Helpful Hints For Your Field Trip
HELPFUL HINTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL FIELD TRIP
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Please distribute to all teachers and chaperones
Checklist
§ Name Tags – first names only in fairly large print
§ Groups – assign students to chaperones and pre-divide them into two groups (if 40 or more, please divide into 3 groups)
§ Lunch – Students provide their own lunch. Please encourage your class to be good stewards and participate in our No Trash Lunch Contest
Reminder: We do not have vending machines.
§ Snacks – optional, provided by school; please inform naturalists prior to trip.
§ Payment - $2 per student upon arrival or send check through mail; no fee for chaperones.
Appropriate Dress – Teachers, chaperones, and students should be prepared to spend several hours outside. All programs will be held OUTDOORS, rain or shine! During periods of extreme weather (high winds or lightning) indoor programs will be substituted.
§ Raincoats and hats are necessary if rain is predicted. NO UMBRELLAS PLEASE
§ Dress in layers such as a long sleeved shirt under a sweater, under a jacket. Students are able to learn and enjoy the field trip when everyone is comfortably dressed. Hats, scarves, and gloves are highly recommended between October and March.
§ Old clothes that can get dirty.
§ Sneakers or comfortable hiking boots; rubber boots or waterproof shoes are useful for pond or stream studies and on rainy days.
§ Change of shoes, socks, and clothes may come in handy.
Canoeing:
§ Permission Sheets must be signed by parents before the trip. Bring signed slips on the day of the trip. JBWS will keep the permission slips.
§ Payment—$10.00 total cost of field trip with canoeing. Pay upon arrival or send check through the mail.
§ Prepare students for the possibility of cancellation due to weather conditions. In the case of strong winds (greater than 10 mph) the trip will be cancelled. Land-based activities will be substituted.
§ Pack everything in waterproof bags. (Plastic grocery bags are NOT waterproof.)
To ensure that your field trip is safe and enjoyable:
· Stay with your group.
· Walk quietly. Seeing and hearing wildlife is more likely when noise is kept to a minimum.
· Stay on trails. Traveling off trails increases erosion and can damage fragile wildflowers.
· Taking flowers, nuts, wildlife, etc. off Sanctuary property is not allowed.
· Teachers and chaperones are responsible for children at lunch time and when exploring the Exhibit Room. Please make sure that all students obey the Sanctuary rules.
Adult Chaperones are very important to the success for our programs. Your interest and enthusiasm add tremendously to the experience the children have at the Sanctuary. Here are some basic guidelines:
· Be a role model
· Please be an active participant in the day’s activities. Your involvement illustrates the importance of what we are doing.
· Please do not answer the questions asked to the children by the naturalists (encouragement and hints are okay, though!)
· Help maintain discipline. You can help by keeping attention focused on the activities.
· Refrain from talking with other chaperones during activities.
· The Sanctuary is a smoke-free facility. Smoking is not permitted during the field trip.
Questions about the subject we are discussing are encouraged.
We will be able to hold and touch many of our findings. Holding animals will be at the discretion of the leaders.