ELC Field Trips - OC, 2023-2024

Field Trips at the Environmental Learning Center

The Environmental Learning Center offers three field trips that provide interactive, hands-on learning at the ELC’s wetland and forest ecosystems. Field trips are two hours long.

• Grades: K-1~ LET’S GET DUCKY: Discovering Wetland Wildlife
• Grades: 2-3 ~ WELCOME HOME: Exploring Wetland and Forest Habitats
• Grades: 4-5 ~ HEALTHY WATERSHEDS: How Do We Get There?

Oregon City Public Works Sponsorship

These programs are available to all, but thanks to support from Oregon City Public Works, we are able to offer a limited number of free Watershed Health Field Trips to the following schools: Beavercreek Elementary; Redland Elementary; Alliance Charter Academy; and Springwater Environmental Sciences School.

Update, October 2023: All of the sponsored (free) field trips have been scheduled. If you would like to schedule a field trip to the ELC, please see here for pricing and registration.

LET’S GET DUCKY: Discovering Wetland Wildlife

Grades: K-1

Wetlands make up only about 5% of the earth’s surface, yet they are crucial habitat for a wide array of plants and animals. During their visit, students will learn about several species of wildlife that live in and around our wetland.

Field trip activities include:

• Solving wildlife mysteries
• Playing wildlife games
• Observing the wetland

NGSS Alignment: K.LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes (K.LS1.1); K.ESS2 Earth’s Systems (K.ESS2.2); K.ESS3 Earth and Human Activity (K.ESS3.1); K.PS3 Energy (K.PS3.1); and 1.LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes (1.LS1.1).

WELCOME HOME: Exploring Wetland and Forest Habitats

Grades: 2-3

Wetlands and forests are important habitats to a diversity of plants and animals. This field excursion will give your students a better understanding of how these habitats provide clean water, food, shelter, and space.

Field trip activities include:

• Discovering macroinvertebrates in the wetland
• Exploring the wetland and forest for suitable wildlife habitat
• Building wildlife shelters
• Observing the wetland

NGSS Alignment: 2.LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics (2.LS2.1); 2.LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity (2.LS4.1); 2.ETS1 Engineering Design (2.ETS1.2); 3.ESS3 Earth and Human Activity (3.ESS3.1); 3.LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes (3.LS1.1); 3.LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics (3.LS2.1); and 3.LS4 Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity (3.LS4.2, 3.LS4.3, 3-LS4.4).

HEALTHY WATERSHEDS: How Do We Get There?

Grades: 4-5

We all live in a watershed, but what does that really mean? In this field trip, a variety of activities will engage students in learning about the inter-connections that exist within a watershed, including how our actions can impact the water quality, the people, and the wildlife within it.

Field trip activities include:

• Measuring the quality of water in our wetland, including sampling for macroinvertebrates
• Experimenting with the role that soil plays in filtering pollutants from the water
• Observing the wetland

NGSS Alignment: 4.ESS2 Earth’s Systems (4.ESS2.2); 4.ESS3 Earth and Human Activity (4.ESS3.2); 4.LS1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes (4.LS1.1, 4.LS1.2); 5.ESS3 Earth and Human Activity (5.ESS3.1); and 5.LS2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics (5.LS2.1).

First-grade students learning about dragonflies in the Let's Get Ducky field trip.

In the Welcome Home and Healthy Watershed field trips, students dip for macroinvertebrates in Newell Creek at the ELC.

Students build mini wildlife shelters in the Welcome Home field trip.

In the Healthy Watershed field trip, fifth grade students experiment with different soils to determine which soils best filter out pollutants.

Thank you Oregon City Public Works for supporting school field trips at the ELC!

Field Trip Pricing

Free Field Trips for Supported Schools

These programs are available to all, but thanks to support from Oregon City Public Works, we are able to offer a limited number of free Watershed Health Field Trips to the following schools: Beavercreek Elementary; Redland Elementary; Alliance Charter Academy; and Springwater Environmental Sciences School.

Fee-based Field Trips

If your school is not on the Supported Schools list, or if all of the free field trips have been taken, please visit ELC Field Trips sign up for a paid field trip, or request a scholarship.

ELC field trip pricing is as follows:

• $200 for up to 15 students
• $325 for 16-30 students

School staff and chaperones are free.

Scholarships

The ELC has a limited number of scholarships for Title 1 schools that do not qualify for free field trips (not on the Supported Schools list) and that need financial assistance to participate. If you would like to request a scholarship, please email Sarah Bidwell, ELC Kids' Education Coordinator, sarah.bidwell@clackamas.edu.

Schedule a Field Trip

Available Dates

• Fall 2023: September 11 - November 17, 2023
• Spring 2024: April 1 - June 14, 2024.

Time

Field trips are two hours long and typically run 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Group Size

• We can host up to 60 students for the same field trip (i.e. two first grade classes participating in the Let's Get Ducky field trip).
• If you would like to schedule multiple classes for a field trip, please indicate on the registration form how many classes, in addition to yours, you would like to schedule. We will email you to confirm dates.

Break and Lunch

• We offer a break during the field trip when students can use the restrooms and have a snack. Please have the chaperones carry the snack for their group.
• You may stay for lunch. During the field trip, we can store the lunches inside one of our classrooms. After the field trip, students can eat their lunches in the outdoor amphitheater, nearby grassy area, or on the deck of the classroom.

Chaperones

We ask that you provide chaperones to help with class management at a ratio of 1 chaperone per 8 children. Chaperones are expected to participate, assist with student behavior, and help keep them safe.

Weather

Field trips are held entirely outside and happen rain or shine. However, if the weather is extreme, we will contact you to reschedule.

Questions

For more information, contact Sarah Bidwell, ELC Kids' Education Coordinator, sarah.bidwell@clackamas.edu.

What Teachers Are Saying About Fields Trips at the ELC.....

"Amazing! SO organized, age appropriate and engaging! You ALL did a wonderful job – my class had so much fun. All of the stations were fun and kids were able to connect what they learned in the classroom to the real world. Thank you!"

"What a beautiful learning space. The activities were engaging, fun, and simple, but there was so much depth to them. Jill and Dakota were friendly, knowledgeable, and patient. I wish we could come back every day. I look forward to coming back again."

"Field trip was amazing. Very interactive and age appropriate."

"This field trip was so amazing. Great educational experience and appropriate for our grade level. Instructors were knowledgeable and kind. Thank you for an amazing visit!"

The wetland and forest at the Environmental Learning Center.