Current Nature School Programs
| Class | Grade Range |
|---|---|
| Insect Adventures | Grades K-5 |
| River Watch | Grades K-5 |
| Basic Orienteering | Grades K-5 |
| Critter Crawl | Grades K-5 |
| Eno Plant Walk | Grades K-5 |
Request a program for your class online.
Our Nature School program is renowned in the community for its ability to touch the lives of children and inspire them to learn. It is a day-long field trip experience that allows elementary age students to develop their sense of wonder through active learning in the outdoors. The Nature School experience includes music, folklore, and adventures in science and history. Since its inception in 1996, Nature School has reached over twenty five thousand elementary students from schools across the Piedmont area and has received financial support from a number of sponsors, including the City of Durham, and many local corporations and individuals.
Here is what some teachers have said about our programs:
“We really enjoyed having a field trip that took place entirely outside and the opportunity to teach the children to take time to observe their natural surroundings.”
“I am always amazed at the abilitiy of the presenters to captivate my usually restless second graders’ attention!”
“The content of the program matches perfectly with our curriculum”
“I loved the incorporation of games and ceremonies to teach - again, perfect.”
Scheduling and Pricing
The Nature School day typically runs from 9:30am-1:30pm and includes a morning class from 9:30 to 11:00 AM, a lunch break and Celebration from 11:00 to noon, and an afternoon class from noon to 1:30 PM. We can adjust start and ending time to accommodate your busing needs.
We can also schedule a short “Primer” visit to your classroom to prepare your students for their day in the park. We’ve tested this optional Primer visit with satisfying results for the students and their connection with our staff and the field trip material. The primer lasts approximately 45 minutes.
Prices: $10/student for a full day field trip. $4/student for an optional primer class.
Discount:
We will discount your cost for a full day program if you are on Durham Public Schools Operational Services List, showing more than 50% of your student population is receiving Free or Reduced Cafeteria Service. The cost for Durham Schools in this category will be $6/student for a full day program and $2/student for our optional primer class.
DEPOSIT REQUIRED: We are now asking school groups to secure reserved dates with a modest deposit.
A deposit of $75 must be received at least three weeks prior to the field trip. A date will be considered reserved once the deposit is received. The remainder of the field trip fee is due prior to the start of the field trip activities.
If a field trip is cancelled less than 2 weeks before the scheduled date, the deposit is forfeited. Schoolhouse of Wonder field trips are designed to run under many weather conditions. If a field trip is canceled due to heat, cold or ozone, the deposit will be forfeited. If there is a serious weather condition which would make it unsafe to have students in the park (Extreme Heat or Cold, Rain Storm, Thunder Storms, Tornado, Hurricane), Schoolhouse of Wonder will cancel the field trip. If a field trip is cancelled for safety reasons, Schoolhouse of Wonder will work with the teachers to reschedule and the deposit with be applied to the new field trip date. If a new date cannot be accommodated, the deposit will be refunded.
We hope to reserve your first choice date, and encourage you to submit your deposit as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing you and your students.
