Indian Rock Nature Preserve

Fall and Spring Field Trips

First American Experiences

Fees vary depending on the number of groups, number of students and date and time of program.

Wigwam Adventure (1 Hour)
Travel back in time during your visit to our authentic Indian Wigwam. Nestled deep within the forest preserve, you will rediscover how the First Americans lived in harmony with the natural world.
Fee Range: $3.50 to $6.50 per student
Minimum fee range:  $70 to $140 per class

Grades: 2nd - 6th

(more information)          science standards

Max. classes: 1 

Stone Tools (1 Hour)

Investigate the uses of Native American tools through viewing relics and using reproductions. Learn what materials are used to create tools, observe and participate in the making of a tool that you will bring back to the classroom.

Fee Range: $3.50 to $6.50 per student
Minimum fee range:  $70 to $140 per class
Grades: 2nd - 6th (more information)          science standards
Max. classes: 1

Tunxis Indians (1 Hour)

Visit Indian Rock and learn about its legend. Take a tractor drawn hayride to the Wigwam and unearth the history of

the first inhabitants of our Preserve.

Fee Range: $3.50 to $6.50 per student
Minimum fee range:  $70 to $140 per class
Grades: K - 6th (more information)          science standards
Max. classes: 2
Foods of the Earth (1 Hour)
Observe first hand the various foods, gathered and cultivated, by the First Americans. Students will sample a variety of native foods.
Fee Range: $3.50 to $6.50 per student  
Minimum fee range:  $70 to $140 per group  
Grades: K - 6th (more information)          science standards

Max. classes: 2 

Early American Experiences

Please Note: Early American Experiences are limited to a maximum of 25 students per class. We reserve the right to cycle another school in rotation if you bring less than 3 classes to this program.

Colonial Cooking: The Sampler (4 Hours)

An "all day" visit designed for multiple classes from the same school. Students will learn the various cooking methods and equipment used to prepare a meal over the fireplace. Students will participate in the boiling, baking, frying, roasting, and toasting methods of colonial days. The food prepared will be sampled either during the presentation to individual classes or at the end when all classes will gather together for a sit down mini meal. Turkey, pies, soup, biscuits, cookies and homemade ice cream will be served.  Students need to bring a bag lunch and two drinks.

Fee: $280.00 per class up to 20 students
        $14.00 for each additional student
Grades: 2nd - 6th (more information)          science standards
Max. classes: 3
Colonial Cooking: The Demonstration/Hayride (2 Hours)

This is a demonstration of various cooking methods and equipment used to prepare a meal over a fireplace. Boiling, baking, frying, and toasting methods are covered. Students will be able to participate in the cooking and will have an opportunity to taste some foods. If you have three classes, a tractor drawn hayride will be used to transport the group to and from our cooking site.

Fee: $180 per class up to 20 students
        $9.00 for each additional student (more information)          science standards
Grades: K - 3rd

Max. classes: 3

Farm Life Experiences
Farm Tour (2 Hours) New focus to meet your CT science standards needs!

Our guides will lead groups on a tour of the farm and spend  20 minutes with each animal including; chickens, cow, sheep, pig, rabbit/horse and honey bees. Students will use the farm as a fun way to learn about living and nonliving things, understand the different ways animals get food and water and compare them to plants, observe the appearance and behavior of different animals and how they move around.

Fee: $140.00 per class up to 20 students
        $7.00 for each additional student
Grades: K - 3rd (more information)         science standards
Max. classes: 6

Farm Tour (1.5 hours) Same description as the 2 hour tour except the honeybees are omitted and children will spend approximately 15 minutes with each animal. 

Fee: $105.00 per class up to 20 students

        $5.50 for each additional student
Grades:  Pre-K - 3rd

Max. classes: 5

New!  Food from the Farm (2 hours)

Visit our farm for a fun hands-on experience where students can see first hand the sources of common foods.  Students will understand the farm food chain from plants converting energy from the sun into food for the farm animals and in turn for us.  Students will classify foods into groups based on their source and relate common foods to the plant or animal from which they come.  The tour will include a visit to our chickens, pig, cow, honeybees and orchard or garden. 

Fee:  $140 per class up to 20 students

         $7.00 for each additional student

Grades:  2nd - 4th

Max classes:  5

Science Standards

New!  Farm Ecosystem (3 hours)

Students will use our farm environment as an interactive way to see how living and non living things are interdependent within an ecosystem and how energy is transferred from plants to animals including humans.  Students will visit our pasture, orchard and/or garden, farm animals and compost pile to see how everything works together.  We will also explore the forest to compare the farm and forest environments and discuss how natural changes and human activity such as agriculture, can change habitats and their inhabitants. 

Fee:  $210.00 per class up to 20 students

         $10.50 for each additional student

Grades:  3rd - 5th

Max. Classes:  6

Science Standards

Hayrides (30 minutes)

Have you ever been on a hayride? Well, there's something about the smell of dry grass, crisp autumn air and bright fall colors that instills that old time feeling of days gone by. You can get back in touch with yesterday on an engine pulled hayride through the woodlands and around the waters of the Preserve. The hayride is a great addition to one of our other programs.

Fee:  $35.00 per class up to 20 students

         $1.75 for each additional student

Bees and Honey (1.5 Hours)

Investigate the life of a honey bee and the inner workings of a hive; see how honey is made and taste different types of honey. This is a three part program that involves: visiting the hive, a slide presentation on the inner workings of a hive, and tasting different types of honey.

Fee: $105.00 per class up to 20 students
        $5.25 for each additional student
Grades: 1st - 4th (more information)          science standards
Max. classes: 3

 

Nature Experiences

New!    Life Cycles of Flowering Plants (1.5 hours)

Sept. to Oct. and May to June

Students will visit our wildflower patch, apple orchard and forest for a hands-on exploration of flowering plants and trees.  We will review the parts of a flower and see examples of annuals, perennials and biennials.  In the orchard, students will learn about buds, leaves, fruit formation and terminal end bud scars which show yearly branch growth.  In the forest, we will study an Oak tree's life cycle, age a living tree to see the growth rings and how water, sunlight affect the tree's health.  We will also examine the decomposition of a log and leaf litter to complete the life cycle.  During a fall visit, students will take back an acorn and wildflowers.  During a spring visit, students will take back an acorn and wildflower seeds to plant. 

Fee:  $105.00 per class up to 20 students

         $5.25 for each additional student

Grades:  2nd - 4th

Max. classes: 3

Science standards

 

New!  Soils (3 hours)

Our diverse terrain at Indian Rock has created multiple soil environments ranging from excessively drained soil to peat and mucks.  Students will explore each of these environments taking soil core samples, examining the soil profile and the composition of the soil particles.  Examples of each soil particle size will be placed under a microscope and projected onto a large screen for classroom viewing.  Students will feel each sample to learn how to tell the differences by touch.  We will also explore the water retention capacities of soils by doing percolation experiments.  The living components of soil will be investigated using a terrarium of soil organisms. 

Fee:  $210.00 per class up to 20 students

         $10.50 for each additional student

Grades:  2nd - 4th

Max. classes:  4

Science Standards

 

Forest Community (2 Hours)
Students will learn the concept of ground cover, under story and canopy to determine the health and history of the forest. The relationship between plant and animal life of the forest will also be examined.

Fee: $140.00 per class up to 20 students

        $7.00 for each additional student
Grades: 4th - 6th
Max. classes: 3                                     (more information          science standards                               
 
Wildlife Adventures (1.5 Hours)
Enter the world of wild animals that inhabit our field and forest environments. Learn to interpret animal signs, examine mounted animals and view slides of our area's wildlife.
Fee: $105.00 per class up to 20 students
        $5.25 for each additional student
Grades: 3rd - 6th
Max. classes: 2                                                       (more information)          science standards
Animal Tracks (1.5 Hours)

Learn to identify animal tracks through slides and first hand observation on the trails at the Preserve. 

Fee: $105.00 per class up to 20 students
        $5.25 for each additional student
Grades: 3rd - 5th
Max. classes: 2                                                       (more information)          science standards
Casting Tracks (30 minutes)
Cast your own animal track out of plaster to bring home. Only available as a supplement to Animal Tracks.
Fee: $35.00 per class up to 20 students
        $1.75 for each additional student
Grades: 3rd - 5th
Max. classes: 2                                                        (more information)

Minimum Fees

A program scheduled during our prime season (Sept. 15th - Dec. 1st and April 1st to the end of school) that starts before 11:00a.m. and does not end by 11:30a.m. will have a daily minimum per instructor fee of $280 for a Field Trip and $300 for an Out to School program.

Contact Us

For more information and to schedule your trip, please call us at (860) 583-1234.

Or if you like, you can E-Mail us.

     

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