Sarasota Bay PIER
Field Trips
Protection Involvement Education & Restoration Supports field trips
within the Sarasota Bay watershed
Emerson Point
Durante Park
Ken Thompson Park
Oscar Scherer State Park
Red Bug Slough
Southwest Florida Water Management District
supports field trips at any of our sites in
Manatee & Sarasota counties
Pinellas County Environmental Foundation supports trips
through the
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
at all sites in the Tampa Bay watershed
We offer guided nature
walks, group tours and educational field trips to discover the rich natural
and cultural heritage of Manatee County on Southern Tampa Bay and Northern
Sarasota Bay. Many parks we visit have
no ranger services.
We tell the Florida story...
Sarasota Bay PIER
Field Trips
Protection Involvement Education & Restoration Supports field trips
within the Sarasota Bay watershed
Emerson Point
Durante Park
Ken Thompson Park
Oscar Scherer State Park
Red Bug Slough
Southwest Florida Water Management District
supports field trips at any of our sites in
Manatee & Sarasota counties
Pinellas County Environmental Foundation supports trips
through the
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
at all sites in the Tampa Bay watershed
Student Field Trips!
Thank you to our Funders -
please note sidebar
Click here for Homeschool Schedule
Discover
Florida Science & Heritage
We facilitate the
learning!
You can
relax and allow our
Nature Guides to lead your class
on an outdoor learning adventure!
Many of our
field trips are FREE to schools,
complete with a bus reimbursement stipend,
thanks to sponsorship from
several environmental conservation organizations.
Organized by location:
Emerson Point Preserve, Palmetto
Curriculum choices include:
Nature Walk (All ages) walk through the woods
and witness ancient artifacts and tools. Temple Mound this place of chiefs was
used as a homesite by early settlers.
Eating History (All
ages) a creation myth relating how the Indians got their oysters, then
taste smoked mullet and learn about other Native American foods
Native Technology (All ages) discover hands-on the
tools that the Indians used and relate to the group how they may have
been used. The guides will then reveal the actual use.
History Quest
(5th-8th) role-play a day in the life of a Native
American child - 1000 years ago.
Florida Timeline (5th-8th) through the use of a rope timeline
we’ll discover
the scope of ancient Florida.
Focus on Fiddler Crabs (K-2nd) handle, observe
and
catch fiddler crabs. Hear the story
“Why the Crab Has No Head” an African tale.
Spud-Busting! (4th-8th) learn native vs. exotic plants while
removing Air
Potato plants.
Check it out at this website:
Palma
Sola Trip
Nature Search (4th-8th) walk and record observations
along the Restoration
Trail.
Dip Netting:
(4th-8th) take nets into the grassflats of the estuary ecosystem and
discover the diversity of life found here.
Rye Preserve, East Manatee
Oscar Scherer State Park, Osprey
Curriculum choices include:
Scrub
Study at Rye Preserve
or Oscar
Scherer State Park
Scrub
Restoration Monitoring: In
3x3' transects classes will monitor plant growth, and calculate the diversity
index. Old growth was cut in Oct. 2004, burn is scheduled in late summer 2004.
Scrub
Jay Game: Students become scrub jays and compete with man for their
living space, see the effects of dwindling food supplies on family groups, and
deal with other man-made obstacles.
Rye Wilderness History/Nature Walk: On this walk, students will witness
firsthand the restoration of the scrub habitat and see the Rye Cemetery, all
that remains of the thriving settlement of the 1850’s.
Oscar Scherer Scrub Jay Walk: We
almost always interact with scrub jays as we discover the biological
diversity of the scrubby flatwoods.
Durante Park,
Longboat Key
Also at Emerson Point, Leffis Key, Ken Thompson Park
Curriculum choices include:
Estuary
Study at Joan M. Durante Park
or South Lido Key
Nature Walk (All ages) through a created lagoon
system and forested mangrove wetlands.
Focus on Fiddler Crabs (K-2nd) handle, observe
and
catch fiddler crabs. Hear the story
“Why the Crab Has No Head” an African tale.
Field,Forest,Lagoon (3rd-8th) observe and record habitat
changes including temperature and soil moisture. Includes 3 activities:
Water Wonders (3rd-8th) become a water drop and
follow the water cycle.
Pass the Jug (3rd-8th) local history blends with
modern water conservation.
Osprey Game (3rd-8th) students become ospreys and
discover the impacts of human activities.
Dip Netting: (4th-8th) take nets
into the grassflats of the estuary ecosystem and discover the diversity of
life found here.
Also at Emerson Point, Leffis Key, Ken Thompson Park
DeSoto National
Memorial, Bradenton
Curriculum choices include:
First Encounters (4th-12th) role play the
interaction of the DeSoto expedition with native peoples of the SE
United States
Camp Uzita (all ages) (Dec - April) interact
with the seasonal National Park Rangers in costume
Nature Trail (all ages)
discover the history as you walk through the boardwalks of this
mangrove forest
Go
Wild!
...and Learn the Florida Story
9:30am - Noon
Cost: $120/guide (up to 15 students)
Chaperones free!
Grants Available
thanks to our funders on sidebar
Most
trips offered FREE to schools!
Also, see our Homeschool Page
Dipnet Adventures
Ages 8 and up
can participate in a
"critter catching expedition" in one of Manatee or Sarasota County's
many waterways
including the Manatee River & Sarasota Bay.
We take dip nets into the grass flats to discover the many animals that start
their life cycle in the estuary, nursery of the sea. Emerson Point, Durante,
Ken Thompson Park
(941) 794-8773 or karen@aroundbend.com
If
you are homeschooling see our
Homeschool
schedule
FREE
Field Trip Opportunities
Directions
