Field Trips - Fort Yargo State Park | Department Of Natural Resources Division

Sensory Awareness Walk – Fulfills Kindergarten Science Standard SKL1 and SKL2

Students will have a 20-minute indoor component, where they can feel different animal furs, bones, and replicas (SKL1). Through this presentation students will use different features to classify animals into separate groups (SkL2). After, students will be led on a
½-mile hike and identify the interactions of living and nonliving components within the park (SKL1).
Sensory Tour of the Fort extension- Students will have a 20-45 minute tour of the Old Fort using their 5 senses: sense of smell, taste, touch, sight, and sound. Through this interactive tour, students will compare and contrast the life of a pioneer versus modern age.

Plant and Animal Discovery- Fulfills 1st Grade Science Standard S1L1

Students will have a 20-minute indoor component, where they will see skulls, bones, feathers, and furs of the gray fox, whitetail deer, and turkey who call Fort Yargo home. In addition, students will define the basic needs of wildlife: food, water, shelter, and space. After, students will enjoy a 1-mile Naturalist led hike and learn to identify parts of plants and their basic needs. At the end students will be split into groups to design a care plan for either a plant or an animal (S1L1).

Life at the Old Fort- Fulfills 1st Grade Social Science Standard SS1E1

Students will participate in a 45-minute presentation at the Old Fort and get a firsthand account of life on the frontier. While there, students will observe different trades and services that would have been around during the late 18th century. Some of these include wood working, metal working, fiber weaving, campfire cooking, and more (SS1E1).

Life Cycle Walk- Fulfills 2nd Grade Science Standard S2L1

Students will have a 20-minute indoor component, where they will differentiate life cycles of wildlife found at Fort Yargo State Park including our resident Kingsnake Knots. After, students will be led on a ½-mile hike along the Wilkins Greenway Trail to investigate the different life cycles of pollinators and plants at our own Pollinator Garden (S2L1).

Adaptations Hike- Fulfills 3rd Grade Science Standard S3L1

Students will have a 20-minute indoor component, where they will analyze the different adaptations of various plants and animals at Fort Yargo State Park, such as the resident Kingsnake Knots. After, students will be led on a 1-mile hike, where they will identify different adaptations and how they contribute to the survival of particular plants and animals (S3L1). At the end students will take time to use their creative skills and design a plant or animal with a special adaptation.

Where does the Energy Flow? - Fulfills 4th Grade Science Standards S4L1

Students will participate in educational games to help recognize the flow of energy in a food web. After, students will be led on a 1-mile hike to recognize the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a food web or chain (S4L1). At the end students will be challenged to recall the flow of energy in a food web by constructing their own model.

Other Program Themes Available:

Tree and Plant Identification Hikes
Water Quality Monitoring- Biological and Physical Assessments
Archery- Introduction based on National Archery in Schools Program Principles
Fishing Programs
Birding Hikes
Campfire Cooking
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Activities
Service Projects

Cost:

For Georgia Standards of Excellence field trips: $4 per student, with a minimum of 25 students. This cost includes all activities and materials, plus the cost of a shelter. Cost may increase for additional activities added, including high risk activities such as archery or boating.
Park passes are required for all vehicles visiting the park. Vehicles that have more than 12 seats will require a $30 parking pass. State Vehicles are exempt from this.
For non-school groups or groups with less than 25 students, please fill out the group contract form with your group’s information and desired activities. We will determine the price per participant based on activity requested and materials needed.

Additional Information:

Please fill out the group contract request form and deliver to the park at least 1 month prior to the program to allow staff to prepare resources for giving the best quality program. Some activities do have a size limit, if you have a larger group please be prepared to split up into smaller groups or to split into multiple days to complete the activity.

We are always available to modify a program to your specific wants and needs. If you are interested in a program that is not listed, please feel free to ask if it is possible to plan. If you have questions about programming please contact the park office, 770-867- 3489, or contact the Park Manager at Lori.Hamby@dnr.ga.gov

Download Group Contract Request Form