Lanark Field Days provides fun and exciting field trip opportunities for students in grades K-12 that address the Alabama State Course of Study Objectives through a multi-disciplinary approach using conservation education.
Welcome to the Alabama Nature Center
Alabama Nature Center is a hands-on outdoor education facility located at Lanark in Millbrook, Alabama. Just a few miles north of Montgomery and conveniently located along I-65, Lanark is the new home of the Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) and the former estate of benefactors Isabel and Wiley Hill.
Lanark and the new Alabama Nature Center contain 350 acres of striking forests, fields, streams, wetlands, and ponds that are traversed by five miles of boardwalks and trails in three regions: Turkey Ridge, Hilltop Pass, and Still Creek Run. Key destinations include the Tree Top Walk, the Gum Pond, Natural Spring, and the Still Creek Riparian Forest, just to name a few. Conservation education programs at the Alabama Nature Center focus on using these natural resources as fun and exciting hands-on learning tools.
Course of Study Field Trips
Early Explorers
Touch a pinecone, see a butterfly, hear a cardinal, smell a honeysuckle blossom—a world of discovery awaits youthful curiosity at the Alabama Nature Center. Tailored specifically for preschool students, this program invites younger participants to experience their first contact with nature. Hands-on activities will focus on using the five senses to explore the wonders of the natural world. This program is only offered as a half-day program.
Get Your Bearings
Never get lost in the woods again! Discover your direction with this program designed to enhance participants’ navigation skills. With a focus on the basics of orienteering and GPS, this program utilizes simple course-plotting activities that will give students the skills necessary to successfully navigate a particular path. Wherever you’re going, you need to know the way. A good place to start—the Alabama Nature Center!
Aquatic Adventures
Grab your water shoes and get ready to get wet during this fun-drenched water program! If your students enjoy exploring wetland ecosystems, netting for aquatic critters or catching fish, then this program is ideal for your class. Discover a world of water that goes beyond the water cycle! Learn how our most valuable natural resource is consumed and conserved.
Wild Things
From snakes and salamanders to rabbits and raccoons, there’s a wealth of wildlife wandering the woods at the Alabama Nature Center. This program gives students the opportunity to become wildlife biologists for the day as they investigate the habits and habitats of native Alabama animals. Discover answers to all of your animal questions from “Who lives where?” to “Who eats whom?”
Forest Forces
Ever wonder why leaves change color in the fall? Or how old a tree might be? This program challenges students to identify the most important plants in our state using study methods such as leaf shape and bark appearance. From seed dispersal techniques to pollination methods, students explore the most fascinating facets of our forests from root to shoot. Never underestimate the power of plants again!
Earth Rocks!
Get ready to get down and dirty during this earth science-focused program that explores the land we live on from its most basic elements. Students can participate in rock hounding, a search for super cool creek rocks or enjoy the hands-on feel of clay sculpting, as they literally hold the earth in the palms of their hands.
Half-Day Field Trips
Choose from one of our grade-specific, pre-planned Course of Study Field Trips. One activity will be a special activity chosen by a teacher and the other activity will be an ANC Activity that will be chosen by our staff. Staff will choose and plan these accordingly in regards to special topics requested by the teacher, group timetables, weather, and seasonal variations.
General Information
Field Trip Dates
August - May | Monday-Friday
Call 1-800-822-9453 today to schedule your customized field trip.
Group Size
Min. Half Day: 35 Students | Min. Full Day: 20 Students
Teachers / Chaperones - 1 adult per 10 students ratio mandatory.
May bring up to 3 adults per 10 students.
To schedule field trips for larger or smaller groups, please call to discuss arrangements.
Lunch
Lanark Lunches | $5.00 per person (schools may bring their own lunches)
Field Trip Costs
Full-Day Field Trip | $10.00 per child (includes 4 hours of instructional activities between 9 am - 3 pm)
Half-Day Field Trip | $6.00 per child (includes 2 hours of instructional activities between 9 am - 3 pm)
Cancellation Policy
Group cancellations must be made up to two weeks prior to the reserved date in order to avoid a cancellation fee. The cancellation must be made in writing and must be received by mail, email, or fax. A $50 cancellation fee will charged to organizations who cancel within two weeks of the reservation.
Programs will take place rain or shine. Although the Alabama Nature Center is an “outdoor classroom”, we are fortunate to have the Lanark Pavilion available for rainy days. Most of our programs can be modified as a rainy day alternative.
Souvenirs
The Pavilion Outpost at the Alabama Nature Center offers souvenirs to commemorate your experience!