K-12 Education at the Environmental Learning Center

The John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center (ELC) is a place where all ages can learn about the environment through hands-on, interactive activities that are both educational and fun!

We offer K-12 class field trips, day camps and a pre-school program — all designed to enrich student learning through outdoor education. Students get to explore, interact with, measure and create within the lush outdoor surroundings of the ELC, which contains both forest and wetland habitat.

For more information about opportunities, visit ELCfieldtrip@clackamas.edu.

Children attending ELC programs are expected to follow Oregon's immunization policy. Please visit the Oregon Health Authority for more information.

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ELC programs for kids

School Field Trips: Ecosystems, Food Webs, Adaptations

Our recently restored wetland, fed by underground springs and stormwater runoff from the Oregon City campus, provides critical habitat for wildlife and water quality improvement, making it the ideal location to study wetland habitat.

The following programs for school field trips meet specific Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) on ecosystems, adaptation, biodiversity and the impact of human activity.

If you are interested in scheduling a field trip, please view our field trip calendar.

You will be asked to:

Select a date
Select number of groups. Please note that we can do two groups at a time, with a maximum number of 30 per group.
Please register and pick your program

We have limited scholarship dollars available. If you are interested in filling out a request for some assistance, or have questions about our field trips, please e-mail ELCfieldtrip@clackamas.edu

ELC Field Trip Programs

Do Coyotes Eat Salad? A Journey into the Forest Ecosystem

Grades: K-3
2.5 hours
Cost: $8/student (minimum $160/group)

The forest ecosystem is a complex web of plants and animals interacting with each other every day to find food, shelter and mates. This field excursion will give your students a better understanding of forest ecology through hands-on learning, interactive role playing and participation in fun education-based games!

Prepare to get ducky! Exploring wetland habitats

Grades: K-3
2.5 hours
Cost: $8/student (minimum $160/group)
Wetlands make up only about 5% of the Earth’s surface, yet they are crucial habitat for a wide array of plants and animals. During their visit, students will learn about wetland plant and animal identification, animal migration and the important role wetlands play in water quality.

Why is my skin green? Adaptations for survival

Grades: 4
2.5 hours
Cost: $8/student (minimum $160/group)

Frogs, birds, bears and even plants have adapted to improve their chances of survival in nature. Students will explore several types of adaptation in the forest/wetland ecosystem, and determine the purpose for each adaptation (growth, survival, behavior or reproduction), then join in a variety of fun, interactive games to reinforce their discoveries.

Web of Life: Food chains in the ecosystem

Grades: 5
2.5 hours
Cost: $8/student (minimum $160/group)

It may not be obvious, but all food ultimately comes from the sun. This engaging program will help your students to develop an understanding for the complex, interdependent relationships within an ecosystem. By exploring different components of the food chain, students will recognize the role of abiotic factors as well.

School Field Trips: Watershed Health

Our recently restored wetland, fed by underground springs and stormwater runoff from the Oregon City campus, provides critical habitat for wildlife and water quality improvement. And, as the headwaters to Newell Creek, it's the perfect venue for watershed discussions!

Thanks to support from Clackamas Water Environment Services, the City of Gladstone, and Oak Lodge Water Services, we are able to offer Watershed Health Field Trips for FREE to schools located within their districts, including bussing expenses. Please see our list of Qualifying Schools.

The following Watershed Health programs for school field trips meet specific Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) on the impact of human activity, natural hazards, land and water bodies, and interpreting earth features from maps.

If you are interested in scheduling a field trip, please view our Field Trip calendar.

You will be asked to:

Select a date
Select number of groups. Please note that we can do two groups at a time, with a maximum number of 30 per group.
Please register
To find out if your school is eligible to receive this program for free, view our list of Qualifying Schools.
Pick your program

ELC Field Trip Watershed Programs

The River Starts Here: Exploring Water in Nature

Grades: K-2
2.5 hours
Cost: $8/student (minimum $160/group) or free for schools located in qualifying districts.

Every drop of water around us could ultimately be linked to the life-sustaining waters in our rivers. In this engaging and hands-on field trip, students will explore the wetland and surrounding forest for water in all its forms. Field studies will focus on branching patterns in nature and discovery of the macroinvertebrates living in the wetland. Students will be introduced to the concept of a watershed through nature-based play, and learn how our actions can impact water quality.

Healthy Watersheds: How Do We Get There?

Grades: 3-5
2.5 hours
Cost: $8/student (minimum $160/group) or free for schools located in qualifying districts.

We all live in a watershed, but what does that really mean? In this field trip, a variety of activities and games will engage students in learning about the inter-connections that exist within a watershed, including how our actions can impact the water quality, the people, and the wildlife within it. Students will measure the quality of water in our wetland, and experiment with the role that soil plays in filtering pollutants from the water.

Watershed Health: Monitoring Water Quality

Grades: 6-8
3 hours
Cost: $15/student (minimum $300/group) or free for a limited number of schools located in qualifying districts.

Please contact ELCfieldtrip@clackamas.edu for more information on scheduling this program for grades 6-8. This field trip can accommodate groups up to 120 students.

Wetlands function as highly efficient water filtration plants, help to control flood waters and provide vital habitat for many plant and animal species. In this field trip, students will learn sampling techniques and gain hands-on experience collecting data to evaluate the real-world impacts of this wetland on water quality in the Newell Creek watershed. In their role as community scientists, students will contribute to a database that teachers and students can use back in the classroom, allowing them to create charts and compare data over time.

If you have questions about these Field Trips, please e-mail ELCfieldtrip@clackamas.edu.

Nature Striders Pre-School Program

Spring Break Nature Spy Camps

K-12 Education at the Environmental Learning Center

ELC programs for kids

ELC Field Trip Programs

ELC Field Trip Watershed Programs

Nature Striders Upcoming Dates and Themes

Resources

Oregon City Campus

Harmony Campus

Wilsonville Campus