Exploring the Coast: Madeira Students Dive Into Marine Ecology

When twelve Madeira students waded into Virginia’s coastal marshes this fall, they weren’t just on a field trip; they were stepping directly into the ecosystems they’ve been studying in class. Led by Science Teacher Amber Saville-Andree, the Marine Ecology trip offered students an unforgettable, hands-on learning experience at the Chincoteague Bay Field Station, a consortium facility where Madeira has developed a long-standing connection.

Learning by Doing

Ms. Saville-Andree designed the experience to complement Madeira’s rotating Marine Ecology and Marine Environmental Issues electives. “It’s meant to be a hands-on experience that students in a marine elective can refer back to throughout the course,” she explained. Rather than serving as a culminating event, the trip takes place early in the semester so that lessons learned in the field continue to shape students’ understanding back in the classroom.

The multi-day expedition introduced students to a series of distinct ecosystems: intertidal zones, barrier islands, maritime forests, and tidal marshes. It helped them understand how these habitats are interconnected. Students measured water temperature and turbidity, collected and identified plankton, and brought live specimens back to the lab for taxonomy work. Their finds included blue crabs, northern puffer fish, and even a clear-nose skate. “The best boat trip of the season,” the instructor on site told them.

From NASA to the Marsh

One highlight was a day on Wallops Island, home to a NASA and U.S. Navy facility that is closed to the public. Special permission allowed Madeira students to explore the island’s natural dunes and study dune succession, how sand dunes evolve and protect the coastline. Later that day, the group visited a tidal marsh, where they experienced the ecosystem’s spongy, sulfur-rich mud firsthand. “They got to jump up and down in the marsh,” Ms. Saville-Andree laughed. “It sounds silly, but when everyone jumped together, the ground moved like a trampoline.”

The trip concluded with a kayak paddle through a cypress swamp, giving students the chance to compare freshwater, brackish, and saltwater environments; all within the same coastal region.

Partnerships and Place-Based Learning

This year marked the first time the trip was jointly planned with Madeira’s new Global Education Department, led by Ms. Jasmine Meade and Ms. Shields Sundberg. “It was amazing to concentrate on the students and not all the logistics,” Ms. Saville-Andree said, noting that Ms. Sundberg coordinated transportation, health forms, and parent communication. “We were really able to help each other. I brought my experience from running the trip in the past, and she brought new resources and systems to make it sustainable.”

With support from the Edwards Fund and Madeira’s place-based learning budget, the trip also ensured access for students receiving financial aid.

A Personal Connection

For Ms. Saville-Andree, the trip is deeply personal. She first visited the same field station as a high school student, later conducted her undergraduate research there, and even began her teaching career on its campus. “I know the program inside and out,” she said. “It’s why I feel so comfortable taking students there. The safety, the instruction, the impact, it’s all first-rate.”

That impact is clear in students’ reflections, which Ms. Saville-Andree compiles into a thank-you video for Madeira’s supporters. “It’s always surprising what they say,” she shared. “They notice things I don’t even see in the moment. It’s amazing to hear how much it means to them.”

Looking Ahead

The 2025 trip also marked the first time students returned for a second year. “That’s what got me thinking,” Ms. Saville-Andree said. “Next year, I want to vary the classes and field sites so returning students have a new experience each time.”

Whether knee-deep in marsh mud or paddling through a cypress swamp, Madeira students are learning that science doesn’t just happen in a lab, it thrives wherever curiosity meets the natural world.

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