High school life science field trip

Connect your students with field activities in our restored prairie!

Students develop and enhance their knowledge and understanding of the concepts of soil, ecology, water, pollution, ecosystem services, and climate change through engaging field activities using authentic scientific methods and tools to collect data in woodland, wetland, and prairie ecosystems. Students learn the value of stewardship as they participate in natural areas restoration supporting the ecological science of Fermilab to increase biodiversity that creates resiliency to mitigate the effects of climate change. 

Field trip activities

• Water turbidity tests: sample pond water to measure its quality
• Tree measurement and benefits: measure and identify trees to determine the ecosystem services they provide humanity and the environment
• Prairie quadrat: identify prairie plants within a square meter to determine the Floristic Quality Index
• Transect data collection: collect authentic plant data in transects of woods and prairie 
• Stewardship activity: remove invasives or collect seed in woodland, shrubland, or prairie areas to improve habitats and increase biodiversity
• Soil structure: determine the infiltration rate and value of different soils 
• Explore heat: measure the heat of objects and evaluate their effect on climate change 
• Aquatic monitoring data: net macroinvertebrates in pond water to determine the health of the pond

Field trip details

• Teachers can bring students to Fermilab for free field trips!
• Field trips must be scheduled at least four weeks in advance.
• Group size: minimum of 10, maximum of 120
• Program length: 3.5 hours
• Please have students dress for the weather and activities. We require closed toe shoes and strongly recommend long pants.
• Chaperones: One adult chaperone (instructor or responsible adult) is required for every 10 students. Field trips are not permitted for groups that arrive without the minimum number of required chaperones.
• Teachers, aides, chaperones, and any participants 18 years of age and older MUST have a REAL ID-compliant document, such as a passport or enhanced driver’s license, to enter Fermilab. More information about accepted documents is linked here.
• Groups may arrange to eat lunch at the picnic tables outside of Lederman Science Center during the field trip.

Standards alignment

• LS1: From Molecules to Organisms: Structure and Process
• LS2: Ecosystems, Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics
• LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
• LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
• ESS2: Earth’s Systems
• ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
• ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems