NatureFest
Hennepin County and the Three Rivers Park District partner to offer NatureFest, an environmental education field day for 5th grade classes.
The goal of this field trip is to provide environmental and outdoor education experiences to students from area schools.
About NatureFest
- Location: Mississippi Gateway Regional Park in Brooklyn Park
- Dates: September 30, October 1, 2, and 3 (schools will attend one day)
- Time: This is a full-day field trip; classes will be on-site for about 4.5 hours. Exact timing will be determined once schools are selected to accommodate school start and end times.
- Cost: Free
- Bus costs: Hennepin County can provide transportation to NatureFest at no charge. A bus will be provided through a contract Hennepin County has with a bus company.
NatureFest will be held entirely outdoors with access to the new Mississippi Gateway nature center if needed for weather. We will work with you to help your students come prepared, and we will have some extra equipment available to help students stay comfortable.
Activities and standards
NatureFest helps meet many state education standards in science, social studies, and physical education. Education station topics include ecology, biology, collecting environmental data, seasonal changes and climate impacts, taking action to protect the environment, and more.
Activities may include exploring habitats and the plants and animals that live within them, learning to use equipment to explore nature, catching insects with nets, fishing, playing education games to learn about seasons and climate, and discussing actions that protect the environment.
New: Multiple year attendance policy
NatureFest has limited capacity and cannot accommodate all schools that are interested in attending each year. We know there is value both in schools being able to attend multiple years in a row and in offering the opportunity to new schools.