Field Trips

Educational Field Trips

Experience public land partnerships in action. Add field trips to your registration record at the time of online registration. 

Comfortable shoes, layered clothing, and appropriate seasonal outwear are recommended as all field trips include both indoor and outdoor time and will take place rain or shine. Participants are encouraged to bring their own water bottles and snacks.

Monday, March 4, 2024

Friday, March 8, 2024

A Bridge Not Too Far: A Golden Gate Adventure 

Date and Time: Monday, March 4, 2024, 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Registration Fee: $70 / person with convention registration ($100 without)
Transportation included (lunch on own - estimate $15-$20).

To kick the convention off right, we’ll embark early Monday on a journey that’s just a smorgasbord of awesome. First stop? The Golden Gate Bridge (equipped with relevant bridge knowledge from the visitor center) where we’ll see some absolutely jaw-dropping views. Then, on to Fort Point National Historic Site, a seacoast fortification that sits under the bridge and was completed just before the Civil War to protect San Francisco Bay from hostile warships.


We’ll then bring it all together as we move to the Presidio Tunnel Tops, a stunning and welcoming park space. In 2022, two decades of park making culminated in the opening of the Tunnel Tops, completing the Presidio’s waterfront transformation and inviting people of all backgrounds to discover the park. We’ll hear about partnerships and community engagement that helped achieve such a massive project.


There will be time for shopping as well as time for lunch on your own at one of the many food trucks in the area. 

Before and After: Restoring a Refuge 

Date and Time: Friday, March 8, 2024, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Registration Fee: $135 / person with convention registration ($165 without)
Transportation and lunch included.

Participants will learn about some of the history of the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), including natural history and work related to the Convention themes as they are transported to two different units of the Refuge. 


Our first stop will be at the Ravenswood Unit, and the second stop will be at Bair Island (both on the west side of the South Bay). Participants will learn about the restoration that has occurred in these two units for the benefit of people and wildlife, and witness first-hand the contrast between a newly restored site (to be returned to tidal flows just a few months prior) and a site that was restored about 12 years prior.  


We’ll enjoy a hike along the levee and our new interpretive trail where we’ll see the restoration site up-close and learn about endangered species and some of our community-led stewardship efforts. Participants will learn how these parts of the Refuge support conservation of wildlife, create space for public access and recreation while also reducing the risk to neighboring communities from floods and rising sea levels. 


We’ll stop for lunch along the way and just make a day of it! 

Escape to Alcatraz 

Date and Time: Friday, March 8, 2024, 8:45 am - 3:00 pm
Registration Fee: $115 / person with convention registration ($145 without)
Transportation and ferry ticket included. 

Swathed in legend, cloaked in mystery, the tales of Alcatraz Island are etched in the lore of America. But beyond the popular culture representation of the island and the prison are incredible stories of humans struggling, striving, and surviving. Join us as we board the ferry and travel on a fascinating journey of discovery to explore stories of sinister characters separated from society as well as Indigenous activists hoping to reclaim federal land. We’ll even have time for a little shopping! 

Due to food restrictions on Alcatraz Island lunch is not included (bottled water is allowed on all areas of the Island). Food can be consumed on the ferry, or on the dock area of Alcatraz Island (snacks are available for purchase on the ferry). It is recommended participants prepare accordingly by bringing their own water and snacks along. 

Optional: Participants may opt not to return on the bus to the Hilton if they wish to remain in the area and explore Fisherman’s Wharf on their own and will be responsible for their own return transportation. 

Ring Around the San Francisco Bay: We Can Do It!   

Date and Time: Friday, March 8, 2024, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Registration Fee: $115 / person with convention registration ($145 without)
Transportation, box lunch, and pass to the Columbia Employee Store included.

Join us for an unforgettable day, beginning with a stop to savor the iconic vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge and SF Bay. Travel through the hills of Marin over the San Rafael/Richmond bridge to visit the rich history of WWII home front shipyards and the celebrated symbol of female patriotism at Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park. You'll hear the compelling stories that lie behind this time of immense social innovation and have the unique opportunity to meet real-life "Rosies" who worked in the shipyards, gaining a firsthand account of the extraordinary times they lived through. Boxed lunch with views of the Bay and time to shop at the nearby Columbia Employee Store which offers Columbia, Mt. Hardware, Prana, and Sorel discounted products. We'll conclude our day traversing the Bay Bridge and head back to the hotel in San Francisco.