We provide age-appropriate, field-based learning opportunities at both SNARL and Valentine Camp for approximately 2000 students in spring and fall of each year. Elementary school classes from across Inyo and Mono Counties visit SNARL for field trip programs in Spring, and Valentine Reserve for field trip programs in fall. The schools provide transportation to and from the reserves, supervising teachers, and chaperones.
Regional schools and Reserve teaching staff have aligned their curricula, and the field trips include age-appropriate lessons and activities at the reserves. All of our lessons have been aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards by grade. Typical lessons might involve ant ecology with ant tracking and food preference experiments; aquatic invertebrate identification and classification; introduction to forest mammals with skull and fur props; and conifer identification and forest fire ecology. Many lessons include simulation games with graphing and data analysis. Spanish speaking interpretation may be available upon request.
Teachers for the class must be present and all teachers, aids and chaperones must agree and abide by our code of conduct. All visiting students’ guardians need to fill out the liability waiver prior to visiting schools provide transportation to and from the reserves, plus supervising teachers and chaperones. Please contact vesr@nrs.ucsb.edu with specific questions about school field trips. This part of the program is offered through the generous support of Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Town of Mammoth Lakes Measure U program, Mammoth Mountain Community Foundation and the Valentine Reserve Fund.
