Our Busiest March yet for K-12 field trips!

Geoff Benn • April 9, 2026

2nd graders from Woodland Prairie Elementary


We had our busiest March on record for K-12 field trips – we did six field trips, bringing nearly 250 students to Woodland Regional Park Preserve for fun and educational experiences in nature! Our first trip of the month was with two classes of 2nd graders from Woodland Prairie Elementary on March 3rd. Tuleyome staff members Geoff and Kristie led the students through the Ecosystems Trail, which included a nature walk with binoculars and a comparison of different habitats around the Preserve.


A Woodland Prairie 2nd grader observing birds


Our second trip of the month was with two more classes of 2nd graders from Woodland Prairie Elementary on March 4th. Tuleyome staff members Geoff and Kristie and volunteer Gretchen led the students through the Ecosystem Trail. The students enjoyed a nature walk, seeing a red-tailed hawk nest, and learning about different habitats at the Preserve.


Education Associate Geoff Benn teaching Southport Elementary 3rd graders about cattails


For our 3rd trip of the month, on March 11th, we had one class of 3rd graders from Southport Elementary in West Sacramento. Tuleyome staff member Geoff and volunteer Gretchen led the students through the Ecosystems Trail. The students had prepared for the trip by watching our game camera videos from the Preserve and were excited to see some of the animals from the videos in person, including a pair of jackrabbits!


Southport Elementary 3rd graders getting excited while bird watching at the Preserve


For our 4th trip of the month, on March 13th, we hosted two more classes of 3rd graders from Southport Elementary at the Preserve. Tuleyome staff members Geoff and Kristie and volunteer Gretchen led the students through the Ecosystems Trail. The students enjoyed observing turtles with their binoculars and pretending to be birds as part of a seed dispersal activity.


Jefferson Elementary 3rd graders work on the Bird Beaks and Feet activity


For our 5th trip of the month, on March 24th, we hosted two classes of 3rd graders from Jefferson School in Natomas. Tuleyome staff members Geoff and Kristie led the students through the adaptations trail. The students enjoyed exploring the Preserve and learning about how birds are adapted to utilize different food sources.


Maxwell Elementary Kindergarteners observing geese at the Preserve


Our 6th and final trip of the month took place on March 26th, with two classes of Kindergarteners from Maxwell Elementary in Woodland coming out to the Preserve to complete the Adaptations Trail. Tuleyome staff members Geoff and Kristie taught the students about the resources that are needed by plants and animals, while leading them on a nature walk through the park. We concluded the trip by placing game cameras out to get video of a river otter that was recently spotted in the park – we’ll share the footage with the kids in a few weeks!


This busy month of field trips was made possible by the hard work of our volunteers Gretchen, Karen, and Marita, who helped lead trips and prepare materials for the kids. We greatly appreciate their contributions!


Tuleyome’s K-12 field trips are free for public school groups and take place at Woodland Regional Park Preserve and Conaway Ranch. Each trip features a nature walk with binoculars and 3-5 activities associated with a theme (we call these “Trails”) chosen by the teacher. Current Trail offerings include Adaptations, Ecosystems, Evolution, Land, Sun, Weather, and Water. You can learn more about our programs here or by contacting Geoff Benn at gbenn@tuleyome.org.

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