Ijams Nature Center can offer your class a truly unique outdoor education experience. We are the only facility in Knoxville that gets kids out in nature on hiking trails that wind through forests and meadows, along creeks, ponds, and streams. Led by trained naturalists, students will notice their senses come alive as they become immersed in the sounds, sights, and scents of their environment.

Ijams Nature Center Field Trips

Dear Teachers,

We’re so glad you’re considering a visit to Ijams Nature Center. We have a wide variety of environmental education programs for students and teachers − including high-quality field trips and engaging classroom presentations.

Our facilities include both indoor and outdoor learning spaces, as well as an Exhibit Hall with several species of native animals. We are a perfect spot for exploring the outdoors, with over 300 acres of forests, meadows, streams and wetlands.

Our programs focus on inquiry-based education. Our hikes provide the opportunity for students to investigate their surroundings, and discover more about the world around them. All programs are grade-specific and tailored to meet the Education Standards established by the State of Tennessee and Knox County.

Be sure to let us know if you have thoughts or questions – we look forward to working with you and your school group.

Sincerely,

Jennifer RoderEducation DirectorIjams Nature Center

Welcome to Ijams!

We’ll use nature as our classroom as we wade through creeks, creep through meadows and hike through the forest. This immersive outdoor experience will truly help students gain an appreciation for the natural world. So, if you are looking for a way to bring science textbooks to life, consider a field trip at Ijams Nature Center. At Ijams, we believe that outdoor learning is more than just a great hike. Through the use of standards-based activities, students will gain hands-on knowledge that supports classroom curriculum. Outdoor activities are inquiry-based, encouraging students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills as they learn more about the natural world around them.

Whether the program focuses on how animals adapt to winter or the relationship between plants and pollinators in spring, Ijams offers year-round learning opportunities. So pack your hiking boots and binoculars and come discover science!

Public and private schools can participate in year-round learning opportunities for their students. Programs are approximately 2 hours in length and feature a combination of live animal programs and outdoor learning experiences. Each program is tailored to meet Tennessee State Standards and Knox County Learning Expectations.

How to Schedule a Field Trip:

To streamline field trip requests, we have started an online request system. Please visit us online at ijams.org/school-programs to complete the Online Request Form. Once your request is received by our Field Trip Coordinators, one of them will contact you to finalize program details and scheduling.

Ijams Nature Center Field Trips

General Information

Fall: August - NovemberWinter: December - MarchSpring: April - June

Field Trip Seasons

When children come into contact with nature, they

reveal their strength.

~Maria Montessori

Fall: $6 per student; $10 chaperoneWinter: $ 6 per student; $10 per chaperoneSpring: $8 per student; $12 per chaperone

Field Trip Prices

Chaperone GuidelinesChaperone limit: 1 chaperone per 4 students.NO ADDITIONAL CHAPERONES ORSIBLINGS MAY ATTEND.

Ijams Nature Center Field Trips

field trip basics

Ijams Nature Center Field Trips

Field Trip programs

Animals Through the SeasonsIn this hour-long program we will talk about what our animals do in each season. We will start out with our enviro-quilt and learn about habitats with our puppets. Then, we will go on a small hike looking for animal homes and maybe spotting a few friends on the way. This trip will give the students a chance to learn about adaptation, survival skills for animals, as well as the important components of a habitat- and the best part is its lots of fun! Grades: Pre-K - KCost: $4 per student (Fall and Winter) $6 per student (Spring)

Welcome to the WildIn this hour long program, students will rotate through stations with their chaperones. The goal will be instilling a love for the outdoors, while gaining confidence outdoors. Activities will engage their senses, while allowing them to choose what they would like to participate in. Grades: Pre-K – 1Cost: $6 per student (Fall and Winter) $8 per student (Spring)

A Sense of WonderThis 2-hour long program will explore the different sensations of nature. We will use our ears, eyes, noses, and hands to explore the natural world around us. We even will discuss how animals use their senses to survive as well. Grades: K - 1Cost: $6 per student (Fall and Winter) $8 per student (Spring)

The Hunt for the Mini-beast During this epic adventure we will search high and low for the “mini-beasts” (frogs, salamanders, insects, rodents) of Ijams. We will discover the areas they might live in, and why they might live there! We will get a chance to be up close and personal with these mighty animals that often get overlooked!Grades: K - 3Cost: $6 per student (Fall and Winter) $8 per student (Spring)

Plant-tastic!The spotlight for this program is on our green, leafy friends! We will discuss the different plants in the area, what they need to survive, and how they help us survive. By the end, your students should be familiar with photosynthesis, the needs plants have, and the benefits they provide animals! Grades: 2 - 3Cost: $6 per student (Fall and Winter) $8 per student (Spring)

Follow the Food ChainWe all eat the sun here on Earth! During this trip we will figure out how exactly that works. We will go on a hike exploring the different area of the forest and the animals that might live in them. We will also get to play some fun, interpretive games teaching us about predators/prey, autotrophs/heterotrophs, and food chains/food webs. Your students will leave with a deeper appreciation of the natural world, and get to tell all their friends they eat sunshine for breakfast! Grades: 2 - 5Cost: $6 per student (Fall and Winter) $8 per student (Spring)

Pond PartyNOTE: This program is only offered for groups with 40 or less. It is ONLY available March-October.We have a diversity of ecosystems here at Ijams, including pond life! During this 2 hour trip we will spend time talking about the plants and animals you can find near the pond. We will also use nets and search the ponds for different aquatic insects and amphibians. Students will leave with an appreciation for aquatic life, and fun memories! Grades: 2 - 8Cost: $8 per student (Fall and Winter) $10 per student (Spring)

Ijams Nature Center offers 10 different field trips for school groups. The descriptions below will help you find the program that works best for your students. All field trips are led by Ijams Nature Center’ team of knowledgeable naturalists.

To register for a field trip, complete an Online Field Trip Request Form at ijams.org/school-programs.

 

Ijams Nature Center Field Trips

Field Trip programs

Native AppalachiaThis 2-hour trip will take us back to a different time. We will talk about how the early Native Americans lived in these areas, and the skills they used to survive. We will build small structures, learn basic survival skills, and talk about the different medicinal and edible plants on the trails!Grades: 2 - 8Cost: $6 per student (Fall and Winter) $8 per student (Spring) Citizen ScientistsAfter school, you will be citizens of the world! A great way to make a change is through participating in citizen science efforts. First, we will learn about what citizen science is, why it's important, and how you can help. Then, we will actually go collect data for science! Depending on the time of year, you may be collecting phenology data, doing frog species counts, or looking for different snails! Don't miss this opportunity to make a difference in the scientific world! Grades: 9 - 12Cost: $8 per student (Fall and Winter) $10 per student (Spring)

Chaperones are limited to one parent/guardian per 4 children (NOT including teachers and other school staff).

All chaperones are required to pay a $10 program fee.

NO SIBLINGS are permitted on field trips. If parents want to be chaperones, they are required to make alternative child care arrangements for siblings.

If additional chaperones or siblings that show up on the day of the field trip, the school will be billed $15 per extra participant.

Chaperone Information

After your program, you are welcome to bring your lunch and eat at Ijams Nature Center. When you confirm your program, your group will also have use of our outdoor pavilion for lunch. You are free to stay in the pavilion, or spread out onto the lawn in front of the Visitor Center.

In the event of extremely cold temperatures or heavy rains, you will have access to indoor space for lunch. Please be aware that you will be responsible for cleaning up after your students, as well as sweeping the classroom after use.

Ijams Nature Center Field Trips

Lunch at ijams

ALL GROUPS ARE REQUIRED TO BRING TRASH BAGS AND TAKE THEIR GARBAGE BACK TO SCHOOL FOR DISPOSAL. WE DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT DUMPSTER SPACE FOR FIELD TRIPS.

Any groups that leaves their trash behind or fails to clean up after their students will be subject to a $50 cleaning fee, which will be billed directly to the school.

Ijams Nature Center Field Trips

about ijams

Ijams Nature Center is named for Harry and Alice Ijams who first purchased the original 20 acres of land in 1910. The Ijams family established the property as a natural showplace known as the Bird Sanctuary. Ijams has been a gathering point for birder and nature-lovers for more than a century.

In the 1960s, the Knoxville Garden Club, Knox County Council of Garden Clubs and the City of Knoxville joined forces to create the Ijams property into a public nature park. Over the years, Ijams Nature Center, as a non-profit organization, has grown in size and stature to become the region’s leading wildlife sanctuary and environmental learning center. Our mission is to encourage environmental stewardship by providing engaging outdoor experiences.

Today, Ijams Nature Center is an independent non-profit, funded by grants, donations, memberships, program fees, concessions, and rentals. We need your help to continue the Ijams legacy and to preserve this special place for generations to come. In addition to supporting our education programs, consider becoming a member or donating now. Your contribution helps to ensure the future of quality education programs for the East Tennessee community.

Did You Know?

Ijams Nature Center also offers educational programs for the general public (children, families, adults, scout groups, community organizations). For information, visit us online at ijams.org/events for an updated calendar of programs and events.