K-12 Field Trips with DelNature

Beach Discovery
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: April–November
Explore Slaughter Beach while learning about crabs, sea turtles, and other animals of Delaware Bay. Build with sand, create a sea turtle nest, walk like a crab, and help “sand” turtles get to the water. This program meets at Slaughter Beach. 

Discovering Habitats (Who Lives At Abbott’s?)
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Use your senses to explore the forest, stream, and meadow in search of animals that live in these habitats. Discover the special adaptations, shelters, and foods these animals depend on. Get up close with live animals and taxidermy. 

Discovering Trees
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Explore the habitat at Abbott’s Mill to discover a variety of trees. Find out how trees grow and protect themselves, identify parts of trees, and describe their functions. Determine why and how trees change throughout the year and why they are important to other plants, soil, clean air, and water. 

Insect Safari
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Collect and observe insects found in meadows, forests, and streams. Learn about insect characteristics and compare life cycles. Build a bug and examine adaptations to its habitat. 

It All Starts With Soil
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Discover soil and how it influences plants, animals, and people. Conduct scientific experiments to identify the three basic components of soil and compare different soil types from forest, meadow, and swamp. Observe soil layers with augers and test pH to distinguish humus, sand, and clay. 

Maple Sugaring
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: February–March
Discover how a tree makes sap and explore the history of maple syrup. See how Native Americans collected and boiled sap to make this tasty tree treat. Try your hand at tapping a tree, experience the sights and smells of maple sap turning into maple syrup, and sample the final product! 

PaleoLifeways
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Engage in bartering as you three distinct regions of North America. Learn about important natural resources, topography, and climate in each region while exploring communication and trade. 

Organisms
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: September–November
Find and identify a variety of living organisms in the forest, meadow, and pond. Collect and study seeds, insects, plants, and pond life. First grade concentrates on similarities and differences between organisms. Second grade focuses on survival mechanisms. 

Pond Study
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Immerse yourself in pond ecology and get up close with the animals and plants of the pond ecosystem. Use dip nets and waders to survey aquatic inhabitants of Abbott’s Pond. First grade examines the unique plant life of the pond. Second grade looks at how animals develop, change, and adapt to the pond. 

Pondering The Pond
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Ponder the pond and discover the plants and animals that call it home. Meet live animals and taxidermy to learn about mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Explore how pond organisms are similar and how they are different. 

Rock Hounds
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: April–October
Learn about the rock cycle, where Delaware’s rocks come from, weathering, and the differences between rocks and minerals. Use a dichotomous key to select and separate types of rocks. Perform a variety of tests to determine what minerals are present in the different rocks. This program meets at Slaughter Beach. 

Seashore & Saltmarsh
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: April–October
Comb the beach, scan the dunes, and explore salt marsh habitats at Slaughter Beach while discovering the unique plants and animals that live in each area. Learn about conserving these fragile ecosystems. This program meets at Slaughter Beach. 

Seeds
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: September–November
Engage your senses to discover the diversity of color, size, shape, and travel modes of seeds. Examine the parts of a seed and learn about its life cycle. Discover how flour and meal are made from seeds in a tour of historic Abbott’s Mill.

Stream Study
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Conduct physical tests to determine the health of Johnson’s Branch. Learn about different types of pollution and how they impact aquatic habitats. Become a raindrop and take an exciting journey downstream. Explore ways you can help to protect our aquatic habitats. 

Weighing At The Mill
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Discover how corn and wheat are transformed into food products inside historic Abbott’s Mill. Conduct experiments while weighing corn, wheat, and wood at various stages in the milling process. Arrange items in serial order based upon your research. 

Paleo Child
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round

Discovering Habitats
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Use your senses to explore the woods, marshes, fields, and streams to find evidence of the animals and plants that live in these habitats. Explore how specific habitats provide different animals with the requirements they need to survive: food, water, shelter, and places to raise young. 

Discovering Trees
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Investigate a variety of trees and observe their similarities and differences. Learn parts of trees and their functions, what trees need to grow, and why and how trees change throughout the year and their lifetimes. Determine why trees are important to the ecosystem. 

Insect Safari
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Explore meadows, streams, and forests as you search high and low for insects. Use nets and magnifying lenses to collect and examine the insects you find. Study insect body parts and learn about metamorphosis. 

Life Of The Monarch Butterfly
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: September–early October
Discover the unique adaptations and behaviors of monarch butterflies. Observe the stages of a monarch’s life cycle and tag monarchs for an international scientific research program to document their migration.

Maple Sugaring
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: February–March
Discover the history of making maple syrup from sap and learn to identify maple trees using your senses. Search for wildlife that depend on maple trees to survive the winter. Practice tapping a tree to experience how early Americans made maple syrup. Collect and boil sap to make your own maple syrup and taste the finished product. 

Native Americans: Young Lenape
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Explore the culture and customs of the original inhabitants of Delaware. Walk the lands these people once inhabited, visit a replica longhouse, and investigate tools, clothing, hunting methods, games, stories, and plants that Native Americans used. Learn about Delaware’s Lenni Lenape tribe and their dependence on nature. 

Organisms
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Explore forest, meadow, and stream habitats to discover the diversity of life in these environments and investigate how wildlife meet their needs for survival. With live native and non-native animals, use observation skills to predict what they eat and where they live. 

Rocks & Minerals
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Travel the trails at Ashland to collect samples of minerals and rocks. Use tools and safety equipment to crack your specimens, exposing new surfaces to better identify their properties and composition. Investigate how people use rock and mineral resources to meet basic needs like food, heat, shelter, and tools, and where in Delaware and the local region these natural resources were found. 

Spring Amphibians
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: March–June
Use your senses to explore the world of amphibians when they are chorusing and laying eggs. Observe live specimens, compare unique adaptations of frogs and salamanders, and explore aquatic and terrestrial habitats to see different life cycle stages. 

Water Cycling
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Investigate the water cycle as you explore aquatic habitats. Visit the Ashland mill pond, use dip nets to sample the diversity of aquatic organisms, and discuss their role in the pond food chain. Compare and contrast the pond environment with a creek and a marsh, and discuss how each habitat is affected by changing weather and the seasons. 

Exploring Entomology
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: April–November
Observe insects up close and personal. Examine insect anatomy, including the head, abdomen, thorax, antennae, and wings under magnification. Catch and identify insects as you study biodiversity. Learn why humans depend on insects to survive in a game of “nectar collectors.” 

Senses
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Use your senses to discover Wilmington’s wild side. Listen for sounds of nature and wildlife. Look for plants and animals and discover the textures and scents found in our botanical garden. After a hike around the gardens, use your keen senses to participate in a “senses challenge.” 

Water Wise
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: March–November
Discover the properties of water through scientific experimentation and examine the water cycle firsthand. Investigate a tidal pond and wetland, test the permeability of different surfaces, and practice water conservation with a relay race. 

Weather Is A Breeze
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Become a junior meteorologist as you explore how weather affects plants, animals, and humans. Collect weather data using thermometers, identify cloud types, and construct a water cycle. Put your knowledge to the test and dress for the weather in the relay race. 

Beach Ecology
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: April–October
Choose four activities to explore the coastal ecosystem: beachcombing, seining, horseshoe crabs, shorebirds, salt marsh, or dunes. Compare and contrast these habitats and the unique organisms that occupy each site. Experience the interactions between shorebirds and horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay. This program meets at Slaughter Beach. 

Birds In Focus
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Explore the unique and varied adaptations of native birds, including body shape, beaks, and feet. Investigate how these adaptations help them survive in their habitats. See mounted specimens and study the diversity of species in the Delmarva region. Use binoculars on a guided bird survey through different habitats. Find out how birds are affected by seasonal changes. 

Fantastic Fish
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $10/student
Available: Year-round
Discover biological and ecological adaptations of fish by examining external and internal features. Read a fish by its structure and examine how form relates to function. Don chest waders and use a seine net in Abbott’s Pond to collect specimens. Hone your dissecting skills in our wet lab as we explore fish anatomy and biology.

Maple Sugaring
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: February–March
Learn to identify maple trees through the seasons using all of your senses! Discover how a tree makes sap and explore the history of maple syrup. See how Native Americans collected and boiled sap to make this tasty tree treat. Try your hand at tapping a tree and find out how trees are tapped today. Experience the sights and smells of maple sap turning into maple syrup and sample the final product! 

The Mill And Machines
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Explore historic Abbott’s Mill and discover how water makes energy for humans. Experience forces firsthand and use simple machines to understand how the Mill works. Tour the Mill to complete a simple machine scavenger hunt. Learn how the sun and water turn energy into plants and food for people! 

Paleo Humans and Habitats
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $10/student
Available: Year-round

Pond Ecology
Program Length: 2.5 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Immerse yourself in Abbott’s Pond with dip nets to sample the diversity of aquatic organisms. Use microscopes to view small pond organisms. Examine and compare the structures of pond organisms that help them survive in their environment. 

Rock Hounds
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: April–October
Learn about the rock cycle, where Delaware’s rocks come from, weathering, and the differences between rocks and minerals. Use a dichotomous key to select and separate types of rocks. Perform a variety of tests to determine what minerals are present in the different rocks. This program meets at Slaughter Beach. 

Stream Study
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Conduct physical tests to determine the health of Johnson Branch. Learn about different types of pollution and how they impact aquatic habitats. Become a raindrop and take an exciting journey downstream. Explore ways you can help to protect our aquatic habitats. 

Birding With Binoculars
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Explore the unique and varied adaptations of native birds and investigate how specific adaptations help them survive in their habitats. View mounted specimens and study the diversity of species in our region during an interpretive hike. Use binoculars, learn identification techniques, discover how birds are affected by seasonal changes, and record your findings.

Cycle Of Life
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Learn about producers, consumers, and decomposers and their importance in Earth’s cycle of life. Use magnifiers, collecting containers, and guidebooks as you hike through a marsh, forest, and field to discover live organisms. 

Exploring Ecosystems
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Explore forest, meadow, and pond habitats to determine which ecosystem has the greatest diversity of living things. Search for producers, consumers, and decomposers, and collect data on the non-living factors of the system. Using your data as evidence, determine which of the habitats was the most diverse and develop statements explaining why. 

Field Geology
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Investigate Ashland’s geologic past and our local geology. Review the difference between minerals and rocks, learn about the rock cycle and the three rock types, look for evidence of geologic processes in action on an interpretive hike, and use rock hammers to collect samples for identification. 

Insect Study
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Investigate insects up close and describe what enables them to reproduce, grow, and survive in their environment. Learn to identify and classify orders of insects using identification keys and guidebooks. With nets and jars, collect insects to discover their role in the food chains of meadow, forest, and stream ecosystems. 

Maple Sugaring
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: February–March
Learn to identify maple trees and the function of roots, branches, and leaves. Discover the history of maple sugaring, tap a tree, and observe the changes in maple sap as it is boiled and becomes maple syrup.

Native Americans: Lenni Lenape
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Explore the culture and customs of the original inhabitants of Delaware. Take an interpretive walk to discover pre-colonial Delaware history. Learn how Native Americans used nature to meet everyday needs and visit a replica longhouse for a hands-on experience with tools, animal furs, hides, and clothing. 

Nature Photography
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Discover the natural world through a camera lens using digital cameras. Learn photography skills and compose photos as you explore the Ashland trails. Images will be shared digitally with you after the program, or choose to also print favorite photos and prepare a poem or description for your images (printing adds $2/student material fee).

Outdoor Team Building
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Build group communication and cooperation as you engage in a variety of exciting active games and challenges that require teamwork and creative thinking to complete. 

Pond Ecology
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Visit a pond ecosystem and use dip nets to sample the diversity of aquatic organisms. In the lab, use a video microscope and individual microscopes to view small pond organisms. Examine and compare the structures of pond animals that help them survive in their environment and discuss their role in the pond food chain. 

Spring Amphibians
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: March–June
Explore the world of amphibians when they are chorusing and laying eggs. Learn how amphibians in Delaware survive the seasons and use nets and other collecting equipment to look for amphibians and the food they eat. 

Stream Ecology
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Determine a stream’s health by examining its biological, chemical, and physical attributes. Catch and classify stream macroinvertebrates, and use test kits to record pH and dissolved oxygen. Discuss how humans and wildlife impact stream health and identify four basic types of stream pollution. 

Fantastic Fish
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: March–November
Meet the many fish of the Christina River and the marsh at DEEC. Study fish anatomy and use body parts to predict what fish eat, how fast they swim, and whether they are a hunter or the hunted. Use a spinning cast net, reel in fish traps, and dip with nets to try your luck catching fish. 

Land & Water 
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: March–November
Look at the land from the perspective of an osprey, raccoon, and snapping turtle. In the marsh, find evidence of water interacting with the land. Investigate how humans affect soil erosion and deposition. 

Watershed Ecology
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Investigate the impact of land use in a watershed using aerial and topographic maps and discuss sources of point and non-point pollution. Collect soil samples and information on vegetative cover to determine water flow and its impact on local water health. In the stream, net aquatic macro-invertebrates and utilize chemical tests to determine pH, oxygen levels and nitrates to determine the water quality.

Beach Ecology (Coastal Ecology Of Delaware)
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: April–October
Choose 4 activities to explore the coastal ecosystem: beachcombing, seining, horseshoe crabs, shorebirds, salt marsh, or dunes. Compare and contrast these habitats and the unique organisms that occupy each site. Experience the interactions between shorebirds and horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay. This program meets at Slaughter Beach. Available April-October. 

Fantastic Fish
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $10/student
Available: Year-round
Discover biological and ecological adaptations of fish by examining external and internal features. Learn how to read a fish by its structure and examine how form relates to function. Don chest waders and use a seine net in Abbott’s Pond to collect specimens. Hone your dissecting skills in our wet lab as we explore fish anatomy and biology. 

The Mill And Machines
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Explore historic Abbott’s Mill and discover how water makes energy for humans. Experience forces firsthand and use simple machines to understand how the Mill works. Tour the Mill to complete a simple machine scavenger hunt. Learn how the sun and water turn energy into plants and food for people! 

Paleo Humans and Habitats
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $10/student
Available: Year-round

Orienteering & Compass Reading
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Experience firsthand how to navigate with a map and compass. Learn how to read a topographic map and interpret natural and human-made features. Measure your walking pace and take bearings. Combine all your navigation skills on a compass orienteering course. 

Pond Ecology
Program Length: 2.5 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Immerse yourself in Abbott’s Pond with dip nets to sample the diversity of aquatic organisms. Use microscopes to view small pond organisms. Examine and compare the structures of pond organisms that help them survive in their environment. 

Power To The People
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Discover sources of renewable and nonrenewable energy. Follow energy pathways from its source to homes, cars, and our dinner table. Tour historic Abbott’s Mill and examine its water-powered milling equipment. Solar and water power, and fossil fuel sources are examined. Provide your own power to operate human-powered tools and machines. 

Rock Hounds
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: April–October
Learn about the rock cycle, where Delaware’s rocks come from, weathering, and the differences between rocks and minerals. Use a dichotomous key to select and separate types of rocks. Perform a variety of tests to determine what minerals are present in the different rocks. This program meets at Slaughter Beach. 

Fall Raptor Migration
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: September–November
Visit the Ashland Hawk Watch to identify and count some of the 16 species of migrating raptors that pass overhead. Ashland Nature Center is one of the best locations in Delaware to view migrant hawks in the fall. Use maps to track the birds’ migration routes. Learn about the ecology and habits of hawks and take a walk to identify other bird species.

Field Geology
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Investigate the rock cycle as it relates to Ashland’s geologic past and our local geology. Hike the trails at Ashland to discover current examples of weathering, erosion, and deposition, and use rock hammers and goggles to collect mineral and rock samples for identification.

Insect Study
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Investigate insects up close and describe what enables them to reproduce, grow, and survive in their environment. Learn to identify and classify orders of insects using identification keys and guidebooks. With nets and jars, collect insects to discover their role in the food chains of meadow, forest, and stream ecosystems. 

Native Americans: Lenni Lenape
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Explore the culture and customs of the original inhabitants of Delaware. Take an interpretive walk to discover pre-colonial Delaware history. Learn how Native Americans used nature to meet everyday needs and visit a replica longhouse for a hands-on experience with tools, animal furs, hides, and clothing. 

Orienteering & Compass Reading
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Experience firsthand how to navigate with a map and compass. Learn to read a topographic map and interpret natural and human-made features. Measure your walking pace and take bearings. Combine all your navigation skills on a compass orienteering course on the Ashland property. 

Outdoor Team Building
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Build group communication and cooperation as you engage in a variety of exciting active games and challenges that require teamwork and creative thinking to complete. 

Pond Ecology
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Visit a pond ecosystem and use dip nets to sample the diversity of aquatic organisms. In the lab, use a video microscope and individual microscopes to view small pond organisms. Examine and compare the structures of pond animals that help them survive in their environment and discuss their role in the pond food chain.

Spring Amphibians
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: March–June
Explore the world of amphibians when they are chorusing and laying eggs. Learn how amphibians in Delaware survive the seasons and use nets and other collecting equipment to look for amphibians and the food they eat. 

Stream Ecology
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Determine a stream’s health by examining its biological, chemical, and physical attributes. Catch and classify stream macroinvertebrates, and use test kits to record pH and dissolved oxygen. Discuss how humans and wildlife impact stream health and identify four basic types of stream pollution. 

Watersheds & Stream Quality
Program Length: 2.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Discover land use in the Red Clay Creek watershed and hypothesize how human activities have impacted the water quality of the stream. Investigate the benefit of forested riparian buffers and conduct visual and biological assessments of the Red Clay Creek and one of its tributary streams. Use physical characteristics and biological indicator species to determine the water quality of the Red Clay and its tributary stream, and compare findings. 

Wilmington’s Wetlands & Watershed [H3]
Program Length: 2.5 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: March–November
Think globally, act locally to learn what wetlands and watersheds have to do with the quality of our streams and rivers. Test four water quality parameters, investigate point source and non-point source pollutants, and measure biodiversity along the Christina River and its adjacent wetlands.
See a video of this class » 

Birds In Focus
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Explore the unique and varied adaptations of native birds, including body shape, beaks, and feet. Investigate how these adaptations help them survive in their habitats. See mounted specimens and study the diversity of species in the Delmarva region. Use binoculars on a guided bird survey through different habitats. Find out how birds are affected by seasonal changes.

Orienteering & Compass Reading
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Experience firsthand how to navigate with a map and compass. Learn how to read a topographic map and interpret natural and human-made features. Measure your walking pace and take bearings. Combine all your navigation skills on a compass orienteering course. 

Exploring By Canoe
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $20/student
Available: Year-round
Explore Abbott’s Pond by canoe! Learn canoe basics and examine what lives in and around the pond. Look for aquatic plant life, reptiles and amphibians, and birds that call Abbott’s Pond home. Complete visual surveys, record data, and drag a plankton net. Back at the nature center, examine the microscopic life found in the pond. This program qualifies your class to adopt a stream. 

Stream Ecology
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $7/student
Available: Year-round
Learn about Delaware Stream Watch while studying the variables that indicate the health of a body of water. Collect macroinvertebrates and perform physical and chemical water quality testing, such as pH and dissolved oxygen. Examine water samples under a microscope, looking for the minute plants and animals that are the basis of the stream food chain. Emphasis is placed on the possible harmful effects of human activity in the watershed. This program qualifies your class to adopt a stream. 

Fall Raptor Migration
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: September–November
Visit the Ashland Hawk Watch to identify and count some of the 16 species of migrating raptors that pass overhead. Ashland Nature Center is one of the best locations in Delaware to view migrant hawks in the fall. Use maps to track the birds’ migration routes. Learn about the ecology and habits of hawks and take a walk to identify other bird species.

Orienteering & Compass Reading
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Experience firsthand how to navigate with a map and compass. Learn to read a topographic map and interpret natural and human-made features. Measure your walking pace and take bearings. Combine all your navigation skills on a compass orienteering course on the Ashland property. 

Outdoor Team Building
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Build group communication and cooperation as you engage in a variety of exciting active games and challenges that require teamwork and creative thinking to complete. 

Stream Ecology
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Learn about Delaware Stream Watch and the variables that indicate the health of a body of water. Collect macroinvertebrates and perform physical and chemical water quality testing, such as pH and dissolved oxygen. Emphasis is placed on the possible harmful effects of human activity in the watershed. 

Watersheds & Stream Ecology
Program Length: 2 hours
Fee: $9/student
Available: Year-round
Discover land use in the Red Clay Creek watershed and hypothesize how human activities have impacted the water quality of the stream. Investigate the benefit of forested riparian buffers and conduct visual and biological assessments of the Red Clay Creek and one of its tributary streams. Use physical characteristics and biological indicator species to determine the water quality of the Red Clay and its tributary stream, and compare findings.

Exploring By Canoe
Program Length: 3 hours
Fee: $30/student
Available: March–November
Take your group or class on an adventure as you canoe the Christina River and the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge, a freshwater tidal marsh on the edge of the city of Wilmington. They are home to a tremendous diversity of wildlife. Learn basic paddling skills, hike along the shore to survey plant and animal life, and discover the functions and importance of wetlands. Canoes, paddles, and life preservers are included in the cost; no canoeing experience required. Age minimum: 12 years old.