More than 1,300 students explore Montour Preserve, various habitats during May field trips

More than 1,300 students visited Montour Preserve in May for their schools’ spring field trips. Many of the visits were led by the Vernal School Environmental Education Partnership and featured guided hikes, fossil digs, pond studies and other interactive learning stations.

One standout trip came from the Milton Area School District, where 200 seventh graders took part in a visit organized by students in the district’s Chief Science Officers program.

“The Milton Chief Science Officer field trip was particularly meaningful because it was organized by the students themselves,” said Marissa Crames, Vernal School program supervisor. 

Natalie Myers-Easton, an enrichment teacher with the Milton Area School District, said the field trip’s success was due in large part to the collaboration with Vernal School staff.  

“Milton Area School District’s seventh grade STEM field trip for our Chief Science Officer program was successful because of the support from the Vernal School Environmental Education Partnership,” Myers-Easton said. “Marissa Crames, the program supervisor, communicated every step of the way in the planning process. There were numerous engaging stations throughout Montour Preserve led by professionals and community members representing different avenues of STEM in our environment. Students were fully engaged and never bored during their time at Montour Preserve and want to do it again next school year. This trip was an educational and enriching experience for all students of different learning styles.”

Lewisburg Area School District’s third graders came on a field trip to the preserve. Students rotated through a fossil dig, pond study, a guided hike along the preserve’s Planetary Walk and a scavenger hunt inside the visitor center.

“This was our second year of having a field trip at Montour Preserve, and the Vernal School did an amazing job of running four different stations for our kids,” said Katie Concini, a third-grade teacher at Kelly Elementary. “The activities were perfectly planned, age-appropriate and engaging for both students and adults. The kids particularly enjoyed finding creatures at the environmental study pond. We are grateful for the team at the Vernal School for providing such rich, academic programming. We tell everyone we know to check out the Vernal School for field trip options. Many of our students had never been to Montour Preserve before, so this also introduced our community to the many opportunities that exist at the preserve.”

Liberty Valley Intermediate School brought 160 students to the preserve and later posted on social media: “It was a wonderful day filled with incredible experiences for the students.” Cochran Primary School posted that "Third grade students enjoyed a day of outdoor fun at the Montour Preserve. Hiking through “the solar system, searching for aquatic insects and animals at the lake, and digging for fossils at the fossil pit."

Educators interested in scheduling a field trip to Montour Preserve through the Vernal School Environmental Education Partnership can contact program supervisor Marissa Crames at 570-850-1166 or email [email protected] for more information and availability.

Field trips are encouraged and available year-round for various groups, not just schools.