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What's a bootery? Another way the Batten School removes barriers to marine science

by John Wallace |  August 13, 2026

Students in the Field Studies in Coastal Marine Environments and Special Topics in Environmental Science and Policy keep their feet dry exploring barrier islands on the Eastern Shore thanks to the VIMS ESL Bootery. Photos by Stacy Krueger-Hadfield and Sean Fate.Plankton tows, vibracores, nekton, benthic sampling — odd-sounding terms can be heard all around William & Mary’s VIMS & Batten School. But, have you heard of a bootery?

A wordsmith may know of a bootery as another term for a shoe store, but at the Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences it’s a place where students can borrow the gear they need. Specifically, the muck boots, hip waders and chest waders that are all-but-required for pursuing science in marshes, tidal creeks, mudflats and coastal waters.

Thanks to a W&M Provost Mid-Career Leadership Grant, VIMS & the Batten School have established Field Booteries at both the Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) in Wachapreague and the Gloucester Point campus. Together, they provide students with shared access to specialized footwear that can be expensive to purchase for only a handful of uses.

The idea was conceived by evolutionary ecologist and VIMS ESL Director Stacy Krueger-Hadfield and Christopher Hein, coastal geologist and director of undergraduate programs at VIMS & the Batten School, during their participation in William & Mary's Mid-Level Leadership Program.

"Field experiences are some of the most valuable parts of a marine science education, but we recognized that the cost of specialized gear could create an unnecessary barrier for some students," said Krueger-Hadfield. "The Field Booteries are a simple solution that ensures every student has the opportunity to fully participate, regardless of whether they already own the equipment."

The goal is simple: remove barriers to hands-on science.

Getting students into the field

Field experiences have always been at the heart of a Batten School education. Students don't just learn about coastal ecosystems in a classroom; they experience them firsthand.

One day they might be collecting algae from jetties. The next, they're digging through tidal mudflats for invertebrates, collecting sediment cores from barrier islands or boarding research vessels for fisheries surveys.

A pair of chest waders can be prohibitively expensive for a college student, especially if they are only used a few times. A pair of waders can cost hundreds of dollars, and some students may only need them for one course. The Field Booteries eliminate that financial hurdle while ensuring every student has access to functional, safe equipment.

"Some of the best learning happens when students are immersed in the environments they're studying," said Hein. "We want them focused on the science, not worrying about whether they can afford the right gear."

Today, the two campuses maintain an inventory of 210 pairs of field boots and waders, supporting undergraduate and graduate courses as well as visiting researchers. Equipment is checked out, tracked, cleaned by the borrower, and maintained so it remains ready for the next class heading into the field.

From the classroom to the coastline

The impact of the first bootery quickly became apparent at the VIMS Eastern Shore Laboratory.

Students in MSCI 331: Field Studies in Coastal Marine Environments spent two weeks exploring Virginia's barrier islands, marshes and tidal creeks, using the shared equipment to safely investigate habitats that would otherwise be difficult to access. The Bootery supported every student enrolled in the course, helping them participate fully in activities ranging from oyster reef surveys to marsh ecology and sediment coring.

For many students, the equipment wasn't what stood out — it was the experiences it made possible. These are the memories that define an experiential education, not the frustration of losing a tennis shoe in the mud on Cedar Island because you didn't have the right gear.

Quotes from the field

The coolest thing I did was collect algae at Cape Charles because I had so much fun in the water with the waders. It was a cool experience to just poke around and explore the rocks.
Mary Botros
I really enjoyed getting to go out in the field every day and visit different islands. I really enjoyed digging for invertebrates during low tide and collecting algae at the oyster reefs. I also liked visiting Parramore and getting to take a vibracore to see the history of the barrier islands.
Vera Wiegmann
The coolest thing I've seen is Codium fragile, which I learned about in Jeff Shields' class and was super excited to see at the Eastern Shore.
Maeve Harclerode

"The coolest thing I have done since arriving at VIMS ESL was being able to visit all the different islands and to see the differences on each one."

Jack Hill
The coolest thing I've seen is probably looking at all the invertebrates in the lab from the mudflat. I got to see some super cool worms like Diopatra cuprea that I had no idea existed before.
William McGarvey

Booteries Content Continued

Supporting a budding generation of marine scientists

While VIMS ESL was the first to put a bootery into service, the Gloucester Point campus has recently established its own.

At Gloucester Point, the Field Bootery will serve courses central to the Batten School's undergraduate major, including the Immersion Semester's MSCI 360: Field & Research Methods in Coastal & Marine Sciences, as well as graduate courses that introduce incoming students to interdisciplinary coastal research. As enrollment continues to grow, the shared collection will ensure that every student can participate in field-based learning.

Hein sees the Field Booteries as an investment that will continue paying dividends long after the first students checked out their waders.

"This is one of those ideas that seems simple, but its impact will last for years," he said. "Every student deserves the chance to build confidence in the field, and if providing a pair of boots helps make that possible, it's an investment worth making."

Sometimes a pair of waders can make all the difference

The Field Booteries might seem like a modest addition to the school.

However, behind every pair of boots is a student collecting their first field samples, exploring a barrier island for the first time or discovering a marine organism they've only seen in a textbook.

By making specialized field gear available to everyone, the booteries reinforce the barrier-free approach to learning at the Batten School, where every undergraduate student in the Major in Coastal & Marine Sciences receives full tuition support thanks to the generosity of Dr. R. Todd Stravitz ’82 and the Brunckhorst Foundations. More recently, several generous donors have stepped up with gifts that allow for reduced fees for undergraduate field courses open to all W&M students.

Sometimes preparing students for careers in coastal and marine science starts with advanced laboratories, cutting-edge research vessels or sophisticated instrumentation.

And sometimes, it starts with a good pair of boots.

Support our students

If you would like to remove barriers for the next generation of coastal & marine scientists, please consider making a gift and choosing the VIMS-Student Research Fund (1022). 

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