Draft Interpretive Plan Join the adventure! - Captain John Smith ...

the broader Chesapeake Bay Observing System, (http://www.cbos.org/). NOAA worked
closely on the design of the system with the National Park Service, Friends of the Captain
John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, The Conservation Fund, the Chesapeake
Bay Foundation, National Geographic, Sultana Projects, and Verizon Wireless. These
partners continue to help expand CBIBS capability for scientists, boaters, educators,
travelers of the Smith trail, and other Bay users.
The immediacy and accessibility of information from these smart buoys helps people
navigate the Bay, improve marine safety, and learn about the Captain John Smith
Chesapeake National Historic Trail. However, the long-term value of these buoys will be
found in applying the data to science-based Bay restoration efforts and for educating
people to be better stewards of the Chesapeake Bay.
Who Uses These Buoys?
The popularity of CBIBS has grown rapidly since the first buoys were deployed in 2007
to coincide with the launch of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historical
Trail. Here are some of the uses for these smart buoys:
Boating and Fishing:
Both recreational and commercial interests value the buoys for navigation
information and current readings on wind, weather, wave height, and currents.
Data from the buoys help boaters make safe choices before venturing into the
open waters of the Bay.
Travelers on the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historical Trail:
CBIBS originated as a system to mark the Captain John Smith Chesapeake
National Historical Trail. The buoys help modern trail explorers learn more about
the environment of the Bay while discovering what Captain Smith would have
seen as he passed near a buoy location 400 years ago. In addition to marking
locations and transmitting observations that enable boaters to plan a safe
experience on the Bay, the buoys interpret geography and history.
Today you can cruise or paddle to the location of a buoy and contact it on your
cell phone or Internet-accessible device, and learn about that very place on the
Chesapeake Bay in 1608. Because the buoys are accessible to anyone with a
phone or Internet connection, land travelers are using them, too. You can take a
“virtual trip” to any buoy location from your computer to learn about the Bay in
Smith’s time and to help plan your own visit to the trail.
You can contact the buoy by toll-free phone (877-BUOY BAY) or via the Internet
(www.buoybay.org) to learn about the history and environment of that place.
As the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail develops, there
will be land-based sites where interpretive kiosks and exhibits will tie into CBIBS
to complement the geographic and historical information the buoys provide. An
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