Introduction  Activities are staged at ESA’s Clifton Farm Field Station.  The field station covers 452 acres of field, forest, and wetland (stream, lake, and mitigated).  Although most field activities are ecological or environmental in emphasis, ESA also welcomes field trips designed for other disciplines.  For example, the field station is an excellent destination to encourage and inspire creative expression for English composition and Art classes.

Facilities  At this time, we do not have classrooms or outdoor shelters, so plans should be made in advance in case of rain.  We have a port-a-potty with hand sanitizer, but no indoor facilities.  Ground tarps are provided for students during activities which require them to sit down.  Teachers are encouraged to schedule a visit before the trip to see the field station staging areas, but this is not required. 

Programs   We work with teachers individually to tailor the field trip experience to their teaching objectives. This allows teachers to clarify and reinforce concepts learned in the classroom with hands-on activities in the field.  In addition, activities are designed so that the information gathered in the field can later be used by students in classroom exercises.  We feel that connecting a positive field experience to the classroom greatly enhances the learning process.

There are three ways to participate in our field trip program:

• ES Planned and Led Lesson ESA has a library of preplanned activities designed for the field station, which are correlated to the appropriate SOLs for public school teachers, and can be adapted and tailored as needed.  ESA staff will supervise and lead the activity, and train docents (and the teacher) to assist (please ask for ESA Field Trip Request)
  
  
• ES as an Outdoor Lab A field trip activity or "outdoor lab" planned by the teacher. The activity plan must be submitted to ESA for approval (please ask for ES Proposal Guidelines), and we recommend a suitable ESA field site.  In most cases, the teacher will lead the activity and ESA staff will supervise and assist as docents.
  
  
• Long term Research Project Partnership  A full-fledged field study designed by ES staff and teacher(s) to be a cooperative and continuing project; data is gathered on a recurring basis to achieve a specific research goal.  Data may be gathered by ESA staff, by students in different classes, by students in the same class on successive trips, or all of the above.  The research should be hypothesis driven, and contribute to a body of knowledge.  A research proposal and detailed plan are essential (please ask for ESA Proposal Guidelines).  At the conclusion of the project, or as ongoing reports, students will present their results in a seminar at Airlie Conference Center, and publish them in an appropriate journal. 

Group Size and Chaperones  Activities are designed for groups of 25-30 students or less with active adult mentoring.  Occasionally larger groups may be accommodated.  Adequate chaperones (typically parents) are essential for good discipline and to make sure students are attentive to the activity at hand.  This is important for a positive learning environment and to protect the field station habitat.  It is also crucial that chaperones follow direction of the docents and do not try to take charge or change the activity.  We found that one chaperone per 5 students is required for grades K-8, and depending upon the activity, at least one chaperone per 10 students is required for grades 9-12.  Please be sure to read the Student Behavior and Chaperone Guidelines, and provide a copy to all participating chaperones.

Dates and Time  Normally we require at least two weeks advance notice.  Field trips can be scheduled Tues-Fri, between 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  We recommend the on-site time be a minimum of 2-3 hours.

Fees  $2.50/student, minimum $30.00/group, made payable to "Environmental Studies - IAPM."  Pre- or post-field trip classroom visits by ESA staff are $25.00 per visit.

For Everyone

K-12 Educators