Field Trips
Thank you for your interest in a school field trip to Vancouver’s Water Resources Education Center. We will begin accepting first come, first served field trip reservation requests for the 2023-24 school year on Tuesday, Aug. 22. Our fall season will begin on October 17.
Program Options
- Grade 1: Bugs, Bugs, Bugs
- Grade 2: Tree’s Needs
- Grades 3-4: Macroinvertebrate Investigations
- Grades 5-8: Columbia River Water Quality Monitoring
- Grades 6-12: Down the Drain – Tour a Wastewater Treatment Plant
Planning Your Visit
As you consider planning a field trip to the Water Center, please note the following:
- Programs are free of charge and scheduled first come, first served.
- Programs are available mornings on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
- Available start times are 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. If you need an alternate start time, please let us know.
- We can accommodate a maximum of 2 classes/day (with the same start time).
- Program durations vary. See Field Trip Program Descriptions (below). For most programs, add an additional 60 minutes if you would like time to explore the exhibit hall (30 minutes) and have lunch (30 minutes) at our outdoor picnic tables (covered, but not enclosed from the weather). Alternatively, Marine Park has a playground and covered picnic area and is a two minute drive or 10 minute walk down the road if that’s preferred. Restrooms at Marine Park are open April-October.
- Chaperone to Student Ratios:
- Kindergarten to Grade 5: 1 adult per 5 students
- Grades 6-8: 1 adult to 10 students
- Grades 9-12: 1 adult to 15 students
Scheduling a Field Trip
To schedule a field trip, please send an email with the following information to:
Suzanne Hebert, Water Resources Educator, suzanne.hebert@cityofvancouver.us
- Field Trip organizer name
- Field Trip organizer email
- Field Trip organizer phone
- Name of school
- Address of school
- Grade level(s) of students
- Which program are you interested in? (See Field Trip Program Descriptions below)
- How many classes of students are you scheduling for? (Note that we can accommodate a maximum of 2 classes/day. If you have more than 2 classes of students, we will need to schedule you for more than one day of field trips.)
Field Trip Program Descriptions
Grade 1 Program: Program: Bugs, Bugs, Bugs
Time: 2 hours, not including lunch break or time to explore exhibits
Description: Students learn about insect life cycles and how their body parts help them to eat, move, and protect themselves. After a bug hunt in our garden, students design and build their own bug out of model magic clay to take home. Indoor and outdoor, rain or shine.
Grade 2 Program: Tree’s Needs
Time: 2 hours, not including lunch break or time to explore exhibits
Description: Students learn what trees/plants need for survival and how they meet those needs through their structures (roots, trunk, leaves, flowers, etc.). Students then engage their senses by rotating through 5 activity stations in our outdoor garden and complete a field journal recording their observations. Indoor and outdoor, rain or shine.
Grades 3-4 Program: Macroinvertebrate Investigations
Time: 2 hours, not including lunch break or time to explore exhibits
Description: Students will observe and identify macroinvertebrates (water bugs!) from a pond habitat, focusing on adaptations for survival. Students will also learn how the presence of specific species of macroinvertebrates can be indicators of good, fair, or poor water quality. Available Feb. through May. Indoor and outdoor, rain or shine.
Grades 5-8: Columbia River Water Quality Monitoring
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(indoor and outdoor—rain or shine)
Time: 4 hours w/ lunch break and time to explore exhibits
Description: Students will investigate what makes for healthy salmon habitat, then walk to the banks of the Columbia River to make observations and perform water quality tests to collect data to answer the question “Is the river healthy for salmon today?” Tests will include pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and turbidity. Indoor and outdoor, rain or shine.
Grades 6-12: Down the Drain-Tour a Wastewater Treatment Plant
Time: 4 hours w/ lunch break (lunch includes time to explore the Exhibit Hall)
Description: Where does the water go after you take a shower, clean dishes, or flush the toilet? Take a tour* of the Marine Park Wastewater Treatment Plant to learn about the journey of wastewater and how it is cleaned. Students will use microscopes to view the microbes that assist in cleaning the water and will take a nature hike to the Columbia River to explore riparian habitat and view where the clean water is released into the river. Indoor and outdoor, rain or shine.
*Note: The treatment plant tour includes strong smells and loud noise in some areas. There are also areas that require stair climbing. Please let us know if we can provide any accommodations for your group.
Water Workshop for Educators
Currently, there are no educator workshops scheduled, but please check back for updates. If you would like to be notified about future workshops and educational opportunities, please sign up for our educator mailing list.
Contact Info
For questions and additional information, please contact:
Suzanne Hebert, Water Resources Educator
suzanne.hebert@cityofvancouver.us or 360-487-7114