Schoolyard Ecosystem Explorations
Program Overview
Cary educators visit your classroom to introduce and set up an inquiry-based project that complements your curriculum and individual schoolyard. Students take on the role of field scientists as they generate and investigate hypotheses about their schoolyard ecosystem based on their own place-based knowledge.
Whether you are an educator interested in schoolyard programs directly connected to New York State Science Standards, or you're looking for more of an experiential outdoor experience to nurture a closer connection with nature, we have a program for you! Art & Science: Upon request, for most programs there are options to enrich student understanding with creative observational practices like sketching, watercolor, and/or reflective writing.
Schedule a Schoolyard Ecology Program
Fall Schoolyard Ecology Programs run from mid-September through October (with limited availability in the spring, mid-April through late May). Sessions are typically 60, 75, or 90 minutes, and most schoolyard programs are best facilitated across two days total. Programs are designed for 30 or fewer students, and multiple programs can be facilitated throughout the school day. After reviewing the program offerings below, please complete the Cary Education Program Interest Form.
We prioritize serving our longstanding partner schools along with the Northeast Dutchess public school districts (Dover, Millbrook, Pine Plains, and Webutuck) and Poughkeepsie City Schools. To be considered, please submit your request through the Cary Education Program Interest Form by January 30, 2026 for the spring season and September 1, 2026 for the fall season.
Program Offerings
Early Elementary (preK-2nd grade)
These are one-day programs that last 45-60 minutes.
Bountiful Bugs Students collect bugs in their schoolyard to observe their physical and behavioral characteristics, as well as their habitat needs.
Seasonal Sound Story Cary educators introduce students to seasonal changes using puppets and other props, followed by a fun outdoor sensory exploration of their local ecosystem. This is a unique program that is highly customizable and available even during the winter months.
A Bird's Eye View Students will learn about common local birds, practice making observations, and use their senses to understand birds' unique characteristics, behaviors, and roles in the ecosystem.
Upper Elementary (3rd-5th grade)
These are two-day programs that involve setting up an investigation and require 60+minute sessions.
Insect Biodiversity & Adaptations Students design "pitfall traps" to explore insect biodiversity and adaptations in two unique habitats in the schoolyard. This lesson can be focused on physical traits, animal behavior, habitat requirements, and/or biodiversity.
The Life of a Leaf Students will be detectives, investigating the stories that leaves tell us about one of the many roles plants play in the ecosystem: as food! Explore how leaves provide energy and nutrients, from the tops of the trees to the depths of the forest floor, and how they transform through time. This lesson is especially effective during the fall and can be shaped to support energy cycling, decomposition, and/or life cycle learning goals.
Water on the Move When we think about the water cycle, most of us think of a diagram with arrows moving from alpine peaks into the big, blue ocean. Unless we live in such a place, this idealized diagram does not teach us where our water comes from, or what happens to rain that falls on our neighborhoods. In this program, the local water cycle goes beyond evaporation and condensation to become local and significant as students participate in mini water investigations in their schoolyard that illustrate the many pathways of water in your local neighborhood.
Middle & High School
These are two-day programs that involve setting up an investigation and require 60+minute sessions. For additional middle and high school program opportunities, consider scheduling a field trip to Cary.
Thermal Energy Across the Schoolyard (6th-8th grade) Students use infrared thermometers to explore how different surfaces across the schoolyard absorb and release heat. On day two, they map surface temperatures across the lawn and create colorful heat maps that build spatial awareness, teamwork, and creative expression.
Lyme Disease & Mammal Biodiversity (6th-12th grade) This program builds upon current and historical Cary research to help students learn about the complex ecological connections between ticks, mammal diversity, and the spread of Lyme. Students either set out trail cameras in their schoolyard to capture footage of mammals passing through, or they view animal camera footage from the Cary property to learn how disturbances in habitat and mammal communities contribute to the spread of Lyme disease through human populations. *Note: If setting trail cameras in the schoolyard, this program works best as a two-day visit over the course of a few weeks (the first day to set up the cameras and the second as a follow-up investigation).
Program Fees
Schoolyard programs for early elementary (preK-2) require one day and last 45-60 minutes. Schoolyard programs for upper elementary, middle, and high school require two days and can be scheduled for 60, 75, or 90 minutes. Each scheduled session is designed for a class of <30 students, and sessions can be scheduled throughout the day to accommodate multiple classes.
1 class for 45-60 minutes: $100; $50 for each additional 45-60-minute class on the same day
1 class for 75 minutes: $125; $62.50 for each additional 75-minute class on the same day
1 class for 90 minutes: $150; $75 for each additional 90-minute class on the same day
If our fees are prohibitive for your school, please review possible funding options below or contact Ashley Alred at alreda@caryinstitute.org to discuss:
- Dutchess County Public Schools: See if your district is part of the Dutchess BOCES Arts in Education CoSER or the Exploratory Enrichment (438) CoSER, which support school programs.
From the Dutchess County BOCES website: "Contracts need to be received by Maria DeWald, BOCES AIE Coordinator, at least one month prior (8 weeks prior for prepayments for registrations, tickets, etc.) to the activity date. It is possible that contracts received after the program occurs may not be accepted. They can be as much as a year in advance but no later than April 15."
- Northeast Dutchess school districts (Pine Plains, Webutuck, & Dover): You can apply for various Education Enrichment Funds available on an annual basis through the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. We can partner on the application process.
- Poughkeepsie City Elementary Schools: There is private funding available through the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley to cover field trip and schoolyard program fees.
Education Programs at Cary
All of our programs promote outdoor, scientifically valid, educational experiences for K-12 students, scout troops, and other groups. Each program was developed to support New York State Learning Standards. Pre- and post-visit lessons are available for most programs.
All of the Cary Institute Education Programs are part of our Ecological Literacy Program. We are currently conducting educational research in student learning. All programs may be subject to pre- and post-assessments that will be used in our research efforts.