We know you have field trip questions, and we have answers!
General Field Trip FAQs
Baltimore Woods Nature Center is a premier environmental education center that engages students through science based learning with a focus on hands-on exploration of the natural world right here in Central New York. Our dedicated team of experienced environmental educators we will provide a fun and engaging on-site or virtual program for your students that supports the NYS standards and helps them connect to the world around them in new ways.
Our goal with providing multiple field trip formats, whether they be in person with us or virtually, is to give students a sense of normalcy and the fun experience of getting outside with our naturalists! Our virtual programs are designed to make students feel like they are right here with us, with our education team hiking the trails and getting up close views of animals and plants along the way! If you can’t bring your class to the preserve, we are standing by to bring the preserve to you!
Our organization has developed nature education programs to align with the most current NYS learning standards. Whether talking about the life cycle of frogs and toads, pond ecology, or photosynthesis, educators at The Woods provide opportunities for students to have direct experiences with the living environment while introducing complex scientific concepts with interactive inquiry-based curriculum.
Our environmental education team will be leading the field trips. All of our educators are CPR/First Aid certified, have undergone training and have experience working with students in an outdoor setting.
On-site and virtual field-trips with Baltimore Woods Nature Center start at $100 for an hour long program. Costs vary based on the number of participants and/or number of classes.
If you are interested in exploring the possibility for a field trip but have concerns about funding or costs, please reach out for a discussion. We understand that all of our budgets are different then they have ever been before, so don’t hesitate to email us to discuss alternative funding options to work together in 2021. We want to support you in your science curriculum and help students be inspired by the outdoor world in a time that this is more important than ever!
In-Person Field Trips
Generally 1 hour per program. (Maximum 2 programs for 2 hours per day)
10-15 students per Baltimore Woods educator
We are limiting group sizes to about 10 students but can have multiple groups from the same school on site at the same time and can do a morning and afternoon session. We are happy to talk through ways to accommodate your group in the safest way possible for both your students and our staff.
We have outdoor restrooms available for use at each of our parking lot locations.
Yes, we ask that any space you use whether it is our picnic tables or pavilion area, that everyone is checking before you leave to make sure any trash is picked up. We are a carry in carry out facility and do not have garbage disposal available. During any on-site meals, Baltimore Woods staff will not be present and the field trip leaders will be responsible for safety protocols.
We allow 2 chaperones per group, counting the teacher. There is no additional cost for these chaperones. Parents are welcome to stay on site during the duration of the field trip and are encouraged to go for a hike or stay in the pavilion area.
Yes, we can accommodate any student’s mobility needs but need to know this information beforehand for planning purposes.
The safety of our program participants and staff is of utmost importance. For on-site programs, we require all participants to wear masks when we cannot maintain physical distance of 6 feet apart. The program will be held completely outdoors and Baltimore Woods staff will provide hand sanitizer and disinfecting equipment for handling any materials that are part of your field trip. If any program participants should need a replacement mask on-site, we will provide these for you.
Our staff undergo a health screening and temperature check every morning and will wear their mask at all times. Each program has specific safety protocols based on materials and with a focus on safety of the students.
In planning your visit, we will discuss your health screening protocols to determine if we will need to do any screening when you arrive on-site. For most school programs, the COVID-19 screening you conduct in the morning of the program off site will suffice. Please reach out if you have any questions concerning these policies.
Live Virtual Field Trips
Programs are generally one hour in length, including 30-45 minutes of programming with time at the end for students to ask questions. If a one-hour live-streamed field trip doesn’t work with your schedule, we can develop a program that works for you that is 30-40 minutes in total length and even provide you with some materials to use in-person in your classroom and have us join you virtually.
We can use the platform your class is most familiar with. We have experience using Zoom and Microsoft TEAMS for our virtual programs.
Yes! We have hosted several live virtual education programs with multiple attendees, including both a group of students together in a classroom and groups of participants each logging in from their own device.
We will set up a virtual meeting with our Education Manager in advance with the teacher to test the technology and make a plan for how to best engage with students. You can prepare your students by making sure they know the expectations beforehand such as to stay muted (if tuning in remotely) and raising their hand if they have a question. The teacher will help with classroom management so that the program runs smoothly.
We are here to be your resource for natural-based science learning and can offer additional activities including short naturalist-led videos, activity sheets, and interaction with our staff. Some programs have the option for materials or activity kits that can be delivered to the classroom for an additional fee.
Nature Studies
The video length ranges from 25-45 minutes. Students will have 15-30 minutes to talk with educators during the post live session. Total length of education time is generally one hour with the video and live session.
Each created by a Baltimore Woods Nature Center Environmental Educator, these videos were created with the specific goal of bringing engaging and up-close experiences to you, even if you can’t join us in person. These videos feature the Baltimore Woods preserve or surrounding areas. Videos are hosted via Vimeo, which will allow you to share with multiple students who may be learning at-home virtually, or to stream in your classroom.
We will provide a pre activity that students can do either all together or can be uploaded separately in seesaw.
Videos are hosted on the Vimeo platform. You will be provided with a direct link to your email which will allow for unlimited viewing during the program period. You can stream the program to your full class, or provide the link to students in your class to stream independently at home.
Signing up for a live session with the educators is recommended for the students to get the full experience and to have the chance to interact with an expert.