The BICO Monthly Outings Summary

December, 2005


OUTING #1 DATE: December 2, 2005 - December 4, 2005

TEAM: Digital Harbor High School

ACTIVITIES:  Camping

DESTINATION:  Karen Noonan Education Center    
The Karen Noonan Memorial Environmental Education Center is situated on 20 acres of marsh in southern Dorchester County, Maryland. Participants explore pine forests, underwater grass beds, and native oyster reefs that surround the center. The nearby Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, one of the largest tidal wetlands on the East Coast, also provides opportunities from which to investigate this ecosystem.

Once one of the great Chesapeake hunting lodges, the Karen Noonan Center was completely renovated in 1995 to create an environmentally sound, state-of-the-art residential center. 

GETTING IN:  A Chesapeake Bay Foundation application must be filled out for this outing.  A link to this can be found through the Karen Noonan web site. The cost is $1900 for Youth Groups.  The minimum number of participants is 20 and the maximum is 22.  There is an age restriction of 6th grade and above.

DIRECTIONS: 2 Hours from Baltimore
From the Baltimore Beltway (I-695), Take I-97 South to U.S. - 50 East Towards Annapolis.  Follow U.S. - 50 East across the Bay Bridge.  From the Bay Bridge take 50 East to Cambridge- SEE NOTE BELOW.  In Cambridge, follow 50 East to the intersection with Route 16.  Turn right onto Route 16 (right after Wal-mart).  Follow Route 16 for about 8 miles to the town of Church Creek.  Turn left onto Route 335.  Follow Route 335 for about 10 miles until it meets with Route 336 at Gootee’s Marine in the town of Golden Hill.  Turn left onto Route 336.  Follow Route 336 as it winds through the towns of Crapo, Wingate, and Bishop’s Head (there aren’t official signs to signify which town you are in).  Follow 336 around the sharp left turn at Tom Jones Market (market on right side of road).  Continue on 336 to Crocheron.  Continue straight (off 336) onto Phillips Gunning Club Road.  Continue about 1 mile until road dead ends at the Karen Noonan Center.

NOTE : During spring tides or flood tides the road to the center can be completely covered with water. If that is the case, it may be necessary for us to meet your group at the public boat landing in Crocheron. Once your group gets to Cambridge it is imperative that you call the Karen Noonan Center staff to determine if you will be able to drive all the way in.

NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY:  Alert Karen Noonan Nature Center Staff

OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:   Working with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation is relatively easy. We got up before sun rise on Saturday morning to go out and sit on the pier to watch it rise.

OUTING SUGGESTIONS:  Teach the kids before the meal about how many of each food item they can have so that everyone gets at least a little bit of items.



OUTING #2 DATE: December 10, 2005

TEAM: Dickey Hill Elementary School

ACTIVITIES:  Hiking and Exploration of Nature Center

DESTINATION:   Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park and Carrie Murray Nature Center, Baltimore, MD
Gwynns Falls/leakin Park constitutes one of the largest municipal tracts in the United States and is a distinctive natural environment within a highly urban setting.  The park is situated on the fall line of the Piedmont plateau where streams cut ravines to drop to the coastal plain and to the Chesapeake Bay. Located in West Baltimore, Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park is bounded to the north by Windsor Mill Road and to the south by Wilkens Avenue. As a greenway it is projected that the new Gwynns Falls Trail initiated in 1997 will connect to the Middle Branch Park along the Patapsco River, totaling '4 miles in length for recreational use.

At Carrie Murray Nature Center, explore nature and learn about the thousands of animals and insects native to the Baltimore area. This spectacular facility offers young people the opportunity to explore the great outdoors in a fun and educational environment. The Carrie Murray Nature Center was established in the late 1980's through a generous donation from former Orioles player and Baseball Hall of Famer, Eddie Murray. The center is named in honor of his mother.  The address of the facility is: Carrie Murray Nature, 1901 Ridegtop Road, Baltimore, MD 21207, (410) 396-0808.

GETTING IN:  The park and the center are FREE of charge to the public.  It is good to call Carrie Murray Nature Center well in advance to see if any youth group programs may be available for a given weekend.  Bicycle rental may available.  Call Gwynns Falls Trail organization at (410) 448 5663, ext. 135 for more information about bike rental.

DIRECTIONS:  In Baltimore to Gwynns Falls Trail
From I-83 (Jones Falls Expressway) - Take westbound North Avenue exit. Continue past Hilton Parkway and make a left turn onto Morris Road. Turn left onto Franklintown Road. The Trailhead at Leon Day Park is on the right.
>From Downtown Baltimore - Take Franklin Street westbound (or I-70 in the city) to Edmondson Avenue. Take Hilton Parkway northbound and make a left onto North Avenue. Turn left onto Morris Road and left onto Franklintown Road. Look for the Trailhead at Leon Day Park on the right.
 
NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY:  Northwest Hospital Center, 5401 Old Court Road, RANDALLSTOWN, MD 21133, Phone: (410) 521-2200

OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:   No problems and kids seemed to enjoy it. They learned they can walk on a cold day and have fun.  Mill Race trail is a nice local outing.



OUTING #3 DATE: December 17, 2005

TEAM: Franciscan Youth Center

ACTIVITIES:  City Orienteering and Ice Skating

DESTINATION:  Canton Neighborhood and Mimi Dipietro Family Ice Skating Center, Baltimore, MD
At BICO, a volunteer developed a city orienteering course through the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore.  The course/scavenger hunt has 17 stops that begin at Canton Middle School (801 S Highland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21224) and end at Mimi Dipietro Family Ice Rink at Patterson Park (200 South Linwood Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21224).

GETTING IN:  The course is FREE.  The ice skating rink cost $4 for entry and $2 for skate rental for each person.  Call the ice rink at (410)396-9392 in advance for possible discounts.

DIRECTIONS:  In Baltimore to Canton Middle School
From I-83 (Jones Falls Expressway) - Take expressway until it ends and changes name to President Street.  Continue on President Street until Eastern Avenue.  At Eastern Avenue, take a Left.  On Eastern Avenue go past Fell's Point (Broadway).  Continue on Eastern Avenue until Highland Avenue.  At Highland Avenue, take a Right. Canton Middle School is about 3 or 4 blocks on the Left Hand Side on Highland Avenue.
 
NEAREST HEALTH FACILITY:  Church Hospital Corporation, 100 N BROADWAY, BALTIMORE, MD 21231, (410) 522-8000

OUTING HIGHLIGHTS:   The children enjoyed learning how to use a compass and map.  What helped this lesson was to first teach the children how to use the compass and protractor to get from one place to another and to measure the changes in elevation.  We then divided into two groups.  We had a set of landmarks that each group was to reach and then write the answers down to the questions asked about each landmark achieved. The first group achieved nine of the landmarks, while the second group achieved four of the landmarks.  One of the kids who didn’t know how to use a map learned how to use a map during this orienteering course.

At Patterson Park, there were “A Day with Santa” festivities going on at the ice skating rink.  This was a surprise to the leaders, who were unaware of the festivities.  These festivities included free refreshments (cookies and hot chocolate), skating with Santa, balloon making, ornament crafts, etc.  The kids really enjoyed the festivities and free refreshments.

OUTING SUGGESTIONS:  Ice skating does not start until 3 pm, and give about 2 hours for the orienteering course.  Break up into groups of three to four kids with two adult chaperones for each group.  Chaperones can allow the kids to go as far as they can in 2 hours on the course, after which all groups can meet at the ice rink.