November K-12 Field Trips

Geoff Benn • December 3, 2025

Education Associate Geoff Benn demonstrating how cattails disperse seeds to 5th graders from Cesar Chavez Elementary


Our Fall K-12 field trip season was in full swing in November, with seven classes (188 kids) visiting Woodland Regional Park Preserve for field trips led by Tuleyome. All of the trips included a bird walk with binoculars and activities from one of Tuleyome’s seven educational Trails (Adaptations, Ecosystems, Evolution, Land, Sun, Water, and Weather). November was a fun month for bird watching at the Preserve, as our resident white-tailed kites have been active and seem to enjoy showing off for tour groups!

Lee Middle School 8th graders pose for picture at the end of their field trip


Our first trip of the month was on November 4th, with a class of 8th graders visiting from Lee Middle School in Woodland (this was our first group from Lee!). The students completed our middle school Adaptations Trail, which included identifying plants and animals at the Preserve and playing our out-competed game where students collect resource cards with different “adaptations” that provide advantages or disadvantages.

Jefferson School 3rd graders completing the Bird Beaks and Feet activity


Our second trip was on November 12th, with two classes of 3rd graders from Jefferson School in Natomas (this was also our first group from Jefferson!). The students completed our 2nd/3rd grade Adaptations Trail, which included learning about bird beak and feet adaptations, as well as building a food web of the Preserve.


Cesar Chavez Elementary 5th graders pose for a group photo on the Rotary Pavilion


Our third trip was on November 14th, with two classes of 5th graders from Cesar Chavez Elementary in Davis. The students completed our 4th / 5th grade Adaptations Trail, which focuses on sensory adaptations and included a quiet listening activity, learning about ear modifications, and a fun game where students use their sense of hearing to track “prey”.

A Birch Lane 4th grader presenting her ideas for the design challenge


Our final trip of the month was on November 21st, with two classes of 4th graders from Birch Lane Elementary in Davis. The students completed the 4th/5th grade Ecosystems Trail, which focuses on how plants obtain resources from their ecosystems, including learning about water transport and tree rings, looking for decomposers in the soil, and an engineering challenge looking at ways to grow plants without soil.


If you’re a teacher or youth group leader and are interested in bringing your kids out for a field trip with Tuleyome, you can learn more about the program here. Once you’re ready to book a trip, you can submit an interest form on the website or reach out to Geoff at gbenn@tuleyome.org.

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Beavers, otters, and more – new Conaway Ranch game camera footage!

By Geoff Benn • June 4, 2026
A beaver at Conaway Ranch We’ve got new footage from our game cameras at Conaway Ranch! This camera site was chosen by 4 th graders from Dingle Elementary during a recent field trip to Conaway. The camera is near the otter slide we’ve previously filmed, but is a few feet away from the entrance to the slide, allowing us to film the animals as they approach. We saw beaver, otter, a fox, a raccoon, and more! Click here to watch the video . Tuleyome works with Conaway Preservation Group to offer educational programs at Conaway Ranch, including programs for K-12 groups and the general public. If you have any questions about the game camera footage or our programs at Conaway, please reach out to Education Associate Geoff Benn at gbenn@tuleyome.org.

Policy Corner: It’s Time to Fight for Our Public Lands

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Monumental Questions - Another Monumental Vegetable?

By Kristie Ehrhardt • June 4, 2026
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