Field Trips at Ogden Nature Center
Give your students the wonderful opportunity to get outside the classroom walls this year and make connections with the natural world. The Ogden Nature Center's 152-acre preserve offers an accessible, diverse landscape where students can explore plants, animals, soil, water, seasons, orienteering and the natural and cultural history of our region.
Our Field Adventure Programs correlate to the Utah State Core Curriculum standards and are taught by professional teacher naturalists educated in conservation biology, botany, ornithology, child development, elementary education and/or natural sciences.
The Dirt and Details:
- Field adventures at Ogden Nature Center are designed for K-6th grade students, and focus on hands-on, outdoor experiences.
- Programs last for two hours and may be scheduled for the mornings or afternoons.
- Cost is $3.00 per student. One adult chaperone/teacher for every 10 students is free of charge. Extra chaperones/adults are $4 each.
- Funding is available for Ogden City and Weber School Districts. Contact us for details.
- Picnic tables are available for lunch before or after your field trip.
- Extend your field trip with self-guided exploration of the nature preserve.
- Pre and post visit activities are available on the website.
We also offer:
- Self-guided visits -- call 801-621-7595 for details
- Week-long summer camps for ages 3-12
- Summer field adventures for groups of 10 or more
- Year-round classes and workshops for all ages
- Preschool Discovery Days -- one hour programs for ages 3-5 offered with the changing seasons
- After school programs and activities
If you're looking for programming for an individual student, whether adult or child, check out our calendar to see what our community education programs have to offer.
Reservations are required and classes fill up quickly, so please schedule early. To schedule a field trip, please call the education department at 801-621-7595. After you have attended the program at the Ogden Nature Center, you will also receive post-visit Teacher Evaluation form. Your feedback helps us improve and adapt programs for the needs of those making use of the programs.
For teachers who have made reservations: Each field trip has accompanying pre-visit and post-visit curriculum and activities. Print out and use those activities that are appropriate for your grade level.
Field Ecology
Taught August - October
Discover nature's fascinating connections, from predator/prey relationships to seed dispersal mechanisms. Examine skulls, net insects, burrow through a mouse hole, and try out the art of camouflage.
Weather
August-October 15 (3rd grade & older)
Group size 60 max.
Feel the power of wind, identify clouds and explore some simple methods for measuring and predicting the weather. Gain insight into weather patterns and the activities that can affect them, while examining the ways in which weather affects plants and animals.
Living Close to the Land
Taught in October & November
Take a walk back in time as you explore the lives of American Indians. Sample cornmeal "journey cakes," listen to stories as you sit in a teepee, and discover the many material and medicinal uses of plants.
Animals Prepare for Winter
Taught in December
Explore the world of wild animals in the winter. Visit the bear den and get a feel for hibernation. Complete your own southward migration and make a pinecone bird feeder to help birds generate energy over the cold winter months.
Reading the Landscape
Taught in January & February (4th grade & older)
"Read" your way through Ogden Nature Center's orienteering course as you practice your newfound map and compass reading skills.
Animal Autographs
Taught in January & February
Become nature detectives and hunt down animal clues around the nature center -- from tracks to feathers and fur. Trek on snowshoes if weather permits.
Trees
Taught in March
Gain appreciation for the essential role of trees in our world. Identify differences between coniferous and deciduous trees, try your hand at a simple tree key and make a piece of recycled paper to take home.
Utah's Ecosystems
Taught in March
Gaininsight into Utah'sdiverse landscape. Discover the forcesthat create our wetlands, forests and deserts. Investigate plant and animal life and examine potential threats to manyimportant ecosystems.
INFORMATION COMING SOON.
Birds
Taught in April
Find outwhat makes a bird a bird. Visit the BirdBreakfast Café, sharpen your bird identification skills as you look and listenfor wild birds along our trails, and meet our resident birds of prey.
The World Beneath Your Feet
Taught in April
Uncover the important role of soil in plant and animal life. Unearth the secret lives of worms, centipedes and other dirt dwellers by peering under rocks and logs and help our "Soil Chef" make soil from scratch.
Pond Ecology
Taught in May
Get a close-up look at the teeming pond life at the Ogden Nature Center. Watch as a classmate goes through metamorphosis and scoop and observe water creatures.
6th Grade Curriculum
The Ogden Nature Center education team would love to work with 6th grade teachers to meet your curriculum needs.
Please call the Nature Center at 801-621-7595 for more information.
