Adventure starts here
K-5 Field trips
Dive into the wonders of nature and science on a field trip led by Catamount Institute. All our outdoor field trips include a factor of adventure while aligning with Colorado Department of Education Standards.
So many students, so little time! We are thrilled to be utilizing all of our resources to get as many kids outside as possible…unfortunately that means we are booked into August at the moment! Our Booking Calendar stretches a year ahead, so please see if any dates for the next 365 days meet your needs.
k-12 students
Learning beyond the classroom
Field trips are a fun and exciting opportunity for students to investigate our outdoor classroom for hands-on discovery and exploration. Catamount Institute offers pre-designed or custom field trips that are encouraging and inspiring for all students in our local natural areas. Our tailored curriculum supports classroom learning and a memory-filled experience with your class. See below for pre-designed field trip descriptions!
Pricing for field trips begins at $7.00 an hour/per student (minimum 20 students).
Now booking for the 2023-2024 school year! Book your field trip to hold a spot. No transportation? We can come to you!
*The booking is NOT final until confirmation from Catamount Institute staff.
All trips are a minimum of 20 students and a maximum of 80 students. Bookings are based on staff availability at that time. Each tentative reservation will be reviewed by Catamount Staff. You will be contacted at least a month in advance on the status of your booking.
Kindergarten
In The Spotlight
Come outside to explore the powerful effects of the sun through activities of discovering shadows and shapes, making sundials, and learning about animal traits in the forest of Sondermann Park.
Season: Winter, Fall, Spring, Summer Locations: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, a Park or Natural Area near your school, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year), or at your school! (Driving Distance may affect program cost).
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.K-S.1-GLE.2.
- Sunlight affects the Earth’s Surface
Living in the Woods
Explore through hands-on activities what animals and plants need to grow in natural habitats throughout the Pikes Peak region. Students will learn about how different animals use plants and other resources to survive including adaptation to prepare for weather conditions.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer
Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, a park or natural area near your school, or at your school!
(Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.K-S.3-GLE.2.
- Plants and animals meet their needs in their habitats and impact one another; people can prepare for severe weather
Move it! Move it!
In your classroom, our naturalists will bring an interactive 90 minute program highlighting the movements of an inchworm. This hands-on lesson demonstrates the physical properties of pushing and pulling and will include an interactive story illustrating how different ways animals move.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer Location: At Your School! (Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.K.S.1-GLE.1.
- Pushes and pulls can have different strengths and directions, and can change the speed or direction of an object’s motion or start and stop
1st Grade
In Our Big Backyard
This interactive program explores how organisms change over time in the forest. Students will play games and explore the forest as they learn about insects, birds, and mammals.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer
Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, a park or natural area near your school, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or at your school!
(Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.1-S.2GLE.1
- All organisms have external parts that they use to perform daily functions
Small Wonders
Throughout this program, students will explore the habitats of Sondermann Park as they meet and learn about different creatures that live in and around Mesa Creek. The program highlights include hiking in the park, water exploration, games, and a take-home nature craft.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer
Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, a park or natural area near your school, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or at your school!
(Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.1-S.2-GLE.2.
- Young organisms are very much, but not exactly like their parents and also resemble other organisms of the same kind
2nd Grade
Habitats are Where it's at!
Throughout this program, students will explore the habitats of Sondermann Park as they meet and learn about different creatures that live in and around Mesa Creek. The program highlights include hiking in the park, water exploration, games, and a take-home nature craft.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer
Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, a park or natural area near your school, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or at your school!
(Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR2-S.2-GLE.2.
- A range of different organisms lives in different places
Wacky and Wonderful Weather
Students will explore how and why weather shapes local ecosystems by experimenting with weather tools, cloud identification, design erosion control and flooding solutions.
Season: Winter, Fall, Spring, Summer
Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, a park or natural area near your school, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or at your school!
(Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.2-S-GLE.2.
- Wind and water can change the shape of the land; models can show the shape and these changes to the land
Field to Forest
Come explore Sondermann Park or other regional parks of your choice as students learn about ways plants thrive in our ecosystem. Discover what a plant needs to grow as well as where and why they grow in certain areas. This trip will include a hike, games, and data collecting activities.
Season: Winter, Fall, Spring, Summer
Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, a park or natural area near your school, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or at your school!
(Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR..2-S.2-GLE.1.
- Plants depend on water and light to grow and on animals for pollination or to move seeds around
3rd Grade
Life on a Log
Discover the interconnections on the forest floor in this active lesson on the life cycles of insects, birds, and mammals. There will also be an introduction to forestry.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, A Park or Natural Area Near Your School, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or At Your School! (Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.3.S2-GLE.3
- Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited information; the environment also affects the traits that an organism develops
- GR3-S.2-GLE.1.
- Organisms have unique and diverse life cycles
Pikes Peak Ecosystems
Throughout this program students will immerse themselves in the two distinct ecosystems of Sondermann Park—the riparian and grasslands ecosystems. Students will learn about the organisms that live in these areas, including information about their life cycles, adaptations, and characteristics.
Season: Winter, Fall, Spring, Summer Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, A Park or Natural Area Near Your School, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or At Your School! (Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.3.S.2-GLE.2.
- Being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves and cope with changes
Bird Watch!
Grab your binoculars and hit the Colorado birding trail to discover and learn about the amazing animals of birds. Students will become very familiar with the characteristics of birds.
Season: Winter, Fall, Spring, Summer Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, A Park or Natural Area Near Your School, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or At Your School! (Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.3-S.2-GLE.4
- Some living organisms resemble organisms that once lived on Earth
- GR.3-S.2-GLE.3
- Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited information; the environment also affects the traits that an organism develops
4th Grade
Soil Safari
Begin an adventure as a geologist to discover the awesome world of soils, rocks, and underground ecosystems. Design a landscape to prevent erosion and flooding.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, A Park or Natural Area Near Your School, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or At Your School! (Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.4-S.3-GLE.1.
- Earth has changed over time
- GR.4-S.3 -GLE.5.
- A variety of hazards result from natural process; humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but can reduce their impacts’ effect.
Renewable Engineering Challenges
Begin the field trip with an energy audit hike and discussion before diving into a hands-on program that examines renewable and nonrenewable energy. Students will design, build, and test their own wind turbines, hydro dams, and solar ovens (if time and weather permits).
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.4-S.1-GLE 4.
- Energy can be produced, used or released by converting stored energy
- GR.4 –S.3-GLE.4.
- Energy and fuels that humans used are derived from natural sources and their use affects the environment in multiple ways
Dissect It Yourself: DIY Labs
In your classroom, your student will delve into the exploration and dissection of a grasshopper and flower. Students will compare and contrast these biotic organisms and their similarities and differences. Program needs 2.5 hours to complete.
Season: Winter, Fall, Spring, Summer Location: At Your School! (Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.4-S.2-GLE.1.
- Organisms have both internal and external structures that serve various functions
Map it!
Learn how to use a compass and topographic maps as students explore local parks.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, A Park or Natural Area Near Your School, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or At Your School! (Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- Use geographic tools to research and answer questions about Colorado geography.
- Connections are developed within and across human and physical systems. Learn how to use a compass and topographic maps as students explore local parks.
5th Grade
Energy Cycling in an Ecosystem
In Sondermann Park or a regional park of your choice, students will learn how energy & matter move through natural systems. These concepts will be covered by exploring ecosystems, examining skulls, and through games.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, A Park or Natural Area Near Your School, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or At Your School! (Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.5-S.2-GRE.2
- Matter cycles between air and soil and among plants, animals and microbes as these organisms live and die
Hydro Engineering
Students will take on the challenge of cleaning the water flowing through Mesa Creek by developing and testing water filtration devices. In addition, they will learn about water chemistry and resources for managing water supply.
Season: Fall, Spring, Summer Location: Catamount Institute at Sondermann, A Park or Natural Area Near Your School, Aiken Canyon Preserve (limited spots available per school year) or At Your School! (Driving Distance may affect program cost)
Colorado 2020 science standards:
- GR.5.S.3-GLE.4.
- Most of the Earth’s water is in the ocean and much of Earth’s freshwater in glaciers or underground
