Education

Field trips are informal programs filled with your choice of activities based on your group’s age and abilities. Create your own field trip by mixing and matching activities from the many options listed below. *Summer field trips will be limited to half-day programs only.

• Bald Eagle Ecology (Grades 3 – Adult): Learn more about the history and life cycle of bald eagles. This lecture style presentation also covers the how humans have played a role in both their population decline as well as their comeback.
• Biomimicry (Grades 1-3): Nature has long been a source of inspiration for humans. Learn about some of the human inventions that have resulted from mimicking, or copying nature. Participants will also get a chance to let nature inspire their own inventions or innovations.
• Bug Hunt (Grades Pre-K – 3): Explore in the woods looking for insects, spiders and other creepy crawlies and play Bug Bingo based on your finds. Emphasis can be placed on the differences between spiders and insects, decomposers, or good bugs and bad bugs.
• Colorful Confusion (Grades 2-5): Learn about different types of animal colorations with games and examples. Discussion on colorations such as camouflage, warning, advertising, and counter shading.
• Crayfish & Critter Hunt (Grades K – Adult): Walk in the water of the Konkapot Creek looking for crayfish and other macro invertebrates in addition to fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
• Every Drop Counts (Grades 1-5): Learn the importance of having clean water to drink, how we get water, and ways to conserve water. Take part in a relay race to practice carrying a bucket of water through obstacles.
• Fire Building (Grades 3 – Adult): Learn about the fire triangle and how to safely build a fire for survival or recreation. Participants will be able to build small fires in a controlled manner using a variety of materials.
• Geocaching (Grades 4 – Adult): Participants will learn the basics of how GPS works and how to use a GPS receiver. An introduction to the sport of geocaching will be introduced and they will have the opportunity to practice finding temporary caches as well as a real geocache.
• Goats Tackle Invasive Species (Grades 5 – Adult): 1000 Islands has been utilizing goats as a minimal impact method of managing invasive and other unwanted plants. Participants will learn about the background of this project and the impacts that have resulted.
• Nature Games (Grades K-5): Play age appropriate nature games outside including many different predator/prey style games.
• Nature Hike (Grades K – Adult): Hike along the Fox River or in the Upper Woods to explore the natural habitat. Emphasis can be placed on just about any natural topic from seasonal occurrences to look for plants, animals and other organisms that live in the area.
• Orienteering (Grades 3 – Adult): Participants will learn the basic parts and procedure for using a compass and learn about pacing to estimate distance. They will have the opportunity to use these new skills by following an orienteering course.
• Outdoor Scavenger Hunt (Grades K – Adult): Participants search for a list of items outside in nature. Most often seasonally focused, this can be done around the 1000 Islands building or while on the hiking trails.
• Peregrine Falcons (Grades 4 – Adult): Participants will learn more about their life cycle, history and how humans have found a great relationship with these fast flying raptors.
• Reduce Your Environmental Impact (Grades 5 – Adult): Participants will gain knowledge in how every day actions impact the environment and learn about how you can reduce that impact within your work, school or home setting.
• Shelter Building (Grades 1 – Adult): Participants will learn about the basics of building a survival shelter and get an opportunity to build their own out in the woods.
• Skull Duggery (Grades 3 – Adult): Participants will learn how to use a dichotomous key in order to identify several different types of mammal skulls. Identification will be aided through the use of measurements and dental formulas, the numbers of different tooth types.
• The Very Best Bed (Grades Pre-K – 2): Based on a storybook entitled, “The Very Best Bed,” students explore various animal homes through a story-time, a hands-on indoor exploration of the animals, and an outdoor search to find evidence of animal beds throughout the conservancy.
• What Am I? (Grades Pre-K – 3): Students will learn about the different animal groups and some of the unique characteristics and adaptations of each group. Several animal examples will be available to see and/or touch.
• Who Eats What? (Grades Pre-K – 2): Students explore animal eating habits and what an herbivore, omnivore, and carnivore is through the exploration of animal skulls, furs, and puppets.
• Who Gives a Hoot (Grades 2 – Adult): Students will learn about several different adaptations that owls have in order to be efficient hunters. This is a presentation style program followed by interactive stations that will demonstrate their adaptations such as fringed wings and binocular vision.
• Where Do They Go in Winter? (Grades Pre-K – 2): Students actively explore how animals spend their winters by learning about hibernation, migration, dormancy, and active animals. Animal tracks, gaits, and furs are introduced through hands-on and large motor activities.
• WI Mammals (Grades Pre-K – 5): Students will learn about several different mammals that call Wisconsin home. After a discussion on the definition of a mammal and the characteristics all mammals share, students will learn more about individual WI mammal species as well as get to see and touch several pelts.

• How to Dress: DRESS FOR THE WEATHER OF THE DAY Remember you will be spending large amounts of time outside. Dress in layers so you can adjust to the changing temperatures during the day. Wear old clothes and shoes so that you won’t have to worry about getting dirty! For safe walking on the trails, wear closed shoes and socks. Do not wear sandals or slip on shoes.
• What to Expect: Expect the unexpected! Mother Nature can sometimes force changes to the best-laid plans. Scheduled times, locations or activities may change due to rain, bugs, heat/cold or many other reasons! Plan to be flexible in case unplanned situations arise. Please refer to the behavior matrix for behavioral expectations.
• What May I Bring?: (Check with your teacher and parent first!) A spare change of clothes, a towel and plastic bag (for wet clothes) for groups going into the creek. Even if you don’t plan on getting wet! Water shoes are great for walking in the creek. If you don’t have any, old tennis will do just fine. No flip flops! Bring rainwear if rain is in the forecast. If you do not have a raincoat, bring a couple of large black trash bags. No umbrellas please. A bottle for water is recommended-especially on hot days. There will be opportunities to refill them during the day. We no longer have a drinking fountain in the nature center, but a water bottle filling station is available. Pack a good, nutritious lunch. We will be very active all day so you will need to refuel at lunch with healthy food. Avoid excessive junk food. A small amount of money is allowed if you have permission to make a purchase at our gift shop.
• Please Do Not Bring: Electronic devices including cell phones. Although it is allowed for teachers and chaperones to carry a cell phone on the field trip, as a courtesy, no cell phone use during the field trip unless an emergency warrants it.