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. Our Naturalist Educator will be happy to help you!

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.
Dahlem has financial assistance available thanks to generous funding from a MIS Cares grant and individual sponsors and donors. Learn more and fill out a financial assistance application form online.

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.

Engaging Educational Programs;

How Animals Survive Winter – fall, winter
Life Under a Log – spring, fall
Our Feathered Friends – spring, fall, winter
Signs of Fall – fall
Signs of Spring – spring
Super Squirrely – spring, fall, winter
Tree House; Who Lives There? – spring, fall, winter
What is Texture? – spring, fall, winter
Winter Animal Tracks – winter

Printable brochure available using the link at the bottom of the page.

Fall 2024 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 K.LS1.1 K.ESS3.1 K.ESS2.2

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 K.ESS2.1 1.LS1.A 1.LS1.1 1.LS3.1 2.ESS1.B & C

Minibeasts & Insects

Grades 1 & 2 (2 hours) – Sept to Oct

Fall is a great season to study minibeasts and insects, because they are everywhere! What are some differences between them, their jobs (good & not-so-good), life cycles, and how they survive. After a short presentation, take a guided discovery walk to investigate their living spaces in different habitats, at the bug field use sweep nets to capture insects on the wing, and then study them to observe insect adaptations and family ID. A great program to be ‘bugged’ in a good way! Standards: K-LS1.1 K-ESS3.1 1.LS1.1 1.LS1.2 1.LS3.1 2.LS2.1 2.LS2.2 2.LS4.1 3.LS2.1 3.LS4.3 3.LS1.1 3.LS3.1

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.LS1.1 3.LS2.1 3.LS4.2 3.LS4.3 3.LS2.C 3.LS4.4 4.LS1.1 4.LS1.2

Bird Beaks and Bird Adaptations

Grades 1, 2, 3 & 4 (2 hours)

Learn about bird adaptations, beaks, feet, feathers, and how to identify field marks during an interactive hands-on STEM lab activities and trail walk. Standards: 1.LS1.1 1.LS1.D 3.LS2.1 3.LS4.B 1.LS1.1 1.LS1.D 3.LS2.1 3.LS4.B 4.LS1-1 4.LS1-2

Aquatic Studies

Grades 3-8 (2 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

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

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

Spring 2025 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.LS1.1 K.LS1.A K.ESS2.2 K.ESS3.1 K.PS3.1 1.LS1.A 2.ESS1.C & B

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

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 2.LS4.1 3.LS1.1 3.LS2.1 3.LS3.2 3.LS3.A & B

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

Aquatic Studies

Grades 3-8 (2 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

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. Standards; 1.LSS1.A 2.LS3.1 2.LS4.1 3.LS3.A & B 3.LS4.C & D 4.LS1.2 5.LS2.A

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

Maple Sugaring Grades K-5 and Preschool (1.25 Hours) February 18 – March 20, 2025

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! This is an awesome science-based discovery program for all ages!

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)
Learn about where maple syrup comes from, 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. Lots of hands-on activities. Please dress for the weather!