Example Field Trips

K-12 education is an important component of conservation and empowering the next generation of leaders. MNA makes $500 grants available for field trips to eligible natural areas including MNA nature sanctuaries, local nature centers, state parks, or other conservation lands. We welcome any accredited public or private K-12 school in the state of Michigan to apply!

Explore previously funded trips for ideas of eligible destinations below.

MNA Nature Sanctuary 

Estivant Pines in Keweenaw County 

A 5th grade class from Dollar Bay Elementary took a field trip to the Estivant Pines to learn about old growth forests, conservation, and tree identification. They also hiked at the Hunter's Point trail in Copper Harbor to learn about rock identification and conservation, as well as visited the beach in Eagle River to observe the area’s scenery and to learn about the importance of maintaining public spaces. 

The trip acted as an extension of in-class lessons on ecology and responsible stewardship, wherein students learned about tree and rock identification, the history of the area, and the importance of caring for the land and water of the local ecosystem. 

 

Michigan State Parks 

Duck Lake State Park, Muskegon County. 

Two classes of 44 first graders from Shoreline Elementary in Whitehall, MI took a bus to Duck Lake State Park. While there, students spent the day cleaning up the park, hiking the wooded trails, bird watching, eating lunch under the pavilion and exploring the dunes and beach of Lake Michigan. 

This trip connected to the classes’ curriculum by giving students opportunities to learn about and protect the resident birds. This included observing the birds in their natural habitats, as well as allowing students to do a spring beach clean up at their local state park, during which they collected, sorted and organized trash and cleaned up areas that threatened the local birds and the habitats they depend on. 

Students and chaperones came back from this trip with hands-on, place based experiences, and were excited to return to Duck Lake State Park with their families another time! 

 

Nature Centers

Blandford Nature Center, Kent County

First grade students from Southwest Elementary Academia Bilingue in Grand Rapids visited the Blandford Nature Center where they used observation and inquiry skills to explore the characteristics of birds (including mating calls, nest building, and how they raise their young). They also hiked through the woods looking for birds, and identified different types of birds from Michigan. 

Pre-trip activities consisted of watching a short video entitled, "All About Birds for Kids," then having a discussion about the different characteristics and sounds birds make. After the trip, students then wrote about their favorite parts of the experience. 

Students enjoyed learning about different types of birds, imitating bird calls, and getting to observe birds firsthand through binoculars while hiking along the trail. 

  • Explore Michigan nature centers here. 
  • MNA prioritizes trips with programming content containing vernal pools; rare birds; native prairies and savannas; and fens, bogs, and other peatlands.

 

County, City or Metroparks

Crosswinds Marsh Nature Preserve in Wayne County 

Students from Orchard Center High School visited Wayne County Park's Crosswinds Marsh Nature Preserve. Students walked the extensive boardwalk and trail loops, fished, and observed both the park’s local and migrating birds. 

In relation to the class’s ongoing study of ecosystems, ecosystem services, and vernal pools, students were able to see vernal pool and wetland habitats in person, and make connections and observations about the ways in which these habitats were similar and/or different from those they’d been studying. 

Over the course of the trip, students were able to engage with new experiences (such as fishing), encounter a wide range of wildlife, and build their confidence in being outdoors, making use of the opportunity to explore nature in a safe and supervised way.

 

Other Local Natural Areas

Kasey Hartz Natural Area at Muskegon Community College

Glenside Elementary walked the trail of the Kasey Hartz Natural Area on the campus of Muskegon Community College, during which they were able to observe and engage with the nature around them. 

As part of the classes’ “living things” unit, students were led through a lesson about baby animals, in connection with the standard to observe how young plants and animals are similar yet different from their parents. Students then returned to the classroom, where they discussed their experiences on the trail, and then sketched and wrote about their observations. 

Students were excited to see a variety of flora and fauna, and enjoyed a hands-on learning experience that helped bring science to life.