Dahlem Environmental Education School Programs
Dahlem offers a wide variety of STEM/STEAM appropriate and NGSS-compliant school programs. All programs are aligned to the Michigan Common Core Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Please contact us for more information and to register.
To Register: Call 517-782-3453 ext. 106 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
Fees: $8/student ($60 minimum/program). Two classes of students maximum per time slot for Field Trips and Outreach Programs. Teachers are admitted free, chaperones pay the $8 student rate.
Fees are due on the day of the Program. Cash, credit card (Visa/Master Card) or make checks payable to: The Dahlem Conservancy. Cancellations made less than 48 hours in advance of the scheduled program are subject to the $60 minimum charge.
Do you need financial assistance? We suggest you look into these grant providers for programs and transportation. All online – information and applications.
Wheels to Woods (transportation) https://www.treefarmsystem.org/wheels-to-woods
Michigan Nature Association (program/transportation) https://www.michigannature.org/menus/education.html
Meemic Foundation (programs/projects) https://www.meemic.com/the-meemic-foundation/grant-opportunities.aspx
Ask your PTO or school supporters to help fund your science-based field trip
Before You Call:
Check your school calendar and be prepared to provide the following information:
- Program title/theme
- On-site or Outreach (at your school)
- Date and Time (am or pm), plus alternatives. We are flexible on times to help you coordinate with transportation availability.
- Grade level and number of students, teachers and chaperones
- School name, address, and phone number
- Names of all participating teachers and their email addresses
Printable Brochures available using links at the bottom of the page.
Thank you for selecting Dahlem as your outdoor science based educational experience. We look forward to meeting and partnering with you.
Preschool Naturalist Programs
Share your love of nature with your preschool students. We will explore and play with nature while developing critical early childhood skills and growing self-confidence. The Preschool Naturalist Programs are geared toward children 5 years and younger to learn about our changing seasons, animal homes, backyard birds, insects, winter survival, and more. Each program offers a different theme and activities to give your class many program opportunities.
Fall 2022 Programs
Signs of Fall
Kindergarten (1.25 hours) – Sept to Nov
Listen! Watch! Touch! Smell! Discover the world around you as summer slowly turns into winter. How many signs can you find at home and school? Let’s go out and explore! Standards: K.LS1.C
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Nature Prepares for Winter
Kindergarten & Grade 1 (1.25 hours) – Sept to Nov
People prepare for the chilly weather, and so do plants and animals. Learn how seeds, fur, evergreen needles, underground homes, and “antifreeze” help nature’s creatures survive the winter. Standards: K.LS1.C 1.LS1.A 2.ESS1.C & B
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
The Interesting World of Insects
Grades 1 & 2 (2 hours) – Sept to Oct
Fall is the best time to study insects, because they are everywhere! During this guided discovery walk out to our insect field, students use sweep nets to capture insects on the wing, and then study them as they learn about insect adaptations, life cycles and family ID. A great program to be ‘bugged’ in a good way! Standards: K-2.ETS1.1 K-2.ETS1.2
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Animal Homes & Habitats
Grades 1, 2 & 3 (2 hours) – Sept to Nov
Where do animals live and why do they live there? Explore the habitats of many local wildlife species. Find out how their homes and habitats serve their needs and help them survive. Students participate in a predator-prey game and take an exploration hike. Standards: 1.LS1.A 2.LS2.C 3.LS2.C 3.LS4.B
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Aquatic Studies
Grades 3-8 (2.5-3 hours) Spring & Fall
All life depends on clean water. A study of the biota at an aquatic ecosystem can be used to determine water quality. In this program, students sample for aquatic life at both a pond and a stream. Identification of living organisms (plants as well as animals) sampled at each site leads to a discussion on the quality of the water at Dahlem. Standards: 3.LS.3.A & B 3.LS4.C & D 4.LS1.2 5.LS2.A MS.LS1.A & D
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Skulls, Scats & Tracks
Michigan Mammals
Grades 1-5 (1.5 hours) – Year-Round
Students see and touch Michigan mammal skins and skulls, explore classification, adaptations, and predator/prey relationships. Students also investigate animal signs, such as scats and tracks, that they can find in their own backyards. Standards: 1.LSS1.A A.LS3.1 2.LS3.1 S.LS4.A 3.LS3.A & B 3.LS4.C & D 4.LS1.2 5.LS2.A
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
How to Build an Animal
Animal Adaptations
Grades 1-5 (1.5 hour) – Year-Round
How do beavers build their dams? Are all bird feathers the same? Do snakes have a tail? Students explore the fascinating array of animal adaptations and learn how each characteristic helps the species survive. Standards: 1.LSS1.A 1.LS3.1 2.LS4.1 3.LS3.A & B 3.LS4.C & D 4.LS1.2 5.LS2.A
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Spring 2023 Programs
Signs of Spring
Kindergarten (1.25 hours) – April to June
Discover the wonders of a world awakening to spring! Use all of your senses to experience the changing environment around you. See the shapes and colors, feel the textures, and smell the fragrances of the spring season. Standards: K.LS1.C 1.LS1.A 2.ESS1.C & B
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Who Lives There?
Kindergarten & Grade 1 (1.5 hours) – April to June
Search for animal homes. Discover where and why animals make their homes the way they do. Become a careful outdoor observer and discover the animals at Dahlem as they seek to satisfy their basic needs of food, water, shelter, and space. Standards: K.LS1.1 1.LS1.A 2.LS2.A
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Frogs and Toads
Grades 1, 2 & 3 (2 hours) – April to May
Find our local amphibians in their favorite spring hideouts. Study their life cycles, and characteristics and learn their language. Does a frog really feel like a dill pickle? Come to Dahlem and find out! Standards: 1.LS3.A & B 3.LS3.A & B
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Spring Birds
Grades 1, 2 & 3 (2 hours) – April to June
Peer at our feathered friends through Dahlem Center binoculars! Learn about bird nests, songs, adaptations, and how to identify field marks during an interactive trail hike and hands-on STEM lab activities. Standards: K.LS1.1 1.LS1.1 1.LS1.D 3.LS2.1 3.LS4.B
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Aquatic Studies
Grades 3-8 (2.5-3 hours) – Spring & Fall
All life depends on clean water. A study of the biota in an aquatic ecosystem can help determine water quality. In this program, students sample aquatic life at both a pond and a stream. Identification of the living organisms (plants as well as animals) sampled at each site leads to a discussion of the water quality at Dahlem. Standards: 3.LS3.A &B 3.LS4.C & D 4.LS1.2 5.LS2.A MS.LS1.A & D
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Skulls, Scats, & Tracks: Michigan Mammals
Grades 1-5 (1.5 hours program) offered year round (Ideal for Jan/Feb)
Students see and touch Michigan mammal skins and skulls, explore mammal classification, adaptations, and predator/prey relationships. Students also investigate animal signs such as scats and tracks that they can search for in their own backyards.
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
How to Build an Animal
Animal Adaptations
Grades 1-5 (1.5 hours program), offered year round (Ideal for Jan/Feb)
How do beavers build their dams? Are all bird feathers the same? Do snakes have a tail? Students explore the fascinating array of animal adaptations and how each characteristic helps species survive in the challenging Michigan environment. Standards: 1.LSS1.A 1.LS3.1 2.LS4.1 3.LS3.A & B 3.LS4.C & D 4.LS1.2 5.LS2.A
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Maple Sugaring Preschool & Grades K-5 (1.25 Hours) Feb. 21 – March 23, 2023
Grades K-5th
Maple Sugaring school program is designed to allow students a first hand experience in the delicious tradition of maple sugaring. Students will learn basic concepts of maple sugaring, investigate tree characteristics, winter tree ID, how sap flows, taste sap from a maple tree, and see the maple syrup-making process itself at our historic sugar shack. Several outdoor stations and a couple indoor stations allows students a chance to warm up on cold days. Please dress for the weather! Supports STEM. Standards: K.LS1.C K.ESS3.A K.ETS1.A 2.LS2.1 2.LS2.2 5.LS1.C 5.LS2.A Program aligns to Michigan Common Core Standards, Next Generation Science Standards
Preschool (ages 3 to young 5’s)
Come for story time, a visit to the sugar bush, collect sap, take part in hands-on demonstrations, visit the sugar shack for a sweet treat all makes for a fun and educational trip! Program stations are in/out-doors. Please dress for the weather!
Call Naturalist Educator Carrie Benham at 517-782-3453 ext. 106 for information and to register your class.
Printable Brochures
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Open in new tab 2023 Spring Programs
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2022-2023 Preschool Naturalist
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2023 Maple Sugaring
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