Education
Thank You for your interest
in a field trip to Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge! Each year approximately
5,000 students, teachers, and group leaders visit Nisqually NWR. The Refuge
offers an invaluable opportunity for students to experience and learn
about the natural world.
The Refuge is a popular place
and reservations for school groups are required. So, call the Education
Coordinator or send in your field trip application form (found below)
as soon as possible!
Teacher Resources
We recommend that teachers visit the Refuge and walk the trails prior
to their field trip in order to have clearly defined goals and objectives.
The Refuge also offers many resources to assist in planning and to ensure
that you make the most of your field trip. You may access the Refuge resource
library, containing: videos, educator's guides, reference books, and children's
books available for checkout.
Offices are open Mon-Fri 7:30am
- 4:00pm, or call the Education Coordinator, Kate O'Brien at (360) 753-9467 to make
an appointment.
Lesson Planning Assistance
The Refuge Environmental Education Coordinator is available to meet
with teachers and group leaders to help plan field trips. This staff
member can recommend activities and places to go on the Refuge that
will help you achieve your learning objectives.
Teacher Workshops
Several times a year, the Refuge offers Field Trip Orientation Workshops,
where teachers can learn about the facilities and resources available,
how to structure a field trip to the Refuge, and how to prepare students
with pre-trip classroom activities. Admission is free, and participants
receive a free copy of the educators’ guide, "Where the River
Meets the Sound." Clock hours are also available for this workshop.
All teachers wanting to
schedule a field trip from May 15 through June 30 are required to have
attended a Field Trip Orientation Workshop within the last two years.
For more information on the
workshop, download the
Field Trip Orientation flyer and the Workshop
Agenda.
To register for one of the training workshops, download the Registration
Form, and send your completed form to the Refuge.
The Educator's Guide
to Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge "Where the River Meets the
Sound"
"Where the River Meets the Sound," is the most up-to-date
version of the educator's guide that offers complete field trip planning,
preparation, and activities for the classroom and field trip. It offers
great background information and numerous activities--each matched with
Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs). Get
more out of your field trip to the Refuge and check out a copy from
the library or purchase a copy in the Visitor Center bookstore!
You can also download a copy
of the educator's guide as a pdf file (2.09 MB):
"Where
the River Meets the Sound"
Program Offerings
Teachers are responsible for planning and leading their field trip activities.
The volunteers or staff guides will assist you with the following program
elements:
Orientation Talks
by Refuge Volunteers
Refuge volunteers are available upon request to give a brief (15-20
minutes) orientation program to groups with reservations. In order for
the refuge staff and volunteers to adapt their orientation program to
address your teaching goals, it is important that you fill in the sections
on the reservation application titled "Field Trip Goals",
"Pre-trip Activities" and "At-the-Refuge Activities."
Environmental Education
Center
The Refuge's new Environmental Education Center is nearly completed. This facility will have two classrooms, an orientation room, bathrooms, a covered deck and outdoor amphither. It will be open in late spring. When the new Education Center is open, school groups may reserve use of the space by completing the field applicaion form.
The "old" education center is now permanently closed. All the exhibits and bird mounts will be moved to the new education center.
Making Field Trip Reservations
Advanced reservations are required for all school groups visiting
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Nisqually NWR is a popular place with
limited facilities. With reservations we can:
-
Schedule classes so they
do not use the Refuge at the same time. This will reduce overcrowding
of the Refuge facilities, minimize wildlife disturbance, and ensure
a better opportunity for wildlife observation.
-
Coordinate with volunteers.
-
Provide better interpretive
and educational programs.
- Determine the number of
people participating in Refuge activities. This information can help
us obtain funding for future improvements to our programs.
To make a reservation, contact
the Environmental Education Coordinator Kate O'Brien, at (360) 753-9467 or Kat OBrien@fws.gov or download a copy here Application for Field Trip Reservation.
NOTE: This reservation form
is for schools and scouts groups only.
Reservations are processed
on a first come, first served basis from the day the application forms
are received at the Refuge office. If you have requested a service provided
by Refuge staff and volunteers, allow at least two weeks for your application
to be processed. Once the application has been processed, you will receive
written notification confirming dates and times for your group's visit.
Please bring this confirmation form with you when you visit the Refuge.
How Many Groups May Come On One Day?
The number of groups may vary; however, the total number of students is
limited to 100 on any given day. This may be five groups of 20 students
or two groups of 50. This number is in addition to the public visitors
who do not have reservations.
What About the Entrance Fee?
Field trip groups qualify for a fee waiver only if they are:
- Visiting the Refuge for
educational purposes and
- Integrating their field
trip into a larger course of study that focuses at least partially on
the natural environment.
Groups that qualify for the
fee waiver will have "exempt" stamped on their field trip confirmation
notice.
For more information,
contact
the Education Coordinator
at:
Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
100 Brown Farm Road
Olympia, WA 98516
Phone: (360) 753-9467
Fax: (360)534-9302
