Discover the joy of learning outside the classroom with Conservancy Field Trips. They are designed to connect students with the vibrant ecosystems of Southwest Florida through immersive, hands-on experiences.
Exploring Nature's Classroom
Invite your students to explore the natural wonders of Southwest Florida through our enriching field trips that include guided Nature Center tours, Watery Wonders, and SURVIVORS. Designed to complement the Sunshine State Standards, these hands-on experiences offer a unique blend of scientific inquiry and environmental stewardship, directly engaging students with the ecosystems they're learning about.
From water quality analysis to encounters with native wildlife, each trip is an opportunity to ignite curiosity and foster critical thinking about conservation. Prepare your class for an educational adventure that extends learning beyond the classroom walls, inspiring both you and your students to become active participants in environmental preservation.
Guided Nature Center Tour
There is no better way to experience what the Conservancy has to offer than booking an Educator-led nature center tour!
Explore our one-of-a-kind nature center, including the critter-filled touch tank, invasive species gallery, and the “Science on a Sphere” in our Climate Change Theater. Every tour comes with a built-in reptile encounter, giving your students an up-close look at one of our snakes, turtles, or alligators, and no trip to the Conservancy is complete without a boat ride down the Gordon River! Throughout the tour, your guide will educate the class on the work of the Conservancy, Florida’s native wildlife, and the ways we all impact the natural world around us.
For more information or to book a tour, please contact our education administrator at (239) 430-2463.
Watery Wonders
Registration is currently full for this school year.
The health of our waterways is essential to the future of southwest Florida, and our Watery Wonders field trip gives 3rd-grade Collier County Public School students a chance to see first-hand how scientists help safeguard these critical habitats.
By participating in water quality testing and analysis, they’ll get to use the same scientific techniques that are used to monitor these fragile ecosystems, and dip-netting for insects and fish will give them hands-on experience with Florida wildlife. This field trip aligns with Sunshine State Standards, and both challenge students to think critically while giving them a fun avenue to explore the outdoors.
To participate in Watery Wonders, teachers will need to complete our virtual training materials and prepare their students with provided materials.
For more information please contact our education administrator at (239)-430-2463.
SURVIVORS
Registration is currently full for this school year.
The SURVIVORS field trip offers a hands-on learning experience for 7th-grade Collier County Public School students to explore the coastal environment of Southwest Florida.
The program is designed to engage students in the process of science and incorporates critical thinking, high-level questioning, and scientific techniques. Students will have the opportunity to investigate the impacts of survivorship and have close encounters with estuary residents. The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve provides an amazing world for students to discover within its 110,000 acres of pristine mangrove forest, uplands, and protected waters.
The collaboration between Rookery Bay Research Reserve and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida enables more students to experience the estuary than ever before. The program allows for up to 60 students per visit and direct access to estuarine waters via the Good Fortune II. A visit to the Reserve will empower students to think critically about our region's water concerns, the value of ecosystem services, and ways they can connect to our coastal resources.
Overall, the SURVIVORS field trip is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the coastal environment of Southwest Florida and engage with the process of science.
