With our partners and team of Volunteer Naturalist guides, we are happy to be able to offer schools and private groups a chance to explore Newport Bay’s unique wetland environment. Check out all the options below to see what might be the best fit for your group!
We are always working to make our school programs accessible to all students and continually seek grants to support participation by Title 1 schools. If your school will need financial support to attend, you may request funding on the same form where you request your program, and we will let you know if it is available.
Program requests are reviewed monthly. Please submit the appropriate request form at least 2 months prior to your requested date to ensure our team is able to reply back to you.
Elementary School Field Trips
We welcome classes of Kindergarten through 5th grade to join us at the Muth Interpretive Center for fun and educational field trips! Programs are run on Tuesday mornings and cost $5/student. Each program features a rotation of 3-4 activities centered around a particular theme and is designed to align with NGS standards for the grade level. Themes for each grade level are as follows:
Kindergarten – “Estuary Explorers”
First Grade – “Feathered Friends Forever”
Second Grade – “Wild for Wetlands”
Third Grade – “The Case of the Disappearing Species”
Fourth Grade – “Shell Me More”
Fifth Grade – “Wetlands Webs of Life”
NOTE: These programs are best suited to traditional schools bringing a group of students all at the same grade level. Looking for something for your homeschool group? Scroll down to our Private Group Programming options below!
For more details on these offerings, please view our Elementary Program Interest Packet.
Ready to book your tour? Please complete our Elementary Program Request Form to get started.
High School/College Field Trips
For high school and college students, we conduct an Environmental Education Program out of the Newport Aquatic Center. Programs are run Wednesday-Friday and cost $15/participant. Students spend a couple hours on the water in an outrigger learning about the ecology, geology, and natural processes of the Upper Newport Bay, and a couple hours on land learning about the 6 unique habitats of the Bay, our watershed, and testing water quality. Half-day water-only tours are available. Each year, roughly 1,000 students from 20 different schools participate.
For more information, see our Outrigger Interest Packet.
Ready to book your tour? Please complete our Outrigger Program Request Form to get started.
Private Group Programming – coming soon!
Interested in bringing your coworkers, club, scout troop, or homeschool group out to enjoy the Bay? We will soon have a variety of options available for you, whether you are looking to explore with a learning experience or get your hands dirty with a stewardship activity. Options include walking tours, kayak tours, cleanup activities from land and kayak, and habitat restoration activities. Availability, group size & age requirements, and cost varies by activity.
For more details on each offering, and to book your program, check back on this page after August 15th!
