Conservation Education for Youth
Field Trips
The Nature Explorer Program is an engaging, hands-on experience designed for young adventurers to discover the magic of gardening, ecology, and outdoor exploration in our garden. Through interactive activities, children will learn about planting, pollinators, composting, and the life cycles of plants, water conservation and animals.
Our program encourages curiosity, teamwork, and environmental stewardship as participants get their hands dirty. From scavenger hunts to science experiments, every program is designed to inspire a love for nature and sustainability.
This 2.5 hour program is geared towards K-6th graders. Lessons align with CA State Standards, NGSS nd Common Core.
LESSONS TOPICS:
Kindergarten-Parts of a Plant
1st/2nd grade-Seed Dispersal
3rd/4th grade-Plant Adaptations
5th/6th grade-Water Capture and Conservation
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Activity booklets for exploring The Garden’s exhibits and trails
- Sensory exploration in the Compost Area, Veggie Garden, and Sensory Garden
- Seasonal animal encounters
- Outdoor picnic area for relaxation and group gatherings
WHAT’S INCLUDED:
School field trips begin at 9:30 AM and last approximately 2.5 hours. They take place in our large amphitheater. Students will enjoy a 20-minute presentation by a garden educator, followed by a self-guided tour led by their teachers and chaperones. Each student will receive an activity booklet/scavenger hunt to explore the garden. Educators will be stationed throughout the garden unless the school requests a guided tour with their group.
Minimum number of students per field trip is 20. Maximum number of students per field trip is 60. $10 per students, up to 10 Chaperones are free including the teachers. Each additional chaperone is $5.
Seasonal Offers:
- Tortoise Enclosure Season: March–November (Closed during winter for brumation, as our desert tortoises rest.)
- Butterfly Pavilion Season: Opens on May 3rd, coinciding with our Spring Garden and Butterfly Festival.
HOW TO SCHEDULE:
Email Community Programs Coordinator, Yaily Gonzalez at [email protected] for availability.
For the 2024-2025 school year, field trips are only offered on Thursdays and Fridays, pending availability.
Cancellation Policy: If you cannot attend the class, and would like to reschedule, notify us within 72 hours of the scheduled class. For a full refund, you must notify us within 5 days of the scheduled class given staff time needed to purchase and prep class supplies. Please refer to our FAQ sheet.
TEACHER RESOURCES

Parts of a Plant Lesson
(Grades TK-K)
- Being a Seed (Mr. R.’s Songs for Teaching)
- Tree Song (Mr. R.’s Songs for Teaching)
- Roots garden observation activities, sprouting a sweet potato (Scott’s Miracle-Gro)
- From Shoots to Roots: The Purpose of Plant Parts free sample lesson plans (Life Lab)

Seed Dispersal Lesson
(Grades 1-2)
- The Carrot Seed Video of the book by Ruth Krauss (Story Time with Shayne)
- Mighty Migration: How Seeds and Pollen Travel free sample lesson plans (Life Lab)

Plant Adaptations Lesson
(Grades 3–4)
- Photosynthesis Song (Mr. R.’s Songs for Teaching)
- Vegetable Revival: Bring food scraps back to life Grow kitchen scraps to learn about Meristematic cells & photosynthesis (San Francisco Exploratorium)

Water Capture and Conservation Lesson
(Grades 5-6)
- All the Water in the World illustrated video of the water cycle. (UUAA)
- Water cycle diagrams Printable classroom illustrations for all ages in several languages. (USGS)
- San Diego
- The History of San Diego’s Water Supply Three four minute videos on bringing water from the Colorado river, diversifying our water sources, and expanding water storage capacity. (San Diego County Water Authority)
- Watersheds of San Diego County map beautiful color map (San Diego County)
- Explore Your Watershed interactive map and activities (San Diego Coast Keepers)
- California
- California’s Water Supply, A 700 Mile Journey Public radio follows water’s journey in the California Aqueduct from the Oroville Dam to San Diego, with photographs. (Capradio)
- Our Water, Our Lives: California lesson plans (USGS)
