Henri Drake will be coordinating the busses. If you run into last minute issues, contact him (hdrake@mit.edu with gradclimateconference@gmail.com CC’ed, see final logistics email for phone number). One bus will stop at Boston Logan Airport to pick up people whose flights are delayed. This bus will leave at 3:00 pm sharp from the lower arrival level at terminal B, right outside gate B113.

If you arrive after 2:30 pm at MIT or after 3:00 pm at Boston Logan Airport on Thursday, you will have to find your own transportation to Woods Hole.

If you indicated in the logistics survey that you are taking the bus and your plans have changed, please contact gradclimateconference@gmail.com, so that we can take you off our bus checklist.

How to get to MIT’s campus

You can take a cab from Boston Logan Airport or the South Station train/bus terminal, which will cost about $40 and take 20-30 minutes in all cases. Uber and Lyft can be slightly cheaper, depending on demand. If you are planning to take a cab or Uber/Lyft from Boston Logan Airport to MIT and would like to coordinate shared rides with other attendees, please enter your information on the spreadsheet link provided in the final logistics email and use the sheet to contact other attendees.

Alternatively, you can take the MBTA (referred to as the “T”) which includes the subway, bus and commuter rail system in Boston. The OpenMBTA smartphone app is a great way to track bus/subway arrival and departure times when using public transportation in Boston.

The MIT campus is located at the Kendall/MIT stop on the Red Line of the subway system (see map below):

How to get from Boston Logan Airport to MIT using the T:
The best way to get to MIT from the airport is to catch the free Silver Line bus from outside the lower level (baggage claim) of each terminal. This bus provides a free transfer into the subway system at South Station, from which point you can catch the Red Line to Kendall/MIT (look for the Inbound train in the direction of Alewife, exit four stops later). Plan at least an hour to get from Boston Logan Airport to MIT’s campus on the silver and red lines.

How to get from the South Station bus/train terminals to MIT using the T:
Those arriving via train or bus will have to purchase a farecard (<3$) to board the Red Line subway at South Station (look for the Inbound train in the direction of Alewife). Get off four stops later at the Kendall/MIT station. Budget half an hour to get from South Station to MIT’s campus.

Accommodation and Meals

On-site meeting expenses (registration, food, and lodging at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole) have been generously covered by our meeting sponsors.

All rooms at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) are located in the Swope Center and have two twin size beds. If you chose to stay at MBL, you will be sharing a dorm room with another GCC participant, unless you paid extra for a private room through MBL’s website (approx. 213$ total for 3 nights). The private rooms have their own bathrooms, but none of the rooms have a fridge or microwave.

Towels and bedding will be provided. Meals will be served upstairs on the 2nd floor in Swope.

Wednesday/Sunday Night Accommodation:
If necessary, we may be able to accommodate you overnight at a student volunteer’s house on Wednesday and/or Sunday nights. Note that this often means sleeping on a couch or air mattress in a common room. Your host might also ask you to bring your own sleeping bag and/or pad.

If you need a place to stay before and/or after the conference:

• contact Joanna Millstein (jdmill@mit.edu) if you need accommodation in Boston,
• contact Nathan Mollica (nmollica@whoi.edu) if you need accommodation in Woods Hole,
• contact both Joanna and Nathan if you are unsure where you need accommodation.

If you choose to stay in Woods Hole before or after the conference and cannot take the official GCC bus, you are responsible for your own transportation to and from Woods Hole.

Sunday Afternoon Activities

It is a GCC tradition to have optional recreation activities on Sunday afternoon. Note that all of the planned activities are offered in Boston, so everyone will be taking the buses back together from Woods Hole (unless you have your own transportation or other plans). Based on interest in the logistics survey, we are offering the following 3 activities in Boston:

• MIT Campus Tour (free):
  Explore the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with current students. Takes approximately 1-1.5 hrs, should end at 5:00 pm at the very latest. This is a good option for people with early flights.
• Freedom Trail (free):
  Follow the 2.5-mile, red-lined route through downtown Boston that passes by many historically significant sites from the era of the American Revolution, including the location where the Boston Tea Party started and the place where the Declaration of Independence was proclaimed. The entire trail takes several hours, but the first half includes the most important sights.
• Harpoon Brewery Visit (expenses depend on what you consume; approx. 5-10$ if you catch the last tour (including small samples)):
  Visit the Boston location of Harpoon and sample specialty and limited edition beers at this famous New England craft brewery. If you are lucky and there are still tickets left, you might be able to catch the last tour.

You are free to join any of the groups when we get back to MIT. If you are interested in doing any of the previously listed activities by yourself on Sunday afternoon, or if you have more time to explore Boston, see the bottom of this page for more things to do.

We can store your luggage at MIT in building 54 (aka “the Green building”) on Sunday afternoon and you can leave any time. Contact Henri Drake (hdrake@mit.edu, see final logistics email for phone number) if you want to pick up your luggage.

What To Bring

• Poster or back-up copy of your presentation, printed or photocopied travel receipts and boarding passes (if you were awarded a travel grant)
• Warm clothes, rain jacket, toiletries, closed-toed shoes. The different conference activities will be located in separate buildings with roughly 5-10 minutes of walking between them. You will also be outside for a while if you join the MIT campus tour and Freedom Trail. Weather in Massachusetts in November is often cold and rainy, so plan accordingly.
• Costume for Saturday party (either dress as your science or bring something Halloween-themed)
• Cash for incidental expenses and optional activities
• Student ID (if you are planning to go to one of the museums or the aquarium)
• Towels and bedding are provided if you are staying at MBL. However, if you are staying at a volunteer’s house on Wednesday or Sunday night, check with your host if you need to bring a sleeping bag and/or pad.

Accessibility

• Accessible building and parking information for MBL can be found here.
• Poster sessions/meals, oral sessions and nighttime activities will be located in separate buildings with roughly 5-10 minutes of walking between them.
• We hope to provide closed captioning during all the oral sessions.
• Alcohol will be provided during the Thursday poster session and the Saturday night party. The Thursday and Friday night activities will also include options that do not involve alcohol.
• All the MBL facilities are non-smoking, including the housing.

Miscellaneous

• MBL rules (alcohol and smoking policy):
  MBL has asked us to pass along their alcohol policy for you to review here. They will be providing an open bar during the Thursday poster session. Please do not bring your own alcohol to this event and only consume alcohol in the event hall and during the hours of the poster session. That is, please do not wander around the campus/neighborhood with open beverages. You can, however, consume alcohol in your rooms, so long as you are of age and do so respectfully (please don’t throw a party there; there are several bars to party at down the street). All MBL facilities are non-smoking, including the housing.

Things to do in Boston

Here are some ideas for what you could do if you have more time to explore Boston. These activities were listed in the logistics survey and you are welcome to explore them on your own on Sunday afternoon instead of the organized activities.