At Woodlands Garden, we are passionate about education in nature!
Throughout the year, we host schools, scouts and camp groups for field trips of many kinds. Partner organizations and schools use Woodlands Garden as a living classroom. Our team will work with you to create a field trip catered to your curriculum and classroom needs. For more information on types of field trips offered, continue reading below. With any questions, contact Annie O’Neill, Program Coordinator, at annie@woodlandsgarden.org.
In order to ensure the safety of you and your students, we require advanced communication and scheduling, completed in collaboration with Woodlands Garden staff. While the garden is open to the public daily, for field trips we must ensure that there is no overlap in groups or programs. Additionally, we often conduct maintenance and at times have machinery in the garden that is not safe for a large group of students. If you plan to bring a group of 10 or more to the garden, we require advanced communication, please complete the inquiry form below.
What to Expect
Who: School classes, camp groups, homeschool groups, & more! Reach out to us to see if we can accommodate your group.
What: An educational visit to Woodlands Garden, including a lesson aligned with an identified theme, activities, and time to explore the garden.
When: Visit our Calendly link to find a date that works for you. Submission of the Calendly serves as a request for a field trip on the date of your choosing, it does not guarantee that your field trip has been booked. After submission, a Woodlands Garden staff member will reach out to you via email with confirmation of the date.
Where: Woodlands Garden of Decatur
Why: To educate and engage the community in the natural world!
Guidelines
Scheduling:
To find a time that works best for your group to come to the garden, please fill out the inquiry form below. Submission of the form will serve as a request for a field trip on the date of your choosing, it does not guarantee that your field trip has been booked. After submission, a Woodlands Garden staff member will reach out to you via email with confirmation and a partnership agreement form. Prior to your group’s visit to the garden, we will request a meeting with the organizer of the group. During this meeting, we will discuss the partnership agreement form, plans for the field trip, and other necessary logistical details.
Vehicle Policy:
Our parking capacity is limited at Woodlands Garden. Therefore, we ask that you communicate in advance about your group’s parking needs. In our lot, we have 25 parking spaces. Depending on the size of your group, we understand that you may arrive on buses. We are able to accommodate two full size buses in our lot and ask that buses are turned off while they wait for the group to complete the field trip. If this cannot be accommodated, we are happy to facilitate drop off and pick up, as well as direct buses to nearby locations where they can wait.
Donations:
At Woodlands Garden, we aim to provide educational opportunities in nature that are accessible to all groups. We request a donation from each group that visits the garden for a field trip. We recommend a minimum donation of $3 per student, however, if this is not accessible, we are happy to discuss in further detail.
Field Trip Options
Garden Staff-Instructed Field Trips
This field trip will include a lesson and activity, facilitated by Woodlands Garden staff. The lesson and activity will be based on the theme and curriculum identified by the teacher or school and will be shared with teachers in advance of the visit to the garden.
Location: Woodlands Garden
Duration: 1-2 hours
Number of Students: Up to 120
Number of Adults Required: 1:20 Adult to Student Ratio
Self-Guided Field Trips
Self-Guided Field Trips include a visit to the garden but do not include Woodlands Garden staff instruction. Your class is welcome to visit the garden for a field trip and complete your own activities, or use self-guided materials we provide for you.
Location: Woodlands Garden
Duration: 1-2 hours
Number of Students: Up to 60
Number of Adults Required: 1:20 Adult to Student Ratio