• Purple, yellow, gold and orange sponges and soft corals wave against a turquioise sea.

    Biscayne

    National Park Florida

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  • Elliott Key Harbor and Campground Closed

    Winds, surge and tides associated with Hurricane Sandy caused considerable damage to docks & boardwalk at Elliott Key. The harbor and campground are closed until further notice. University Dock remains open for day use only. More »

Day Programs

Students explore the seagrass meadows.

Students identify fish in Biscayne Bay.

MDC

BISCAYNE EXPLORER: WILDLIFE INVENTORY AND NATURE STUDY
Biscayne Explorer: Wildlife Inventory and Nature Study is a standards-based, ranger-led program that brings science and scientific methods to life. This program offers students with the opportunity to perform the same tasks as National Park scientists, inlcuding water quality testing, monitoring coral growth and inventorying wildlife. Species identification and surveying are critical responsibilities that help to ensure proper management of natural resources.

Upon your arrival to the Dante Fascell Visitor Center, your class will be greeted by a National Park ranger who will provide your group with a brief orientation. The Ranger will then lead your class along six activity stations. (Large groups will need teachers and chaperones to lead, as well as the park ranger.) Students will test water samples, make a food web with real specimens and learn about the park's coral reefs. Using identification cards, students will also identify and inventory the wildlife that they see. The students will record all of their findings into a workbook which can be taken back to the classroom for further study, discussion, or counted towards a grade. Biscayne Explorer: Wildlife Inventory Curriculum Materials can now be viewed online!

Grades: 4th-7th Grade
Ranger Led: Yes
Standards based: Yes
Group size: 15-60 Students
Chaperones: 1 per every 10 students
Program Dates: October-May **Note: no programs conducted in December

School's responsibility: Transportation to Dante Fascell Visitor Center and lunch.
Park's responsibility: Ranger and program supplies.
Program Length: 4 hours (including lunch).
To register: Fill out and submit the online Biscayne Explorer Registration Form.
For more information: Call (305)230-7275 x 08 or e-mail us

 

Did You Know?

Semaphore pricklypear cactus

In 2001, scientists taking a plant inventory in Biscayne National Park discovered a population of semaphore pricklypear cactus, one of the world's rarest plants. Previously known as only 9 plants in the lower Florida Keys, the new population numbered 570 plants...over 60 times the previous count.