at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
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Attention schools, scouts and homeschool groups or other educational groups, now is the time to schedule your Free educational field trip to St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge!
St. Marks NWR hosts thousands of students each year through its environmental education programs. Students may be dipping nets in the pond behind the Visitor Center or down at Apalachee Bay, exploring for insects, minnows, shrimp and more. Or they may be collecting temperatures of the air and soil, humidity, wind speed and direction and the plants and animals observed in three different habitats. In a different exercise, weather data is collected to determine if the refuge should conduct a prescribed burn. In another learning station, wearing bouncing deely-bopper headbands, students re-enact the life cycle of a monarch butterfly, eluding predators and collecting golf ball eggs.
laboratory. Teachers are also welcome to learn more about north Florida's ecosystems through teacher workshops, including the internationally recognized environmental education program, Project Learning Tree.
Trained volunteers help with the learning stations and more are needed to strengthen the program. If you are interested in becoming an educational volunteer, please call Volunteer Coordinator David Moody at 850-925-6121. To learn more about our programs click on the link for the education brochure or on the links below. Programs Offered at the Refuge Programs for Specific Age Groups
Classes for all Ages
Self Guiding Tours Classes may come to the refuge for self guided tours and check out our equipment. These field trips must be scheduled in advance. For more information call 850-925-6121 or email Lori_Nicholson@fws.gov . Off -Site Programs Off-site education is an untapped opportunity to reach schools who can't visit the refuge. If a class or school cannot come to the Refuge we have programs that can be brought directly to the classroom. Refuge staff or trained volunteers can come to the classroom and present a 30-45 minute program to your students. To schedule an off site program please call 850-925-6121 oremail: Lori_Nicholson@fws.gov *following items are to be info when clicked on titles above. Pre-Visit Information |
We currently have 18 programs that are offered, however if a teacher needs a program that is not listed we will do our best to provide something to meet their needs. Programs are designed to accommodate up to 60 students. Students will be divided into smaller groups so each student will get the most from their experiences at St. Marks NWR. Each program may include a game, lesson and a hands-on activity. Unless otherwise noted, schools are expected to provide at least one chaperone for each 15 students attending. Chaperones will actively participate in the presentation of the program under supervision of the Refuge educational staff.
A different field trip class studies the bones and skins of mammals, reptiles, and birds to determine what characteristics set these vertebrates apart. These are a few of the free outdoor classroom learning stations available to school groups who reserve a date well in advance.
Last updated:
October 6, 2009
