Nature Scouts

Nature Scouts is a series of ecology field trips to one or more of the beautiful state parks listed below plus in-person or virtual classroom visits. Nature Scouts is designed as an educational equivalent to our Nature Academy overnight outdoor school experience.

Who is eligible: 5th and 6th-grade classrooms and home-school groups.

Minimum: 20 students | Maximum: 90 students

Fall 2023/Spring 2024 Nature Scouts Locations: 

• Willamette Mission State Park (located north of Keizer)

• Champoeg State Heritage Area (north of Woodburn)

• Silver Falls State Park (east of Salem)

• Milo McIver State Park (near Estacada)

Nature Scouts outdoor school includes NGSS-aligned instruction, all educational materials and field supplies, plus healthy trail snacks. There is no charge for classroom teachers, chaperones, and school instructional assistants for this day-trip outdoor school option. There is a minimum of one adult chaperone or school staff member required for every 10-15 students.

100% of our program fees are eligible for Measure 99 grant funding. Please contact your district outdoor school coordinator or email the OSU Outdoor School staff at outdoorschool@oregonstate.edu if you have questions about state funding.     

Total educational hours: 18