Upcoming Event: Tour of Poplar Island
WTS Baltimore is happy to announce two upcoming tours of Poplar Island! Note these are all-day tours. PDH credits are available and lunch will be provided. Poplar Island is not open to the public and is only accessible via tours by Maryland Environmental Services (like this one!) This is your chance to visit a truly incredible location.
What is Poplar Island?
Poplar Island is an environmental restoration project located in the Chesapeake Bay in Talbot County that utilizes dredged materials from the approach channels to the Baltimore Harbor to restore lost remote island habitat within the Chesapeake Bay.
The project is a partnership with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA), and many other Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental groups, educational institutions, and commercial entities. USACE and MDOT MPA began the project in the 1990s. The project is still in active construction.
Tour Dates and Times:
The tour is an all-day event. There will be two dates available for registration. WTS Baltimore will be running the tours on both Wednesday, September 7th and Friday, September 9th, 2022. Transportation to Poplar Island will be provided.
All participants will be asked to meet at the Catonsville Park and Ride off of South Rolling Road at 7am. WTS will provide transportation from the Park and Ride to Tilghman Island (approximately a 2 hour drive) where we will catch a boat to Poplar Island. The boat ride is approximately 20-30 minutes. If you get motion sick, plan accordingly.
The tour of the island itself is approximately 2 hours. Half of the tour will consist of a bus tour with brief stops where you may step off the bus if you'd like. The rest of the tour will take place in a tour room where we will hear a presentation by a construction expert regarding the engineering and design of the island. This presentation will earn participants PDH credits. During this time, lunch will be provided by Panera Bread.
We will depart Tilghman Island by about 1pm for arrival back to the Park and Ride by approximately 3pm .
How to Prepare:
- Please dress for the weather. This event will take place rain or shine.
- Wear closed toe shoes and appropriate clothing.
- Bring sunscreen and bug spray if you wish- it can be buggy this time of year.
- Note that there is minimal walking required and you can stay on the bus if you wish to.
- Note that the boat, bus, and tour room are air conditioned
Registration:
Spots are limited! The price for this event is $85 for members and $100 for non-members. There are only 24 available spots for each tour date.
September 7th Event: Register Here
September 9th Event: Register Here