Discovery Walk Educational Trip
| Maximum group size: | Sixty students |
| Program length: | Three hours, including time for lunch (bring your own) along the way |
| Offered: | April, May, September, October, November |
| (appropriate for all ages) | |
Shaver's Creek Discovery Walks explore the fascinating world of the outdoors. Working with small groups, an environmental teacher-naturalist will help your students discover the wonders of the natural world. Choose from one of our topics or request your own theme.
Please note: We have alternate plans for inclement weather days for each of our Discovery Walk themes that can be done under cover, so your trip can go on as scheduled.
Discovery Walk Themes
Senses (Preschool–Grade 2)
Children love to explore. Your students will be encouraged to use their senses—sight, sound, smell, and touch—as they investigate the outdoors. Activities emphasize respect for and awareness of nature and the diversity of life that surrounds us.
Seasonal Changes (Grades 2–3)
Each season offers special surprises for those who take the time to investigate. Spring brings new life and the continuation of old; summer sun and rain let life abound; fall reveals brilliant colors as animals and plants prepare for colder weather; winter exploration yields clues to the abundance of life often hidden from view. Students become nature detectives searching for evidence of the many seasonal changes and adaptations.
Insects and Spiders (Grades 3–8)
Those animals that we sometimes sweep out the door are an important part of the natural world. Students learn the difference between insects and spiders as they take an up close look at these amazing critters. Through observation of these organisms in action and participation in hands-on activities, students discover for themselves the roles insects and spiders play in the ecosystem (pollinator, decomposer, and vital member of the food chain).
Forest Ecology (Grades 3–8)
Investigation of wooded trails helps students understand the intricate interrelationships of life in a forest. Participants explore and compare different habitats and search for evidence of interactions between those habitats and wildlife. Students also discuss the importance of balance in nature, natural cycles, and the possible impacts of humans on that system.
Aquatics/Watershed Ecology (Grades 3–8: maximum sixty students)
Become stream "doctors" and acquire skills to diagnose the health of Shaver's Creek or any freshwater stream. Using various techniques, groups collect and release a variety of macroinvertebrate organisms that make up the aquatic food web. Students use the diversity of life in the stream and their power of observation to determine the well-being of the water body. Using maps and participatory activities, students can develop a better understanding of watersheds.
Many of the photographs included throughout the site are © Sven Zellner. For a listing, please contact us.
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