Fieldtrip Opportunities

Fieldtrip/Education Overview

The Nature Institute offers quality environmental education classes for all ages, from pre-school to college students. Our programs offer hands-on student inquiry into the natural world. These experiential learning sessions, amid the abundant diversity of the of The Nature Institute's preserves, will open up a new world of discovery for your students. The historic Talahi Lodge is the site of our environmental learning classroom located on the Olin Nature Preserve. Classrooms, a library, kitchen and restroom facilities, and a fire ring are available. A wrap around porch is available for picnics and lunches.

The Nature Institute Programs:

• Are tied to Illinois Learning Standards
• Are interdisciplinary
• Meet specific educational objectives
• Stress active learning
• Are customized for age level, class size, ability of students, etc.
• Compliment our mission of fostering an awareness and appreciation of the natural world through preservation, restoration and education.

Our educational programs are also open to youth groups, church groups, home school and civic groups. We have and will continue to provide education and service projects for Scouts. Research opportunities are also available. Many volunteer opportunities are available for those students that require a service learning credit for graduation. There are also programs for teachers to enhance their environment curriculum and the opportunity to earn CPDUs for teacher certificate renewal. The Talahi Lodge is also available for group use for meetings and programs.

Below you will find a sample of the types of activities and field trips that we offer-the possibilities are endless. Most programs are offered for a minimal fee and some are available for no charge. Each program includes a hike and an age related nature craft that students can take home.

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Most popular programs

Earth Day Every Day!
Your students will celebrate the amazing planet that gives us our homes, water to drink, air to breathe, and food to eat. This session includes the principles of habitats, ecosystems, biodiversity, and conservation of natural resources. Students will have the opportunity to observe and categorize a wide variety of plants, insects and animals at the nature preserve that they would not usually be able to see.

Our Country's Symbol - The American Bald Eagle
Begin your winter eagle tour with a natural history lesson, followed by binocular and scope practice. The Olin Nature Preserve is one of the largest roosting areas for Bald Eagles in Illinois. Let your students feel the inspiration of seeing these majestic birds in flight. Students will also develop an awareness of the threats to Eagle populations. This class includes learning from the English language arts, science and social science. Opportunities for Bald Eagle viewing are dependent on weather conditions.

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Pre-school and Kindergarten Favorites

Groundhog Day
Celebrate groundhogs and other hibernating critters with a sensory awareness walk to find the homes of our slumbering friends. Principles of habitat, adaptation, camouflage, and winter survival will be introduced.

Tree Homes
Youngsters learn about the many ways that trees help people and animals. Students will recognize basic differences in the shape and size of trees. They will also learn how trees provide homes and food for wildlife, and find examples of homes in the trees of the preserve.

Plant Parts
A variety of activities help early learners discover the parts of a plant and what plants need to grow. A short hike at the nature preserve provides students the opportunities to observe the vast array of plant sizes and shapes they might not otherwise see.

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Favorites for Grades 1-3

Nature Detectives
Students will learn to see the clues of animal life that usually remain unseen. Increase observation skills by introducing signs of animal habitats, and animal feeding. Students will be able to recognize tracks of common wildlife

Plant Detectives
What do plants need to survive? How do the parts of a plant help it to live and grow? Students will learn basic plant parts, the differences and similarities of plants, and then find different types of plants on the nature preserve.

Winter Wanderings
What happens to plants in the winter? Where do the animals go when snow is on the ground? Changes in winter include important survival strategies for both plants and animals. Enjoy a winter hike that focuses on observation skills and sensory awareness. Scientific inquiry skills and categorizing will be introduced, as students record the condition of trees and plants, animal sightings, etc.

Spring Fling
What are the changes that warm weather brings? The nature preserve is absolutely bursting with life in the spring. Challenge your students' observation, categorization, and identification skills with the incredible diversity of plants, insects, birds, and animals found at the nature preserve. Pond ecology offers an especially fun session of identifying creatures that live in and by the water including tadpoles, turtles, dragonflies, etc.

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Favorites for Grades 4-8

Winter Ecology
Naturalists guide students in a detailed field study including biotic and abiotic monitoring in a plot study area. Students will enhance their mapping skills, learn winter twig ID, and record all data in a field notebook. Students also explore survival strategies used by plants and animals, and look for animal homes.

The Great Sap Race
Discover the thrill of seeing spring return to the trees! Students will learn about what makes maple syrup possible by studying the two processes that make it possible: photosynthesis and the water cycle. They will also learn about the practice of maple sugaring by observing and measuring tapped trees. They may even find trees "have a heart"!

The Three Layers of the Forest
The forest is like an apartment building with the canopy, understory and ground layers along with the wildlife residents of each floor. A woodland hike will provide the perfect setting to learn tree identification and how to recognize signs of forest creatures. Students will sharpen their vocabulary skills, organizing and categorizing facts, and experience a new dimension for their

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Favorites for Grades 9 - 12

Aldo Leopold Using the Sand County Almanac, students will learn about the flora and fauna that inspired Aldo Leopold. In Leopold fashion, students will become nature writers, using journaling and sketches to record their observations of the natural world. This program enhances writing and observational skills, encourages students to pay attention to detail, and teaches the Leopold legacy. Students will take an in-depth look at the seasons and different types of communities; followed with a sharing forum to compare the differences and similarities between the natural communities found in Sand County with ours.

Biodiversity
Did you know that there are insects that masquerade as plant parts, birds that map their migration by the stars, and fungi that find their way into your favorite foods? In Illinois alone, there are 54,000 different species of organisms. Students will increase their vocabulary, define biodiversity, and discuss facts and issues related to Illinois biodiversity. They will also discover how conserving our planet's biological wealth now helps insure a healthy future.

Lewis and Clark
Let your students travel back in time with the Corps of Discovery. The Lewis and Clark Expedition documented over 300 species of plants and animals new to western science and mapped new territories. Students will learn about journaling, specimen collections, orienteering and teamwork as they role-play the explorers of the Expedition.

Tall Grass and Hill Prairies
Explore the fascinating ecosystem that once covered 60% of Illinois. Students can explore how Illinois was named the Prairie State through history and social sciences. Students will learn how the plants and animals of the prairie adapted to survive in the hot, dry midwestern summers. The concepts of food chain, community, habitat and adaptation will also be examined.

Ecology Field Methods
Enrich your science learning with field research activities adaptable to many schoolyards. The activities are fun, challenging, and designed to sharpen your students' understanding of the world around them. Investigate and collect data in studies of populations and communities, spatial patterns, mimicry, etc. Students can practice mathematical skills such as measurement of tree height, population extrapolations, percent compositions, etc. Chemistry activities such