Environmental Education Field Trips
Lacawac Sanctuary Biological Field Station and Environmental Education Center is a 500 acre living laboratory and biological field station ideal for experiential learning for all ages. It is located on the southern tip of Lake Wallenpaupack, just 30 minutes from Honesdale, Hawley, and Scranton. The sanctuary encompasses glacial Lake Lacawac, a National Natural Landmark, and its watershed. A variety of ecosystems and trails provide ideal opportunities for deep and meaningful learning.
Field trips are available to public and private schools, scouts, day care centers, home school groups, and afterschool programs. Trained environmental educators lead each class/group on trails through diverse habitats as students participate in hands-on, minds-on activities. Each program connects the ecological research conducted at the field station with age appropriate activities. All environmental education field trip programs are aligned to Pennsylvania Department of Education Science Curriculum Framework with a focus on STEAM content.
Field trips are available to public and private schools, scouts, day care centers, home school groups, and afterschool programs. Trained environmental educators lead each class/group on trails through diverse habitats as students participate in hands-on, minds-on activities. Each program connects the ecological research conducted at the field station with age appropriate activities. All environmental education field trip programs are aligned to Pennsylvania Department of Education Science Curriculum Framework with a focus on STEAM content.
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Program Details
Programs are 2 -4 hours Program times can be adjusted to meet the needs of the school schedule Programs available for grades PreK – 12 Add a STEAM one hour art component to any program No charge for teachers and chaperones Facilities Picnic area available for bagged lunches Indoor facilities for inclement weather Environmental Education Center with hands-on interpretive displays Restrooms Program Fees $5/student ($75 minimum) – 2 hour program $6/student ($100 minimum) - 3 hour program $7/student ($150 minimum) – 4 hour program $3/student ($50 minimum) – 1 hour add-on art program $100/class – 1 hour pre-field trip classroom program Watershed Connections $100 per classroom (includes a hands-on classroom program and a field trip). Program has been offset by the generosity of the Chesapeake Bay Trust and NOAA.
For more information and to schedule a field trip contact:
Phone: 570–689–9494 Email: jamie.reeger@lacawac.org |
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Sense of Wonder
Grade: PreK – K Duration: 2 hours Young adventurers will use their senses to explore Lacawac’s living classroom. Activities such as looking for shapes and colors, listening to forest sounds, and using their hands to find textures will foster an appreciation and curiosity for the natural world. Earth Cycles Grade: K-1 Duration: 2 - 3 hours Observe the fascinating changes in nature on an exciting forest exploration. Seasons, weather, even animals and plants change as they grow. Search for nymphs, larva, seedlings, and more while identifying life stages. Using insect and amphibian models students will reconstruct the steps from egg to adult. Amazing Adaptations Grade: 1-2 Duration: 2 - 3 hours Discover tricks animals use to survive. Experiential activities support the discovery of living and nonliving things by exploring structure and movement. Play an interactive predator/prey game to understand the importance of camouflage in a forest habitat. Nature Detectives Grade: 2-3 Duration: 2 - 3 hours Look for clues to discover the telltale signs left by animals. Critical thinking and problem solving are key components to this fun and interactive excursion. Collect and classify plants and animals based on characteristics. Learn about biodiversity and habitat needs through inquiry and exploration. 
We offer special needs field trips!
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Watershed Connections
Grades: 3 – 5 Classroom visit Duration: 1 hour A Lacawac educator will provide an experiential introduction to watersheds during this informative program. Students will use topographic maps to learn how to map their school watershed and know their watershed address. Students create variable surface cover models to measure and record runoff versus infiltration to understand storm water management and groundwater dynamics. This activity helps students master the science of how water cycles through the environment and the importance of water as a natural resource. Field trip Duration: 2 - 3 hours (can be done as a stand-alone field trip) Using dip nets, students will collect, identify, and record aquatic macroinvertebrates to determine water quality in a lentic ecosystem at Lacawac. An interactive walk will give students an opportunity to test and compare the parameters of watersheds and discover how land use affects runoff, infiltration, and water quality. Students map the watershed at Lacawac using topographic maps. Data collected during the trip will be used to make conclusions about the role humans play in maintaining a healthy water supply. Forest Ecology Grades: 5 - 7 Duration: 2 - 3 hours Collect and analyze data at a forest restoration site to determine the rate of understory regeneration based on growth parameters. Compare plant diversity in and out of a deer exclosure to determine the impact of deer populations. Measure soil depth and type to discover the nutrient layers of a forest. Check amphibian glow stick “traps” to determine population and diversity as it relates to forest health. Hands-on History and Geology at Lacawac Grades: 6 – 8 Duration: 2 – 3 hours Historical and cultural perspectives of Lacawac’s past are unearthed during this trip back in time. An interpretive hike will take students through geologic time beginning with the last ice age at a glacial lake, through human settlement by the Lenape, to the Industrial Revolution and the historic “Great Camp”, ending with its current use as a biological field station and sanctuary. An interactive tour through the historic buildings to inspect the unique architecture will give students insight into the lifestyles of wealthy industrialists during the early 1900’s. During the second half of this excursion students will dig into geology and why this unique ecosystem is significant to many species of flora and fauna and scientifically relevant to humanity. Advanced Water Ecology Grades: 9 – 12 Duration: 3 - 4 hours Students will participate in current, authentic research by utilizing scientific equipment to collect aquatic samples and input the results into global databases. Lacawac’s Director of Science and Research, who collaborates with international scientists studying lakes, will assist students in data analysis. Students perform a comparative analysis of the biological and physical properties of Lake Lacawac and Heron Pond. Importance of STEM degrees and careers are emphasized in this intensive water ecology study. Advanced Water Ecology – Making Connections through Inquiry Grades: 9 – 12 Duration: 1 to 2 one hour classroom visit(s) and a four hour field trip Cost: $225/class Water samples from two sources are brought to the classroom for students to investigate chemical and sensor parameters, as well as biological parameters such as macroinvertebrates and plankton. All background information and equipment are supplied. During a second classroom visit students are guided through the inquiry process to develop a question and design a field investigation. At Lacawac, student teams perform their investigation, analyze the collected date, and share their findings to generate curiosity and civic action regarding the quality of their local watershed. Lacawac’s Director of Science and Research, Dr. Beth Norman, a freshwater ecologist with 15 years’ experience studying lakes and streams and international collaboration will assist students in data analysis. |
Funding and support for Lacawac's Outreach Programs and Field Trips are provided by EITC Funding and Foundations like:
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