of trips is detailed here:

Spartina Removal
It might be fine to plant it on the East Coast, but here in the Pacific Northwest, Spartina is considered one of the most noxious of the invasive plant species threatening native ecosystems. Join ongoing efforts to literally grapple with and control this invader as it attempts to gain a foothold in one of the most high-quality intertidal wetland areas remaining in the Puget Sound. Waterproof knee-boots and a willingness to dive right into the muddy fray are required! The Nature Conservancy will be our host.

Tour the Olympic Peninsula
Take a tour of the rocky shoreline and temperate rainforest of the Olympic Peninsula on this two-day trip. We will stop at many areas of interest such as Dungeness Spit, the longest natural sand spit in the United States, extending 5 miles into the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Dungeness Spit has grown about 15 feet per year for the past 120 years; Hurricane Ridge - a mile-high ridge in the Olympic Mountains facing the Straits and Vancouver Island that receives over 400 inches of snow a year and is home to mountain goats, black bear and marmots; Sol Duc Hot Springs in the heart of the rainforest; Ruby Beach on the rocky outer coast of Washington; and the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Trip to Mount Saint Helens
At 8:32 Sunday morning, May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. Shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, the north face of this tall symmetrical mountain collapsed in a massive rock debris avalanche. Nearly 150 square miles of forest was blown over or left dead and standing. At the same time a mushroom-shaped column of ash rose thousands of feet skyward and drifted downwind, turning day into night as dark, gray ash fell over eastern Washington and beyond. The eruption lasted 9 hours, but Mount St. Helens and the surrounding landscape were dramatically changed within moments. In 1982 the President and Congress created the 110,000-acre National Volcanic Monument for research, recreation, and education. Inside the Monument, the environment is left to respond naturally to the disturbance.
Join us to tour this fascinating landscape at the most dramatic of the Pacific Northwest's active volcanoes, enjoy a short hike and stop for wild blackberry pie on the way home.

Urban Restoration: Tour of the Duwamish River Estuary
Join our RAE (Restore America's Estuaries) partner People for Puget Sound on a visit to restoration sites in the heart of Seattle's industrialized urban estuary. You will learn about the history of estuary from looking at geologic strata, and understand how the modern port and shipping facilities fit into the waterway and the estuary.

Puget Sound Boat Trip with Hands-on Sampling
The Menzies Project will be our host for this trip, inviting you on board the Research Vessel Mary Beth, where you will participate in sampling the mysteries of Puget Sound's marine environment. Travel to Protection Island, a US National Wildlife Refuge in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We can't go ashore at this important seabird nesting site, but we'll conduct a seabird census with the help of a local ornithologist. We will use underwater photography, plankton samples, and hydrographic gear to measure water quality, count harbor seals, and collect data on Dungeness crabs and spot prawns.

Deepwater Slough Estuary Restoration Tour
We will travel north of Seattle to the Skagit River Estuary, the home of the largest salmon runs in Washington, to view the Deepwater Slough restoration site. You'll board a boat to see this large-scale dike removal project up close and learn about design tradeoffs and the ongoing monitoring program. Our host will be the Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, a tribal cooperative dedicated to the conservation and use of Pacific salmon.