School Programs

Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve
General Information
Teachers: New programs designed to complement your current curriculum are under development. Please contact one of the naturalists to discuss details at (920) 731-6041.
e-mail info@bubolzpreserve.org
The 775 acre Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve is an independent nonprofit wildlife preserve and environmental education facility. Financial support comes from individual and corporate donations, memberships, and program fees.

Fees collected from the environmental education programs at the Preserve are used to help defray expenses of training and reimbursing our teacher naturalists, program material costs, and building and grounds operation expenses.
Cost for each program is $2 per student. Teachers and adult chaperones are free. Programs generally start at 9:00 a.m. Length varies from 1½ - 2½ hours for half day programming. Full day programming is available and is complete by 2:30 p.m.

Students should be dressed appropriately to be outside for all types of weather. The Preserve looks forward to sharing an exciting educational experience with you and your students.

Can't make it out to the Preserve - let us bring nature to you!

TRAVELING NATURALIST PROGRAMS - Coming in 2008-2009 School Year - We bring nature to your classroom to save on the cost of buses to our site. We can also do nature programming on your school playground or local park.

Call 731-6041 to talk with one of the naturalists on staff about registering your class.

Click here for the Field Trip Planner - double click for sample info needed - call for reservation

The Bubolz Preserve offers many traditional programs such as Wetland Ecology, Birds and Birding, Deer Ecology, Animal Tracks and Signs, Plants, Ethnobotany, Mammals of Wisconsin, Wolves of Wisconsin, Pond Peeking, Trees and Forestry, Sensory Awareness, Reptiles and Amphibians, Fun with GPS and many more. Our naturalists also love to take time with "unstructured" hikes, walks, and "lunch on a log" type programs. Literature based programming is also well received as are nature crafts and outdoor games. We can tailor the day to suit your needs. A couple of times a year, service projects for older students are available to offer volunteer and "giving back" opportunities that not only help us, but help students understand the importance of volunteerism.

Foss Linked Programs - Brochure - double click for pdf file

Trees n Me

Students observe, compare, and describe the characteristics and changes in trees and leaves throughout the seasons. They will visit a forest where many trees grow and are sometimes harvested to make wood, paper, and other items we use every day. They will learn about the behavior and habitats of different forest animals and compare and contrast the similarities and differences among these animals.
FOSS: K-Wood and Paper, Trees

Seeds to New Plants

Student investigations focus on plants found locally, how they grow, what they need to grow, and become aware of the diversity of life in the plant kingdom. They will observe the structures of flowering plants and examine lifecycle of plants! Students will also examine the properties of rocks and soil and learn why certain plants grow where they grow.
FOSS: Grade 1-New Plants

What’s in your Dirt?

Students dig, weigh, measure and explore local soils, through a variety of active, outdoor learning stations. Have you ever eaten a rock? The program starts with a “Rock Show”.
FOSS: Grade 1-Pebbles, Sand, and Silt

My First Air and Weather Experiments

Winter, spring, summer and fall, Wisconsin has all four seasons to observe changes in air and weather. Become familiar with simple instruments used to monitor air and weather conditions.
FOSS: Grade 2-Air and Weather

Ick! Bugs

Insects are flying, crawling and digging and hiding everywhere! Students will become aware of the diversity of aquatic and terrestrial insects found at the Preserve though investigation. They will observe insects life cycles and compare the stages of metamorphosis exhibited by each species.
FOSS: Grade 2-Insects

Rocks, Rock!

Earth’s materials are all around us every moment of every day. Students will observe the characteristics of rocks and minerals found here at the Preserve by visiting a small, old quarry site, profile pit and conducting field experiments.
FOSS: Grade 3-Earth Materials

Structures of Life

Students will observe, compare, and categorize a selection of organisms while at the Preserve. They will also learn how to identify plants and animals and to sort them into their proper families based on their observations. Students investigate structures of the organisms and learn how some of the structures function in growth and survival.
FOSS: Grade 3-Structures of Life

Inventions and Machines in Nature

Many modern day inventions are based on simple things found in nature. Design, create and experiment with ideas inspired by nature. (Idea: Bring a home-made kite to fly in an open field to demonstrate how the inventions of modern flight were discovered!) FOSS:
Grade 4-Ideas and Inventions and Simple Machines

Water, Water Everywhere

Water is essential for life. Water dominates the surface of our planet, changes the face of the land, and defines life. Students explore properties of water, changes in water, interactions between water and other earth materials, and how humans use water.
FOSS: Grade 4-Water

The Chemistry of Change

Students study the makeup of substances in nature to gain knowledge about the concepts of concentration, saturation, and chemical reactions. They will experiment with the use of variables to discover relationships through simple experiments and how chemical changes in the natural world can create catastrophic results.
FOSS: Grade 5-Mixtures and Solutions

This Land is My Land

Students investigate local landforms by using traditional tools of cartographers such as basic map and compass skills and learning the technology of Global Positioning System units (GPS). The popular game of Geocaching can be incorporated into this program.
FOSS: Grade 5-Landforms

Munching Mammals: Impacts of the Whitetailed Deer on A Forest Ecosystem and Us

All living things depend on the conditions in their environment. The study of the relationships between one organism, deer, and its environment builds knowledge of all organisms. Students work in teams as “wildlife biologists” to gather and analyze data while conducting a deer pellet and mammal track survey in winter. Students utilize a variety of scientific tools and e-gadgets.
FOSS: Grade 6-Environments
Grade 6—Spring/Fall Aquatic Study also available

Wisconsin Air and Weather—Advanced

Students use scientific thinking processes to conduct simple experiments, gather data, observe and communicate, and build hypotheses through series of outdoor weather and water stations.
FOSS: Grade 6-Air and Weather

Non-Foss Linked Field Trips

Just let us know what your students are interested in learning about or experiences they cannot get in the classroom.

Basic Compass and Orienteering (Grades 4 - adult)

Students learn the parts of the compass, how to use it properly and basic orienteering skills. These skills are combined with a nature scavenger hunt for friendly competition. Students use teamwork to complete one of the three compass courses. Incorporated within each course are clues that help students answer natural history questions about tree identification, habitat types, and wildlife.

Cross-Country Skiing (Grades 1 - adult)

Cross Country skiing is great exercise. Students will go through instruction and have a guided tour of our cross country ski trails. Ski rentals are available at the Preserve for both student and adults for a reduced rate. Limited number of skis/boots

Snowshoeing (Grades K - adult)

Students will learn a new way to enjoy the outdoors in the winter months and get some exercise at the same time. Instruction and games will be included. Limited number of snowshoes per session. Inquire about offsite visits with snowshoes to your school playground.

From Sap to Syrup (Grades K - 6 March)

This field trip begins with a visit to the sugar bush where students will taste sap, identify maple trees and learn the history of making maple syrup. Next stop is the sugar shack to view the sap boiling down process. Students and adults are treated to ice cream topped with the Preserve’s very own 100% maple syrup.

GPS (Grades 4- - adult)

This class is an introduction to Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Students will learn what GPS is, why it is important, how it is used in the real world. The popular game of Geocaching can also be incorporated to provide students with a high-tech treasure hunt.

Winter Survival (Grades 5- - adult)

Teamwork and problem solving is emphasized in this program that simulates an emergency, disaster situation in the outdoors. Students construct survival shelters out of forest debris and use primitive fire-making skills to create a warming fire. Dressing for the weather and basic survival tips are also covered. All participants must follow strict, personal and environmental safety rules. This program is only conducted in the winter.

Your Choice!

Programming choices are not limited to those listed. Please contact the Program Coordinator to discuss a field trip that best suits your needs.

Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve
4815 N. Lynndale Drive
Appleton, WI 54913
920.731.6041