Our Field Trips

Explore Our Field Trips

Immersive Experiences for
All

Join Nature Collective on a discovery-based field trip to the San Elijo Lagoon. Our year-round field trips support learners of all ages, from students to organized groups to camps to clubs. Explore native habitats and wildlife, conduct hands-on observations and investigations, and have fun connecting with nature and friends.
We collaborate with school districts, teachers, educators, camp coordinators, scout leaders, and group organizers to provide learning experiences that extend and support existing curricula, programs, and activities.

Sign up below for impactful + fun San Diego field trips!

For Teachers and Educators

Our Learning Unit + Field Trip programs bridge classroom and extended learning time with nature-based learning. Students can make connections to their own lives and communities while they practice science skills and explore diverse plants + animals. Pre- and post-activities help support and extend the field trip experience. Programs culminate with student action projects that encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration to promote healthy communities and natural spaces for all. Each grade level Learning Unit + Field Trip is Next Generation Science Standard-aligned. Our programs are subsidized by generous donations from individuals and foundations.

Available Field Trips

  • Location: Nature Center More info

    Time: 2.5 hours

  • Cost: $12 per learner
    Group Size: Minimum 20 / Maximum 60

From the riparian woodland to the saltmarsh lagoon, learners will explore the unique habitats of the San Elijo Lagoon ecosystem. Using important scientific skills, including observations and experimentation, students will have an opportunity to discover the variety of plant + animal species that call San Elijo Lagoon home.

The complete Exploring Habitat learning unit is aligned to grade 3 curriculum and NGSS: 3-LS4-3.

  • Location: Nature Center More Info

    Time: 2.5 hours

  • Cost: $12 per learner
    Group Size: Minimum 20 / Maximum 50

Utilizing the San Elijo Lagoon ecosystem as a backdrop for discovery, student scientists will collect evidence of plant + animal adaptations vital to their survival. Learners will have an opportunity to observe and record various birds, plants, and insects as they develop claims supported by scientific reasoning.

The complete Discovering Adaptations learning unit is aligned to grade 4 curriculum and NGSS: 4-LS1-1.

  • Location: Nature Center More Info

    Time: 3 hours

  • Cost: $16 per learner
    Group size: Minimum 20 / Maximum 50

What living and nonliving things can be found in the San Elijo Lagoon ecosystem? Student scientists will develop critical scientific skills, including observing, recording data, and making claims, as they hike around this exciting ecosystem. Learners will identify key interactions within the ecosystem – with a special focus on decomposers, cycling of matter, and human activity.

The complete Ecosystems in Action learning unit is aligned to grade 5 curriculum and NGSS: 5-LS2-1, 5-ESS3-1, 3-5-ETS1-2.

A group of students overlooking San Elijo Lagoon Channel
  • Location: Nature Center More Info

    Time: 3 hours

  • Cost: $16 per learners
    Group Size: Minimum 20 / Maximum 50

How do humans benefit from and maintain biodiverse ecosystems? Guided by this question, student scientists will investigate the health of the San Elijo Lagoon ecosystem. Throughout the program, learners will collect data indicating biodiversity, discuss ecosystem services to humans, and make claims about how humans can impact our natural systems.

The complete Preserving Biodiversity learning unit is aligned to grades 6-8 curriculum and NGSS: MS-ESS3-3, MS-LS2-5 and supports grades 9-12 curriculum and NGSS: HS-ESS3-4, HS-LS2-7.