Seven Trip Themes
Sheldrake Environmental Center Trip Themes
1. Habitats - (Sheldrake Environmental Center or Sheldrake River Trail)
Discover what animals need to survive, what they eat, where they live, their interrelationships, adaptations and life cycles. Children will use their senses to explore the habitats and ecosystems of field and forest and will learn what makes each of these unique.
2. Woodland Ecology - (Sheldrake Environmental Center or Sheldrake River Trail)
Develop observation and interpretation skills, search for animal homes in different levels of the forest, explore the leaf litter, look under rotting logs, find animals in their special habitats, discover how soil is made and look for the decomposers and nutrient recyclers of the forest floor.
3. Seasonal Changes - (Sheldrake Environmental Center or Sheldrake River Trail)
Explore the "happenings" in our ever-changing local ecosystems, become nature detectives, find out how plants and animals adapt in order to survive seasonal changes, observe life cycles of plants and animals and discover interrelationships. Your sense of smell, sight, hearing and touch will sharpen as we go.
4. Long Island Sound Shoreline Exploration - (Dog Beach)
Observe marine life, learn the origins of Long Island Sound, measure the tide, discover the relationships and adaptations of plants and animals in the harsh and ever-changing environment of the inter-tidal zones.
5. Freshwater Ecology - (Sheldrake's Goodliffe Pond)
Join us on an adventure to explore a pond, observe and investigate plant and animal life cycles, discover the food chains and webs of aquatic ecosystems, compare different pond creatures and how they move, eat and breathe. This interactive program will introduce students to the amazing adaptations that enable plants and animals to survive in their watery habitat.
6. Freshwater Ecology Plus - (Sheldrake's Goodliffe Pond and On-site Laboratory Classroom at Sheldrake Environmental Center)
This 1.5 hour program augments our ponding field trips and is being offered as a natural complement to Microworld, the fifth grade microscope study unit, or to anyone wanting to take a closer look at their natural treasures through microscopes. Students will bring living samples of freshwater life encountered in their explorations of the pond to the Sheldrake laboratory where our educators will guide them in their use of microscope observations, recording their observations and making detailed sketches.
7. How the Winter Season Influences Life in the Natural World
The weather gets colder, days get shorter, and leaves fall off the trees. We live in warm houses, wear heavy jackets and boots and buy our food at the store. But what do the animals do to find food and stay warm? Find out how plants and animals spend the winter. Do they hibernate, migrate, or adapt? Learn about their survival strategies and the marvels of their adaptability to the stresses of winter. Search for clues.Who's awake and who's asleep? Some animals stay active in winter. How do they adapt? Find winter birds, insects, egg cases, even butterflies. Look for signs of rabbits, deer, mice, chipmunks and squirrels. Observe their tracks in snow or mud. Find their winter homes.
Program Fee
School programs are offered throughout the school year, are one to one and one-half hours in length, Monday through Friday, with classes beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The fee for our programs is $175 for field trip and pre-trip visit. Mamaroneck School rates apply as per contract. All others, pease inquire about volume discounts.
For more information and to book your date, click here.
