Discovering Northern Elephant Seals

Field Trip Logistics

Students need:	Teachers need:	Chaperones need:
rain gear	rain gear	rain gear
warm layered clothes	warm layered clothes	warm layered clothes
gloves and hat	gloves and hat	gloves and hat
sunscreen and sunglasses	sunscreen and sunglasses	sunscreen and sunglasses
bag lunch with drink	bag lunch with drink	bag lunch with drink
water	water	water
waterproof boots or tennis shoes	waterproof boots or tennis shoes	waterproof boots or tennis shoes
clipboard with field jornal and pencil	map with directions	map with directions
permission slip	pencil sharpeners and extra pencils
	teacher backpack and field trip kits from Bear Valley Visitor Center
	first aid kit
Optional:
small backpack	small backpack	small backpack
binoculars	binoculars	binoculars
	camcorder/camera	camcorder/camera

Other Things to Remember:

Elephant seals are at Point Reyes during the rainy and windy season. Kids need warm, waterproof clothing. Sunscreen is needed on sunny days.
The Overlook Trail can be very muddy. Have the students wear closed-toe shoes.
Ticks are abundant at the overlook area. Have everyone wear light-colored clothing and tuck their pant legs into their socks. Everyone will need to check themselves thoroughly for ticks before returning home. See attachments in this Teacher Preparation for more information.
Binoculars and spotting scopes will assist the students in viewing the elephant seals. These may be checked out from the Bear Valley Visitor Center. If you plan to use this equipment, it is essential that you train the kids how to use binoculars before their visit. See the enclosed binocular activity.
Travel time from Point Reyes Station to the elephant seal overlook is 1 hour. Most groups visit the Chimney Rock area between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. If you plan to visit during this time, have students bring a bag lunch and something to sit on. Following lunch, have them check the entire area for trash.
The overlook trail is not accessible to wheelchairs. To arrange wheelchair access to the boathouse viewing area, call the Bear Valley Visitor Center at (415) 464-5100 and request that the boathouse gate be unlocked for your field trip. Please do this at least three days before your trip.