On this page you can find links to this information:
- About the EE Program
- Mission Statement
- How to Schedule a Fieldtrip
- Information we need from you to Schedule a Fieldtrip
- Information about Fieldtrips in general
- Information about the Series of Activities
- The Series of Activities
About the EE Program to be added soon
Mission Statement The mission of the Arboretum's Environmental Education Program is to instill an appreciation for the natural world through education that is both interesting and fun. The program makes use of the flora and fauna native to the ecological zones of the state.
How to Schedule a Fieldtrip: The Scheduling Process
- Look at a brochure or the webpage and decide what Series of activities you want to participate in at the Arboretum.
- Make sure you have all the information in front of you that the Environmental Education (EE) Coordinator is going to need to schedule your fieldtrip. go to info needed
- Call the Arboretum on MONDAYS between 8:30 am and 11:00am to talk to the EE Coordinator. The number is 205/553-3278. If this is a bad time to call, please leave your name, number and the best time to reach you and every effort will be made to contact you then.
- The EE Coordinator will help you with your questions about dates, series and their activities, logistics of time, and general information.
- The EE Coordinator will mail you a confirmation letter regarding the time and date of your scheduled trip, with a reminder of the general information. Attached to the letter will be a list of rules for the Arboretum, an evaluation form of the fieldtrip, and for grades 2 and higher a medical release form and release of liability form that each student has to have to go up on the treelab platforms. see forms
What We Need from You to Schedule a Fieldtrip
- Contact Teacher's Name
- School Name
- School phone number/teacher phone number (opt.)
- School address
- Number of students participating
- Age/grade of students
- Dates for fieldtrip (2-3 possible dates for trip is advised). Trips will only be scheduled on Tuesday through Friday during the week.
- Name of Series of activities
- Any accommodations that may need to be arranged for students with special needs, e.g., a student with CP that needs the use of a golf cart to reach the treelab platforms.
Fieldtrip Information
- Teachers who wish to schedule a fieldtrip to the Arboretum should contact the Environmental Education Coordinator at 205/553-3278 on Mondays between the hours of 8:30 and 11:30AM, or leave a message during the week and the call will be returned as soon as possible. The Coordinator will help you with your questions and scheduling needs.
- Cost of the trip is $3.00 per student. This cost is for materials' fees. We provide all the materials for the activities.
- There is a maximum of 40 students per fieldtrip that can be accommodated at the Arboretum.
- Fieldtrips can be scheduled for Tuesday through Friday. These dates are set up on a first come first serve basis. If you want to utilize the Environmental Education Program to supplement your classroom teaching calling as early in the year as possible is advised. The Coordinator will be in the office Monday mornings from 8:30 am - 11:00 am.
- Appropriate clothing is required at the Arboretum. Students should wear long pants and shoes that cover their feet, i.e., NO SANDALS and NO SHORTS.
- Teachers of grades 2 and higher must have all students participating in the fieldtrip sign a Medical Release form and a Release of Liability form before being able to go up on the treelab platforms. The treelab platforms are part of the TreeTopology program developed by C.H.O.M. and the Arboretum. see forms
- Name tags and group names--It makes the fieldtrip run smoother if the students have name tags and have already been divided into groups. It is more fun and more personal for the students if they have group names, such as, oak, daisy, rose, ants, etc. that match the day's theme.
About the Series of Activities
There are usually four activities per series. Each series is its own webpage. There are links to and from each activity/lesson plan within the series. The activities are developed to work together and emphasize learning in the theme of the series. Fun and different aspects of the theme have been isolated in separate activities and then each activity builds one on another to facilitate comprehension. No matter which activity a group of students begins with, they will be able to build on their knowledge of the prior activity. At the end of each page there are links to each of the series so that you can view the lesson plans of the activities of other series. Each series page begins with the series name, when it is best to do these activities, student grouping and time frame for the series. An introduction to the series is followed by the series of activities and their worksheets (when available). At the end of all the activities you will find "**" with the name of the person(s) who developed the series and the sources for many of the activities. On each page you will find a leaf button that says "home" and it will take you to the Environmental Education home page where links to the whole site can be found.
The Series of Activities
Go to one of the 15 Series of Activities and see the lesson plan for each activity.
