Fall Programs

Registration for Fall 2025 field trips

Please submit your request by Friday September 5th. Requests made after that date will be considered, but may not be able to be accommodated due to limited staffing.

The fall programs are listed below, along with a short description and the dates it is being offered. Click the title of any program for more detailed information about it, or email the Acadia Education Office.

Virtual programs will be offered during the winter, starting in mid-November. Visit the distance learning page to view those programs.

Submit your program request for this fall by completing this form:

Field Trip Request Form

 

Fall Field Trip Programs

Ecosystem Explorers: Sun Seekers

Kindergarten
9 am–11:30 am
Join a ranger for a fun-filled walk through a coastal forest to learn about the connections between the energy of the sun and the resources of Acadia.

Ecosystem Explorers: Nature Counters & Classifiers

1st Grade
9 am–11:30 am
Explore woodland areas near the sea. Students will have the opportunity to be Junior Scientists by measuring, counting, and sorting resources along the trail.

Ecosystem Explorers: Earth, Sea and Sky

2nd Grade
9 am–11:30 am
Hike forest trails with scenic ocean views. Students will search, sketch and use maps to discover how various landforms in Acadia have been shaped over time.

What Do Rangers Do? and Junior Ranger Day

3rd Grade (both programs)
What Do Rangers Do? is a 45-minute virtual program which is a prerequisite for the Junior Ranger Day field trip. Students learn about the mission of the National Park Service and the different jobs needed to protect our national parks. This program is one of the requirements for becoming an official Acadia Junior Ranger, along with workbook activities and the Junior Ranger Day at the park. The virtual program will be scheduled individually with each teacher for a date prior to the class field trip.

Junior Ranger Day is a 2.5-hour field trip to visit the park (9am-11:30am). Students use their knowledge of park jobs while doing activities that fulfill their Junior Ranger requirements. After taking a pledge to explore, learn about, and protect national parks, all children become official Acadia Junior Rangers!

Sedimentary Sleuths

4th Grade
9am-11:30am
This hands-on program takes place at Sand Beach and is an exploration of geological processes such as weathering and erosion. Interpretation of geologic and topographic maps is included.

Community Science Investigations (CSI)

5th Grade
9 am–12:30 pm
Student community scientists investigate the habits and habitats of dragonfly nymphs and salamanders, two animal groups indicative of environmental health. Data is collected in the field while learning about food webs and the impact of toxins in the ecosystem.

Fire and Ice: Discovering Acadia's Geologic Past

6th–8th Grade
9 am–1 pm
While hiking around the Great Head peninsula, students learn to read the landscape as they unearth the story of Acadia's geologic past. See evidence of the local rock cycle, glacial features, and plate tectonics. Warning: sections of the hiking trail are fairly steep.

Photography and Nature Writing

Not offered at this time, please check back next season.

6th–8th Grade
9 am–12 pm
Students investigate the forest floor for insects and other wildlife species, and use iPads to document their discoveries. Creativity is encouraged as students learn to create various types of nature poetry and journal entries.

Sieur de Monts Stewards

Not offered at this time, please check back next season.

7th Grade
9 am–1 pm
While visiting the trails around Sieur de Monts and the new exhibit on climate change at the Nature Center, students will explore the topic of human change in the environment. We will look for evidence of past change, make present scientific observations, and discuss how these can impact our future actions.

 

Ranger demonstrating seed dispersal in classroom activity.

NPS Acadia

Fall Classroom Programs

The classroom programs listed below will not be offered in the Fall of 2025.

For more information abour Acadia's virtual programs, offered during the winter, visit Acadia Distance Learning.

Wildlife and Their Habitats

1st–2nd Grade
60 minutes
Learn how Acadia's habitats provide animals with what they need to survive. This interactive hands-on "show and tell" includes the use of puppets, imagery, skulls, shells, and more!

Bats in Your Backyard

4th–5th Grade
90 minutes
Bats are facing many stresses with the recent spread of the bat disease called white-nose syndrome. Learn about these unique animals through engaging hands-on activities as we debunk myths, review adaptations, and examine their importance. Students collect data during a mock bat research activity and discuss how rangers and students can help protect bats.

Where in the World is Tuzigoot?

5th–7th Grade
90 minutes
This hands-on program introduces the diversity and values of our national parks. Through a small group activity, artifacts, and class presentations, students discover the rich natural and cultural resources protected by more than 400 park sites. They learn ways to help safeguard America's special places.