Desert Dwellers
Grades: Pre-K–3
Water is scarce in the desert and survival depends on the clever acquisition and conservation of water. Identify the techniques used by plants and animals that allow them to survive in the desert. Decide how an animal who never drinks water can still call the desert its home. Come take a closer look and see why this arid area is actually a thriving habitat.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 25 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Exploring your Backyard
Grades: Pre-K–3
What is over your head, beneath your feet, and looking at you from the bushes? Recognize life all around you without leaving home because it is right in your own backyard. Classify animals by their characteristics and observe the importance of tunnels by peeking into a worm garden. Learn misconceptions about owls and decide how you can provide a safe environment for the natural world.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 25 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Foragers of the Forest
Grades: Pre-K–3
While forests provide suitable habitats for a large variety of plants and animals, life in the woods must be able to adjust to a seasonal environment. Come meet the bird that uses the pine tree as its kitchen cupboard. Follow the life cycle of the acorn as it develops into a mighty oak.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 25 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Oceans from Shore to Deep
Grades: Pre-K–3
From the shores to the deep, oceans are host to a wide variety of plants and animals. Discover who lives in and visits the multilayered kelp forest condominiums. Compare the size and shape of bird beaks and feet to see how these traits influence diet. By learning about life below sea level, we can better understand how to keep the ocean clean and healthy for its inhabitants. Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 25 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Pond Pals
Grades: Pre-K–3
Ponds are freshwater ecosystems that support a complex food web. By identifying the various producers, consumers, and decomposers, we can begin to understand why forms of life around a pond are dependent upon each other. Meet the darting helicopter insect and arrange the life cycle of our pond pals, the amphibians.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 25 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Reptile Friends
Grades: Pre-K–3
The warm and arid climate of the San Diego region provides an ideal environment for several reptiles. Explore traits and adaptations of our regional lizards, turtles, and snakes. Examine skeletons, skulls, and the molted skins of the reptiles who have adapted to survive throughout San Diego. Learn how to identify dangerous snakes.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 25 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Incredible Insects and More
Grades: K–4
Bees, spiders, and even mosquitoes are vitally important to the web of life. Arrange the various stages of a n arthropod life cycle. Match the arachnid to the type of web it weaves and explain how various web patterns benefit the weaver. If it crawls, flies, bites, or buzzes, we have it for you.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 32 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Life in the Desert
Grades: 2–6
The desert is more than just a hot, dry, barren space. Upon closer examination, we can see the desert supports a thriving habitat. Observe and discuss adaptations necessary to survive in the desert. Be awed by the power of a flash flood. Touch fossils found in the desert and discover how we can read the story of our region’s past.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 32 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Nature’s Night Life
Grades: 2–6
Nocturnal animal’s eyes and bodies need to adapt when hunting for food at night. Using your own senses and everyday objects you will investigate how animals have adapted to living in the dark. Manipulate an owl wing to demonstrate their stealth flying skills, learn how bats communicate, and see why mountain lions are skilled predators.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 32 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Our Region’s Habitats
Grades: 2–6
(formerly Roadrunners)
San Diego is one the most biologically diverse counties in the United States. Human settlement and population increase have impacted our region’s plant and animal inhabitants. Based on observations, form an opinion on how skunks and opossums have adapted to their changing environment. Analyze bones to identify the variety of animals living in our region and discuss the adaptation necessary for their survival.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 32 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)
Fossil Tales of San Diego
Grades: 2–8
This region has a rich fossil record. Investigate San Diego’s past by trekking through 75 million years of geologic history. By analyzing fossils, we can infer much about the habitat and environment millions of year ago. Learn the types of dinosaurs that used to live in San Diego County and why they are now extinct. Touch real fossils and model the geologic plate movement that has occurred in this region.
Fee: $170 per visit for two 1-hour classes (same day, same program)
Group size: 32 students per 1-hour class (10 student minimum)