Forest Preserve's Virtual Field Trip Program A Hit With Educators

Press release from the Forest Preserve District of Will County:

Long yellow school buses filled with students are a rare sight at Forest Preserve visitor centers this fall, but the new virtual field trip format being offered by the District is becoming popular with educators who appreciate the option.

Around 90 programs have been held or are in the works for area school kids so far. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit earlier this spring, the District quickly pivoted to reinvent its field trip program for the 2020-2021 school year.

"The virtual tracts can be used by teachers to engage students in remote learning, allowing them to link in and experience the natural world and cultural history programs provided by Forest Preserve naturalists," said Ralph Schultz, the District's chief operating officer. "These are programs we used to conduct in the classroom but have now adapted to our current reality. Each includes live presentations and supplemental links for ongoing study."

Fifth grade Zoom

The new digital format was illustrated on a recent Tuesday morning in October at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon. Program coordinator Erin Ward sat in front of a laptop with an empty gallon water jug next to her and a map of the Channahon area and its intersection of four rivers behind her as a backdrop.

As each student signed into the program a small “ding-ding” sound let Ward know another face would be popping into the Zoom program. A few minutes after 10 a.m. she introduced herself to a screen filled with the faces of fifth graders from A.O. Marshall grade school in Joliet.

During the 45-minute “Trouble in the Water” field trip, the energetic Ward presented information on why it is important to protect the Earth’s water supply. She segued seamlessly from topics the kids could relate to, such as turning the water off when they brush their teeth, to how some people around the world have no access to clean drinking water in their homes.

At one point, Ward waved the water jug around and even threw it, illustrating to the students how they can work to keep plastic pollution out of the waterways. She used slides on a shared screen and quick polls interspersed with back-and-forth conversation, which all made for a lively virtual field trip.

A welcome online option

Also logging into the program was the fifth graders’ teacher, Vanessa McNeff, who said later by email that Ward’s presentation was her first online field trip experience.

“It was great and the kids loved it! It was run very smoothly and very organized,” she said. “The chat box was blowing up with the students expressing shock and a strong interest in helping solve the problem! It was a bonus seeing Erin as the star in the video.”

McNeff said it is extremely important to have these types of online resources during the pandemic.

“It definitely gets the students excited to have someone new in the classroom and to teach them something that is local to them,” she said. “This program seamlessly connected to what we are learning and talking about in class.”

McNeff’s students are reading the book “A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park, a true story about an effort to bring clean water to South Sudan, which tied into the field trip and was referenced by Ward.

“I think it’s very important because we need to teach our next generation about taking care of our precious resources and bring an awareness of a worldwide issue down to a relatable local issue,” McNeff said.

Taking a 'Deep Dive'

High schools also are signing up for the virtual field trips.

Rebecca Young, an AP environmental science teacher at Plainfield East High School, said she normally takes her students on four field trips a year, but all field trips were canceled this year due to the pandemic.

“Last year, one of our field trips was with the Forest Preserve District at Hammel Woods and it was a wonderful hands on-experience,” she said in an email. “While in-person would be best, it is just not safe right now, so the virtual trips we have taken are the next best thing.”

Young’s students recently completed the “Deep Dive into Wetlands” virtual field trip offered by Kate Caldwell, an interpretive naturalist at Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township.

“Kate was out at Snapper Pond in waders pulling critters from the pond for us to see and did a great demonstration showing how little fresh water we have access to,” Young said. “Kate and I worked together to develop three options for the students to select from for a capstone project.”

Students could design a native garden, diagram the life cycle of one of the animals they saw in the trip, or investigate the soil in their yard to see how it functions like a wetland.

Young’s students also signed up for the “Stop the Invaders” virtual field trip at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center. During that program, interpretive naturalist Angela Rafac provided information about invasive species and used polls in the Zoom program to engage students. Then students selected local invasive species to research.

“My students were able to present to the naturalists a few weeks later,” Young said. “These were great opportunities for my students to share their ideas with others in the community. They were also able to learn from each other. I know that I learned quite a bit!”

Even with the virtual format, the field trip was very engaging, Young said.

“More importantly, my students came out of it with more ideas and questions to investigate,” she said. “They also are interested in visiting Plum Creek and Four Rivers in the future. I have an amazing group of students this year and I'm so happy we were able to participate in these virtual programs and I hope we can do more."

Young said she hopes to set up a virtual field trip for her freshman biology students.

“We really appreciate the time and energy it took from the Forest Preserve District staff and how it really shows the commitment of the staff, especially the naturalists, to engage students in the protection and appreciation of our natural resources."

Summer brainstorming

Lynn Kurczewski, the Forest Preserve’s director of visitor services, credits her staff with pivoting quickly once the pandemic hit to come up with the plan to offer an online menu of field trip programs for schools to choose from.

“The visitors services department got together to brainstorm and a team was formed to research what we could do for schools,” Kurczewski said.

“Jessica Prince, the Forest Preserve’s outreach and education supervisor, stepped up to lead the team and she did a fantastic job,” Kurczewski said. “She used her connections in the environmental and education communities and participated in many panel discussions to see what teachers wanted, what peer organizations were doing, etc.”

The field trip program the Forest Preserve designed is arranged in three-part themed units with a virtual program, self-guided teacher resources and a capstone wrap-up. Teachers can opt for the field trip alone or all three segments.

“I wasn’t sure if the teachers would be interested in taking the time to do all three parts,” Kurczewski said, “but they are! We are seeing quite a few take advantage of not only the initial program but the second and third follow-up units as well.”

Word is spreading about the programs and now teachers and parents are requesting certain topics. So, the team is adapting past in-person public programs or adjusting school programs to meet the specific requests.

“Or teachers are calling us asking for online resources, technology assistance, or direction on where to go for virtual learning,” she added. “So, I’m confident in saying that not only are we providing the virtual programming, but my staff have become a resource for educators to help them navigate through the virtual programming world.”

Every day is different

Each visitor center is offering programs themed to its site. For instance, Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville is offering “Quest for the Mississippi” and “Trader Trading,” because the site focuses on the 18th-century fur trade era.

Plum Creek Nature Center staff are offering “Animal Adaptations,” “Diving Deep into Wetlands” and “Cold Blooded Encounters," because the site offers visitors a place to explore the natural world.

“It has been a blast to have students interact with us on the chat while we ask them questions and show them critters during the wetland program,” said Suzy Lyttle, program coordinator at Plum Creek Nature Center. "Students get to look into the net as we scoop up plants and muck.”

Lyttle said it has been a joy to be delivering programs again.

“We know it isn’t the same as being there in person, but it does still give students an opportunity to explore the natural world in a new way.”

Jessica McQuown, an interpretive naturalist at Four Rivers, said she sees virtual learning as an additional tool to reach students who wouldn’t otherwise be able to visit the District because of distance or scheduling challenges. So even after the pandemic subsides, she thinks online field trips will stick around.

“It’s challenging not being able to have students here in person, especially for those who may not get to spend time outdoors in nature, but our hope is that they will be inspired to come out with their families even if they can’t come with their school," she said. "We’re also able to deliver content that might not have worked for an in-person field trip, like freshwater mussels, so it’s fun to experiment with new content too.”

As for Ward, who presented to the A.O. Marshall fifth graders, she sees two big advantages to the online programs. The first is that kids can choose how they are most comfortable interacting with program presenters, so it gives them more choices in communication; they can unmute themselves to talk, they can chat, or they can send a yes or no response.

Also, students will have more time to complete field trip assignments. For instance, Ward asked her students to create a model or to draw something that could help remove plastic from the world’s waterways. They will have a week instead of the normal 25 minutes during an in-person field trip to modify their creations or even start over, if need be, before presenting it online during a follow-up session.

“Some of them are even doing research, which is incredible,” Ward said. “Once they’ve gone through this program, they know they can have an impact and the small steps they take really do make a difference on the world’s water supply.”

And seeing those kinds of reactions makes the online effort and the transition to technology more than worth it, Ward said.

“It has been an adventure,” she said. “And every day is different.”

Themed learning units

For more information on the Forest Preserve District’s education services or to request a program, visit the School Programs page.

Learning units are themed around a variety of teaching topics and satisfy Illinois learning standards. Topics offered include Native Americans/Fur Traders, Endangered Species, Climate and Weather Changes, Habitats, Water Conservation, Watersheds, Invasive Species, Wildlife, Wetlands and Pollinators.

Each three-part unit consists of:

• A live online program presented by Forest Preserve staff.
• A package of self-guided teaching resources.
• A live online capstone wrap-up presented by Forest Preserve staff.

All virtual education programs are free for fall 2020. The District is prepared to deliver programs to students' screens in their homes or in their classrooms.

This press release was produced by the Forest Preserve District of Will County. The views expressed are the author's own.