Environmental Education Field Trips
Lacawac is a 500 acre living classroom with one mile of undeveloped shoreline along Lake Wallenpaupack. The sanctuary encompasses glacial Lake Lacawac, a National Natural Landmark, and its watershed. A variety of ecosystems and trails provide the ideal opportunity for deep and meaningful learning. The Carriage House and Coulter Visitor Center provide accommodations in inclement weather.
Lacawac provides hands-on, minds-on experiential environmental education field trips for public and private schools and groups! All environmental education field trip programs are aligned to Pennsylvania Academic Environment & Ecology Standards with a focus on STEAM content.
Lacawac provides hands-on, minds-on experiential environmental education field trips for public and private schools and groups! All environmental education field trip programs are aligned to Pennsylvania Academic Environment & Ecology Standards 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. A one hour art component can be added to any program. (done after a lunch break) No charge for teachers and chaperones. Program Fees $6/student ($75 minimum) – 2 hour program $7.5/student ($100 minimum) - 3 hour program $9/student ($150 minimum) – 4 hour program $3/student ($50 minimum) – 1 hour add-on art program $50/class – 1 hour pre-field trip program Wayne County, PA Schools (Supported through the generosity of the John & Helen Villaume Foundation) $75 per class - 2 hour program $100 per class - 3 hour program $150 per class – 4 hour program Watershed Connections (Supported through the generosity of corporations and foundations) $100 per classroom (includes a hands-on classroom program and a three hour field trip) 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 – Classroom visit
Grades: 3 - 5 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 infiltration. This activity helps students master the science of how water moves into the ground, becoming a helpful resource instead of becoming a flood. Watershed Connections – Field trip Grades: 3 – 5 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 – 9 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: 7 – 12 Duration: 2 - one hour classroom visits, 1 - four hour field trip 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 create a format for conducting a field investigation. At Lacawac, student teams perform an investigation and analyze and share their findings to generate curiosity and civic action regarding the quality of their local watershed. |
