1 Day Student Field Trips- Florida

Everglades Exploration (1 day)

3rd Grade - 5th Grade

Everglades Exploration (1 day)

Our Everglades exploration adventure charts a historical course through this unique ecosystem that is vital to Florida’s natural systems. As we arrive at the Miccosukee Indian village and meet our Miccosukee guide, we begin to learn the “real story” behind such famous historical practices, like alligator wrestling. Exploring the recreated village and museum, we begin to understand the amazing culture of the people who have lived in this remarkable area for generations. A guided ride on an airboat into the River of Grass gets us up close and immersed in this amazing ecosystem, where we can better understand what living there would be like as we visit an authentic Miccosukee chickee homestead . An optional guided slogging adventure through Everglades National Park can be arranged for those groups who want to truly feel the layers of the Everglades beneath their feet!

Following lunch and a short ride later, we enter Everglades National Park to explore the unique Shark Valley area. Boarding the tram for our 2-hour adventure, we have the opportunity to loop deep into the park on a specially-paved path. As we spot many bird species and countless alligators, the rangers share the stories of the special geological history and environmental significance of this area of the Everglades. Returning to school, we compare notes about what we have seen and learned in this important ecosystem and what it might be like to find a home within it.

Surfside Safari Summary

3rd Grade - 5th Grade (One Day Trip)
Study Barrier Island and Marine Ecology

Spend an awe-inspiring day on a coastal barrier island in Fort Lauderdale! On the secluded and calm waters of the fresh water lagoon students master the skills of canoeing and explore the wonders of the barrier island. We'll follow a trail beneath the canopy of a coastal hammock and discover the secrets of survival that Native Americans and early settlers alike used to reap the bounty of these forests!

Journals that we provide allow students to become "real" scientists as they record the results of their activities. Working in teams, they survey the water samples they have collected and predict what plants and animals live in these ecosystems. Using the data, we’ll wonder what impact humans have had on this natural place, looking for evidence of pollutants.

Heading out to the beachfront, we'll follow the footsteps of the Barefoot Mailman and hear the tales of his times. By collecting both natural and human-made items from the beach on our "scavenger hunt," students will begin to understand the importance of the coastal systems, the barrier islands, their plants and their animals...and what we must do to preserve them.We'll head back, reviewing our adventures with fascinating stories of the real Florida .

Island Exploration Summary

5th Grade - High school (One Day Trip)
Comparative Island Ecosystems

Join us for a journey into the unique ecosystem of Peanut Island. We will launch our ocean kayaks into the Lake Worth lagoon and explore the un-developed west side of this peanut-shaped spoil island. Turkey vultures and manatees will guide us to our destination, on the island’s east side, where the warm waters of the gulf stream flow through the Palm Beach inlet.

After a picnic lunch on the island, we will gear-up for our snorkel adventure. Colorful fish, tiny crustaceans and the occasional shy octopus find their homes on the shallow reef off just feet from the island’s east shore. We will dry off for a journey into a different time as we tour the Maritime Museum at the old Coast Guard station and the historic Kennedy bunker, the never-used shelter of the late president. Our island adventure ends with a ride aboard Captain Joe’s navy boat for an investigation of the pre-historic Munyon Island. Inhabited by Native Americans for hundreds of years, this island has been fully restored to its natural state and is home to ospreys, egrets and many other wetland animals. See how many bird species you can spot on our way back to the dock!

Day At Dickinson Summary

4th Grade - Middle School (One Day Trip)
Comparative Ecosystems Marine Ecology

Visit the area where legendary Quaker leader Jonathan Dickinson lived and where his shipwrecked party struggled to survive! Students voyage past the Jupiter Lighthouse to Hobe Mound, where they discover the endangered plants and animals of the Florida scrub, the first of many ecosystems we’ll visit on our journey. Traveling through Jonathan Dickinson State Park, we’ll see scrub give way to pine flatwoods. Gopher tortoises wander through the saw palmettos as we reach the canoe dock. After a brief lesson, we'll canoe the scenic Loxahatchee River, looking out for ospreys and viewing the effects of saltwater intrusion as we weave along the edge of the mangroves and study the bare spires of ancient cypress trees. We'll also learn all about Trapper Nelson: his unusual lifestyle, mysterious death and hidden treasure!

Next, we're off to one of the most unusual geologic formations on the coast: Blowing Rocks Preserve. Students will gaze into the tidal pools and blowholes carved by the roaring surf and observe the intertidal marine life of the coastal ecosystem. At high tide, we'll listen as the whooshing sound of water precedes the geyser-like spout...then continue searching along the coast for treasures washed ashore! Before heading home, we'll stop at the Marinelife Center on Juno Beach for an in-depth study of sea turtles on their way to recovery. What an incredible opportunity to observe these elusive marine animals.

Snorkeling Safari Summary

4th Grade - High School (One Day Trip)
Marine and Mangrove Ecology and History of the Keys

Explore the delicate and beautiful ecosystem of John Pennekamp State Park! As we journey down to Key Largo, students discuss the KLOE (Kissimmee River–Lake Okeechobee-Everglades) system and observe the relationship between the Everglades and the Keys and the changing salinity of Florida Bay. As we spot the encroaching mangrove trees, we look out for osprey nests which line our route. Once we arrive in the Keys, we'll head to the lagoon for a swim test and snorkel practice.

After lunch, it's out to the reef, where we'll watch for manatees and dolphins! Students snorkel in the clear blue waters with their buddies in small, instructed groups. Check out the infinite variety of marine life, including gently waving sea fans and colorful corals! Dive down and get a closer look at the Queen Angelfish and Parrot Fish as they protect their home. Students will also compare and contrast the coral reef and mangroves and discover how these systems are so vitally linked. Most important of all, students will discuss the impact of humans on this extremely fragile ecosystem and discover why we must do something right now to protect it or lose it forever. As we leave this special place, we’ll learn a little of the Keys’ fascinating history before we make one final stop at the famed “Robert is Here” tortoise farm and smoothie stand before journeying home.

Key Largo Kayaking Adventure Summary

4th Grade - High School (One Day Trip)
Mangrove Estuary Exploration

Explore the delicate and beautiful ecosystem of Key Largo’s mangrove estuary! As we journey down to Key Largo, students discuss the KLOE (Kissimmee River–Lake Okeechobee-Everglades) system and observe the relationship between the Everglades and the Keys and the changing salinity of Florida Bay. As we spot the encroaching mangrove trees, we look out for osprey nests which line our route.

After arriving at the kayaking launch site, we’ll begin a brief kayaking lesson and set off across the bay to explore the mangrove estuary. As the herons soar past, we discuss the importance of mangroves both to humans and to wildlife. We learn that from the smallest invertebrate to large reef fish, an incredible diversity of organisms depend on both these mangrove communities and the submerged sea grass beds for their continued survival. Returning from our kayaking adventure, we'll head to John Pennekamp State Park for a swim in the lagoon and lunch. Departing Key Largo in the late afternoon, we’ll look out for hunting ospreys as we share stories, before we make one final stop at the famed “Robert is Here” tortoise farm and smoothie stand before journeying home.