Indian Rock Nature Preserve

Spring Field Trips

Farm Life Workshops

New England Farmer: Farm Tour/Maple Sugaring (2 Hours)
Available in March Only

Spring is not only the re-awakening of farm life, it is also a time for harvesting an important forest product. Sugar Maple sap has been collecting since late February and is now ready for processing into syrup. During this comprehensive 30 minute addition to the basic farm visit, students will learn how and when to tap for the sugary sap that produces maple syrup, as well as be able to sample raw sap and refined syrup. Cows, sheep, pigs and chickens, are visited during the farm tour.

Fee: $140.00 per class up to 20 students
        $7.00 for each additional student  
Grades: 1st - 4th  
Max. classes: 5              (more information)        science standards                                  
Sheep Shearing (½ Hr.)  
Available only in April

This is a unique opportunity for students to witness first hand the process of sheep shearing. Groups visiting during the month of April can schedule to observe a half hour sheep shearing demonstration between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. There is no extra charge, but groups must indicate their interest to observe at the time of scheduling as the number of sheep to shear is limited. Sheep are sheared only if a specific request in advance has been made by a group and confirmed by us.

Fee: Free as addition to Farm Tour and Wonders of Wool
Grades:  Pre-K - 6th                        science standards
Max. Classes: 3

Nature Programs

Discovery Ride (1.5 Hours)
Visible signs of Spring begin to appear in April. Students will enjoy a fun way to discover the different environments that make up the woodlands and waters of the Preserve on an engine pulled hay wagon. The ride will stop at places of interest to touch, smell and observe life on the Preserve.
Fee: $105.00 per class up to 20 students
        $5.25 for each additional student  
Grades: Pre-K - 3rd  
Max. Classes:  2                   (more information)     science standards
Woodland Walk (1.5 Hours)

Life returns to the forest in the Spring and transforms it into a world of song, smells and colors. Students will experience the forest's plants and animals through activities which help them focus and learn about the changing springtime forest around us. Students will learn about the yearly life cycle of a tree using growth analysis, leaves and sap flow.

Fee: $105 per class up to 20 students
        $5.25 for each additional student  

Grades: 1st - 4th

 
Max. Classes: 4                   (more information)      science standards
Forest Life (2 Hours)
A sensory investigation of plant, animal and non-living components of the New England forest. Discover how colors are used for camouflage, how shape enhances function, and how size influences survival.

Fee: $140.00 per class up to 20 students

        $7.00 for each additional student
Grades: 1st - 3rd
Max. classes: 3                                        (more information)       science standards

Land Ecosystem (4 Hours)

Discover the complex interactions of the forest ecosystem during this hands-on day of study. Students will learn the producer, consumer and decomposer organisms; measure the physical factors which influence which species inhabit the ground cover, understory and canopy zones; and investigate the growth and survival strategies of the forest's plants and animals.
Fee: $280.00 per class up to 20 students
        $14.00 for each additional student
Grades: 4th - 6th
Max. classes: 2                                           (more information)       science standards
Waterlife (1.5 Hours)

As hatchery, nursery or grocery the pond is a community that fulfills many needs for the plants and animals that live in and around it. We will take a close-up look at this water habitat during a walk around the pond locating the inlet and outlet, shoreline sampling, and examination of pond inhabitants at the Waterlife Center.

Fee: $105.00 per class up to 20 students
        $5.25 for each additional student
Grades: 1st - 3rd
Max. classes: 3                                         (more information)        science standards
Pond Study (3 Hours)
This program will lead students into an investigation of the ecology of the pond and its watershed, focusing on the plant and animal relationships in this watery environment. Includes aquatic boat tour and shoreline sampling.

Fee: $210.00 per class up to 20 students

        $10.50 for each additional student
Grades: 4th - 6th
Max. classes: 2       (more information)          science standards

Pond Ecosystem (4 Hours)

During this in-depth study students will learn the producer, consumer and decomposer organisms of the pond ecosystem. Students will investigate the watershed, conduct water tests, collect and examine organisms. The day will focus on the relationships between plants and animals and their environment.
Fee: $280.00 per class up to 20 students
        $14.00 for each additional student  

Grades: 4th - 6th

 
Max. classes: 4                          (more information)       science standards
 

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.

 

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

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