FIELD TRIPS

The Field Trip Program enhances classroom science learning and fosters a sense of place through a day-long experience in a local natural area where students discover the interconnections between animals, plants, land, water, and humans. 

2nd GRADE FIELD TRIPS

Thorne delivers its 2nd Grade Field Trip Program to Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley School District schools.  BVSD field trips take place at Sombrero Marsh and are carried out in partnership with City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks and SVVSD field trips take place at Sandstone Ranch and are carried out in partnership with City of Longmont Parks, Trails, and Open Space. These Field Trips are FREE to the school, including transportation to and from the field trip site.  Thorne’s 2nd grade field trips are correlated to Colorado State Academic Standards for Science and Social Studies.   During the field trip, the class is broken into smaller groups of 10 to 15 students which rotate amongst various sites to discover through scientific investigations and hands-on explorations what makes good habitat for plants, animals, and humans. Students use their observation skills and field guides to learn about native Colorado flora and fauna and compare and contrast the adaptations of organisms living in wetland and grassland habitats.  By observing the diversity of life, collecting data on abiotic conditions, and examining human impacts to the landscape, students are able to make a hypothesis about the health of the habitat at each site they visit.

For more information, CLICK HERE to read the 2nd Grade Field Trip Program FAQ or contact Thorne’s Field Trip Program Manager Maggie Vest Engelman at maggie@nullthornenature.org or 303.499.3647 x103. 

BVSD teachers can CLICK HERE to complete the 2nd Grade Field Trip Registration Form. 

SVVSD teachers should contact Michael O’Toole at otoole_michael@nullsvvsd.org or 303.682.7232 to register their class for a field trip.

NATURE EXPERIENCE FIELD TRIPS

Thorne delivers its Nature Experience Field Trip Program to school groups and youth serving organizations at Sombrero Marsh in Boulder. Field trips are customizable to fit the unique needs of participants. All field trips involve fun, experiential activities that connect participants to nature and correlate to Colorado State Academic Standards for grades kindergarten through sixth. Examples of activities include collecting organisms in wetland and grassland habitats, observing the life cycles of native Colorado flora and fauna, comparing adaptations of animals, and examining human impacts on the landscape.

For more information, CLICK HERE to read the Nature Experience Field Trip Program FAQ or contact Thorne’s Field Trip Program Manager Maggie Vest Engelman at maggie@nullthornenature.org or 303.499.3647 x103.  To schedule a Nature Experience Field Trip, complete the Nature Experience Field Trip Program registration packet.


Sponsors

LONGMONT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

“My students learned to slow down and see nature more closely than ever before. It was science combined with a true cultivation of the naturalist intelligence. The field trip was smooth and well planned. It gets better every year!”

-BVSD teacher