Outdoor Science
WOLF Outdoor Education offers Affordable Science and STEM camps for schools throughout Northern & Southern California and Surrounding States. We have many camps and locations to choose from. All classes meet state curriculum guidelines and are designed to be both interactive and engaging, while also being challenging. WOLF camp’s curriculum is appropriate for grades K-12.
Programs are designed to incorporate scientific field studies alongside team-building and problem-solving skills. At camp, students will learn about Riparian Ecology, Wildlife Studies, Birds of Prey, Botany, and Geology through hands-on activities and experiments. Some examples of our rotation activities may include Wild Edible Hikes, Microscopic Studies, Mineralogy, Flower Dissection, and Water and Soil Testing.
Activities
Oceans & Marine Life
Many of our WOLF camps in Northern and Southern California offer direct access to Marine Life, Ocean Ecosystems, and Tide-Pools for excellent Educational Exploration. Sea Kayaking is available at seaside locations.
Botany & Microscopes
WOLF Camp invites students to explore the unique world of flora native to Northern and Southern California. Through hands-on, engaging activities, we hope to make the world of plants more exciting and accessible to students. Some of these experiments may be the Extraction of Aspirin from Red Willow, Plant and Flower Dissection, Bark Beetle Study, Mechanisms of Seed Dispersal, and Transpiration.
Edible Plant Hike
Students participate in a hike through camp with a Trained WOLF Naturalist, Identifying Plants and discussing the many uses of native plants in that area, and learning how Native Americans in the area used plants in a variety of ways, or understanding the health benefits certain plants provide through vitamins and minerals. Staff highlight Poisonous Plants and what to avoid while out in the wilderness.
Animal Shows
WOLF works with several Animal Show Program providers. Each offers unique species to present to the students. Each animal is described as it is brought around for student viewing. Students will have an opportunity to ask questions and learn about the animals being presented. Often times volunteers are invited up to hold the animals that are brought in.
Birds of Prey
Students will learn about raptors and their adaptations. Owls, hawks, eagles, and vultures will be studied. We will discuss their relationship with the environment, man, and each other. Students will learn about their physical characteristics, hunting techniques, keen senses, nesting habits, dietary needs, and their unique digestive process. Dissecting owl pellets gives Students an opportunity to identify skeletal systems of owl's prey, as well as learn about their digestive process.
Giant Sling Shots
Putting the laws of physics to the test, giant sling shots are a crowd favorite. Working together to launch objects as small as tennis ball to as large as basket ball, Students learn to shoot at a bullseye targets before competing in a points race knocking down cones or catching the launched ball in a bucket to see which team is the overall champion!
Geology & Fossils
WOLF Camp students participate in interactive learning activities. Your class can study California’s Plate Tectonics, Rock Formations, Erosion, Fault Structures, and Fossilization. Designed as a field introduction course, WOLF's geology courses for students offer a deeper exploration of the world of rocks and minerals. Other activities include: Geology Map Study, Pick-and-Hammer Exploration, Fossil Hunting, and Making Crystals.
Field Science Journals
For a deeper dive into the sciences your students are learning at camp, WOLF can provide a journal for your Educational Experience. Throughout each rotation, students are encouraged to use their journals, Take Notes, Draw Field Sketches, and Record Data. The journals are filled with information on Native American Culture, Field Science Courses, Astronomy Facts, Data Tables, and pages for Creative Drawing and Writing.
Night Hikes & Astronomy
Night Hikes and Astronomy are a vital part of our WOLF curriculum. Students will participate in Sensory Awareness, Night Hikes, and Nocturnal Animals. They will learn about Star Formation, Black Holes, changing Sensory Perception, Nocturnal Animals, and Observe Planets and Nebulae through Telescopes.
Check out our Joshua Tree camp for one of the most fantastic Stargazing Experiences in California
Riparian Ecology
WOLF believes it is extraordinarily important for students to understand the source and influences of their water. To educate students in this area we have designed several activities where they can study the biotic and a-biotic systems affecting water. Often we incorporate the water cycle and watershed pollutants in these courses. For studying the biological side of our water we use microscopes, nets, and lenses to collect, examine, and identify various types of crustaceans, insects, spiders, and fish. To study the chemical nature of fresh water, students conduct elaborate experiments; testing for ammonia, nitrates, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, and pH.
Solar & Battery Inventions Lab
The inventions lab pairs students to invent battery and solar powered air boats in a think tank style environment. Students test and modify their inventions in and out of the water using wires, motors, solder, solar panels, batteries, tools, and more!
Mammals and Tracking
Students will learn about adaptations, tracking, hunting techniques, carnivorous and herbivorous species. Nocturnal, diurnal and crepuscular lifestyles will also be discussed and studied. Using field guides, Students will locate and identify tracks. We have a rotation which provides them with a plaster mixture to capture the tracks for the students to take home.
WOLF delivers a comprehensive hands-on science curriculum to inspire student inquiry and promote concepts of environmental stewardship and discovery. Students use tools, collect specimens, record data, and perform field science experiments in a wide variety of state standards science topics to match what they are learning in the classroom.
Our education and adventure combination accentuates outdoor experiences by emphasizing self-discovery, confidence building and scholastic learning. Our many camps are chosen because of their potential to challenge and stimulate each student. Please look through our many program possibilities and let us design a custom experience for you.
