At Lacawac, our field trips offer students a fun and engaging nature-based learning experience where curiosity leads the way. Our programs combine environmental education and STEM concepts with exploration, giving students the chance to discover, investigate, and connect with the natural world. Led by our expert environmental educators, students of all backgrounds and abilities will engage with standards-aligned programs designed to meet educational goals. Students will explore Lacawac’s 550-acre preserve, visiting diverse habitats including forests, wetlands, a pristine glacial lake, ponds, and on-site laboratories and classrooms, all while uncovering key environmental concepts along the way.

Field Trip Experiences at Lacawac

Bring your students to Lacawac Sanctuary for hands-on, nature-based learning experiences that connect classroom concepts with the natural world. Our field trips give students the opportunity to explore, investigate, and learn through direct experiences in Lacawac’s forests, wetlands, ponds, and lakes. Programs are designed with specific grade levels and learning goals in mind, and many can be modified to meet the needs of younger or older students.

Looking to create a more customized experience? Field trip programs can be combined with guided hikes and other outdoor activities to build a visit tailored to your group.

Special Needs Field Trips

Lacawac strives to make nature-based learning accessible to all students. Our educators can adapt activities to meet the diverse needs of your group, incorporating hands-on, sensory, and accessible experiences. Special needs groups and classes receive free field trips, typically lasting one to two hours. Contact us at [email protected] to discuss options for your group.

Field Trip Pricing

Field trip prices are based on classes of up to 30 students, with an additional $4 fee per student beyond 30. There is no fee for teachers and up to four chaperones per class of 30 students. (Please Note: Our Limnology in Action field trip is limited to 15 students per session due to the number of boats available.)

Discount: Schools scheduling an in-classroom program in addition to a field trip receive a 50% discount on the in-classroom program price.

Scheduling your Environmental Education Program

Scheduling your program with Lacawac is easy! Start by exploring our selection of programs to find the experience that best fits your students’ goals and needs. Once you’ve chosen a program, complete our Program Request Form to begin the scheduling process. We recommend scheduling your program in advance to ensure availability. Once we receive your form, our team will connect with you to confirm details, check availability, and support you every step of the way.

Explore Our Field Trips

Sense of Wonder

Grades PreK-K | 1 hour | $100 per class of up to 30

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Young adventurers will use their senses to explore Lacawac’s living classroom. Activities include looking for shapes and colors, listening to forest sounds, and using their hands to find textures. Will foster an appreciation and curiosity for the natural world.

PA Learning Standards for Early Childhood: 3.3 PK.A.7, 3.2 PK.B.5, 4.1. PK.A, 4.2 PK.C

Life Cycles

Grades K-1 | 1.5 hours | $120 per class of up to 30

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Observe the fascinating changes in nature on an exciting forest exploration. Plants and animals undergo unique transformations as they grow, mature, and produce new life. Search for nymphs, larvae, seedlings, and more while identifying different life stages in the wild. 

STEELS Standards: 3.1.K.A, 3.1.2.C, 3.1.3.A

Amazing Adaptations

Grades 1-2 | 1.5 hours | $120 per class of up to 30

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How do animals survive and thrive in the wild? In this hands-on program, young scientists will unlock the secrets of animal survival by investigating how physical structures and unique behaviors help creatures eat, hide, and move. Through interactive, sensory-driven experiments, students will examine fascinating bio-facts to see adaptations up close. Students step into the shoes of wildlife during dynamic activities including a predator-versus-prey simulation, examining the camouflage skills of certain wild animals, and discovering firsthand why blending into a forest habitat is a matter of survival.

STEELS Standards: 3.1.K.A, 3.1.2.C, 3.1.3.G

Nature Detectives

Grades 2-3 | 1 hour | $100 per class of up to 30

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Become a forest investigator to uncover the hidden signs left behind by local wildlife! Through interactive tracking and hands-on exploration, students will search for animal clues—such as tracks, scat, nests, and feeding evidence—to determine which species inhabit the forest ecosystem. Using critical thinking, observation skills, and scientific inquiry, young detectives will classify organisms based on physical characteristics and examine how animals meet their survival needs in their natural habitat.

This pairs well with the “Critter Hunt Hike” add-on!

STEELS Standards: 3.3.K.C, 3.1.3.F, 3.1.3.G

Dip, Catch, & Classify: Introductory Aquatic Eco-Survey

Grades 4-8 | 1 hour | $100 per class of up to 30

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In this hands-on, field-based investigation, students become pond ecologists as they explore the biological health of freshwater habitats. Working in collaborative teams, students collect macroinvertebrate species directly from the pond edge. Returning to the lab, students isolate, observe, and classify their aquatic specimens using macro lenses and field identification keys. By analyzing the diversity and pollution tolerance of the collected species, students will discuss how human activities and environmental factors impact aquatic ecosystems and evaluate what makes scientific data accurate and reliable. 

STEELS Standards: 3.3.4.C, 3.4.6-8.C, 3.4.6-8.E

Dip, Catch, & Classify II: Advanced Aquatic Bio-Indicators

Grades 9-12 | 1.5 hours | $120 per class of up to 30

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Building on the field techniques of our introductory survey, high school students step into the role of research ecologists to conduct an advanced bio-indicator assessment using aquatic macroinvertebrates. Working in collaborative research teams, students sample benthic macroinvertebrates directly from the pond and record key habitat variables. In the lab, students transition from simple field identification to precision taxonomy using stereo microscopes to examine fine anatomical structures. By quantifying species diversity, mapping functional feeding groups, and evaluating community pollution tolerance, students analyze real-world macroinvertebrate data to calculate overall watershed health and discuss human environmental impacts. 

STEELS Standards: 3.4.9-12.A, 3.4.9-12.C, 3.4.9-12.E

Forest Forensics: Tree Identification & Ecosystem Health

Grades 6-12 | 2.5 hours | $150 per class of up to 30

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In this hands-on, field-based investigation, students step into the role of forest ecologists to explore the complex dynamics of Pennsylvania woodland ecosystems. Using dichotomous keys and observational field skills, students learn to identify native trees and some invasive species. At Lacawac’s deer exclosures, student research teams utilize authentic scientific tools—including transect lines, ocular tubes, and forest densiometers—to execute quadrat sampling that measures canopy density and ground cover. By comparing plant diversity and growth inside versus outside the exclosures, young scientists analyze real-world data to evaluate the ecological impacts of deer browsing and invasive species on forest regeneration.  Activities are adaptable for introductory 6th-grade science through upper-level high school biology, with optional statistical analysis extensions for older students. 

STEELS Standards: 3.1.6-8.I, 3.1.6-8.J, 3.1.6-8.L,3.1.9-12.I, 3.1.9-12.L

Limnology in Action: Lake Ecology & Water Quality Survey

Grades 9-12 | 2 hours | $150 per class of up to 15 ($175 with optional 1 hour plankton lab add on)

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In this immersive, field-based investigation, high school students step into the role of aquatic scientists to explore the biological and physical properties of freshwater ecosystems. Boarding rowboats on pristine Lake Lacawac, student research teams utilize professional equipment—including VanDorn samplers, YSI meters, Secchi discs, and plankton tow nets—to gather water column profiles and biological samples while working alongside a collaborating lake scientist. At the dock, students conduct chemical tests for pH, nitrates, and dissolved oxygen, performing comparative data analysis between Lake Lacawac and Heron Pond to evaluate ecosystem health. Through an optional lab add-on, students extend their research indoors to observe collected plankton samples under compound light and projection microscopes to identify microscopic aquatic life.

We can only accommodate 15 students at one time with the number of boats we have. For larger classes, you may sign up for a nature walk or choose to lead your own activities in our outdoor spaces.

STEELS Standards: 3.1.6-8.I, 3.1.9-12.L, 3.4.6-8.E, 3.4.9-12.D

Weather & Cancellation Policies

As an outdoor education facility, Lacawac closely monitors weather conditions, with student safety being our top priority. Lacawac’s programs run rain or shine; however, in the event of unsafe weather conditions, staff will determine if a program can safely operate and will notify schools of cancellations by 7:30am on the day of the program. In the event that a program is canceled due to weather, we will work with schools to reschedule within the same calendar year.

All other cancellations or rescheduling requests must be submitted in writing at least three weeks prior to the scheduled program date. Please note that Lacawac cannot provide refunds for canceled programs.