FORMAL PROGRAMS AND FIELDTRIP SCHEDULING
EDUCTIONAL OFFERINGS: FIELDTRIP SCHEDULING, STANDARD PROGRAMS, AND REQUESTS
Conservation District staff offer educational opportunities for both formal and informal student groups. When scheduling a fieldtrip at our facilities, there are several things to keep in mind:
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We provide outdoor education! Please come prepared for the weather and trail conditions. We host classes regardless of rain, snow, heat, mud, mosquitoes, or anything else nature wants to throw at us!
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Please bring an appropriate number of chaperones to handle your group size. Most of our classes are led by a single staff member, and that staff member does not know your students the way you do. We want students to have a fun AND educational experience at our facilities, but that can’t happen if students are distracted.
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Fieldtrip scheduling is done on a first-come, first-served basis. Our office is not just an environmental center, and our staff are engaged in many other duties besides student education. To ensure your group can schedule a visit or fieldtrip on the date of your choice, please contact us far enough in advance that we can reserve the facilities for your group on our calendar. (Some of our regular visitors schedule months in advance!)
Please review our Fieldtrip Rules and Guidelines for additional information on what you can expect when visiting the Beaver County Conservation District Environmental Center.
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*To schedule a fieldtrip, please email Lindsey Shepler, Environmental Educator, at lindsey.shepler@bccdpa.us
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ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS LIST
Wetland Habitat is Home (K-3rd Grade):
Introduction to wetlands and the plants and animals that live there. Learn how to identify basic wetland species, what they eat, and what may eat them! Food chains and food webs.
​Wetland Benefits (4th-8th Grade):
Learn about important wetland functions and how they help wildlife, people, and the environment.
Pond or Stream Studies (3rd Grade & Up):
Students collect and learn about aquatic organisms that live in the wetlands and/or Raccoon Creek and discover how they help us study water quality. (NOTE: At least one adult with the group must have a current fishing license with them while doing a stream or pond study.)
What is Habitat? (3rd Grade & Up):
Students learn what is required to create habitat for an animal. Includes a hike through the wetlands to look for various habitat components and study of how size and arrangement of components differ between species.
Plant & Tree Identification (3rd Grade & Up):
Students learn to identify common plants around the wetlands (Environmental Education Center) or common trees along the arboretum trail (Bradys Run Park). Wetland plants identification includes information on how these plants help us determine wetland boundaries.
Stream Flow Calculations (6th Grade & Up):
Students take measurements of a section of stream and then recorder how long it takes a float to pass between two points of the stream in order to calculate the volume of water flowing by them at a given second (cubic feet per second). This program requires students to get wet and also have an understanding of calculating averages and using basic formulas for volume and velocity.
Protecting Our Resources (High School & College):
Students learn about how wetland scientists delineate wetlands, what functions wetlands provide for people and the environment, and how state and federal regulations help to protect wetlands. This program can help students learn more about potential careers in environmental science or engineering fields.
CUSTOMIZED CLASSES
Additional classes can be customized for the requirements of scouts, homeschool groups, 4-H clubs, and various other student organizations (both formal and informal). Please contact our Environmental Educator to discuss curriculum requirements at least one month ahead of time.
DISCLAIMER ABOUT MAPLE SUGARING EDUCATION
Although maple sugaring is a long-standing tradition in Pennsylvania, the Beaver County Conservation District no longer runs the maple camp at Bradys Run Park. At this time, we have discontinued all maple sugaring tours led by our staff and retired the Bradys Run Sugar Bush.