Field Trips to ORC for School Aged Students

This engaging one-hour program offers students, grades 4-12, a unique opportunity to explore raptor biology through both tactile examination and live demonstrations. At our biofacts table, students will handle feathers, feet, study skins and other specimens to understand key raptor adaptations, such as flight mechanics, hunting strategies, and sensory abilities.

Following this, they’ll witness those very adaptations in action as our non-releasable raptor ambassadors demonstrate natural behaviors in live presentations. The program covers important topics like raptor ecology, conservation, and the factors that lead to each ambassador’s non-releasability.

Field Trips can be customized to fit your class’s curriculum.

Optional Activities include:

• Owl Pellet Dissection (additional 60 minutes)

  Students will dissect sterilized owl pellets, using a bone sorting chart to identify and classify the remains of prey animals. This hands-on activity provides a unique opportunity to explore the diet and hunting habits of owls while learning about food chains and raptor ecology.

• Spring Nest Walk* (additional 30 minutes)

  Take a guided walk to observe native bird nests and learn about the different species nesting on our campus. This seasonal experience offers a close look at the diversity of nesting behaviors in the wild. (*Nest Walk only available April-June).

Field trips are offered in Spanish upon request.

To book a field trip to ORC please fill out this contact form.