FPDWC.org - Youth Group Programs



05/12/2008

Youth Group Programs

Environmental Learning Center | Isle a la Cache Museum | Monee Reservoir | Plum Creek Nature Center

Youth group programs are offered at Plum Creek Nature Center, Isle a la Cache Museum, the Environmental Learning Center, and Monee Reservoir. Groups must have at least 10 children (maximum 30) and arrive at the site by 5:00 p.m. (Please have one adult for every five children.) Call the facility hosting the program to make a reservation. Fees apply.

For Plum Creek Nature Center Programs, call 708.946.2216.

For Isle a la Cache Museum programs call 815.886.1467

For ELC programs, call 708.479.2255

For Monee Reservoir programs, call 708.534.8499

Environmental Learning Center

Animal Signs

Explore the animal world by visiting different habitats and search for traces of life. Participants will develop observational skills while discovering all the different signs animals leave behind. Hike takes place both on and off trail.

Grades: ages 10-18

Fee: Includes use of the site and a one-hour program and applies to each child ages 4 and older. $7.00/child; additional $2.00/00 child for each additional hour program.

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Badge Hikes

Working on a badge with your troop or pack? We can help with some of the requirements and will customize a program to meet your neeeds.

Grades: Ages 5-18

Fee: Includes use of the site and a one-hour program and applies to each child ages 4 and older. $7.00/child; additional $2.00/00 child for each additional hour program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Camping for the Environment

Provides youth organizations with overnight camping accommodations. Our campground has a capacity of 60 campers in large canvas wall tents with cots and mats. Our Cleveland Road campground also has a capacity of 60 and is truly rustic, with level ground for youto set up camp Both camping sites have latrines and hand-pump well, with fire pits or charcoal grills nearby. We provide the firewood.

Fee: Environmental Learning Center Campground Fees: $100.00 deposit/group Will County resident - $3.00/person/night Non-resident - $4.00/person/night Program fee: $20.00/educator/hour
Cleveland Road Campground fees: Will County residen - $10.00/night/site (12 people/site) Non-resident - $20.00/night/site (12 people) Program fee: $20.00/educator/hour

Program Length: 24 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Edible Wild Plants

Visit the natural garden of edible plants growing right outside your campsite. Depending on the season, you will be allowed to taste some of the different plants that grow in the preserve. The hike may take place both on and off trail

Grades: Ages 10-18

Fee: Includes use of the site and a one-hour program and applies to each child ages 4 and older. $7.00/child; additional $2.00/00 child for each additional hour program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Forest Ecology

Unlock the mysteries of tree anatomy and forest characteristics. Use your investigation skills to identify trees that grow in our forest. The program takes place off trail in multiple woodland areas.

Grades: Ages 10-18

Fee: Includes use of the site and a one-hour program and applies to each child ages 4 and older. $7.00/child; additional $2.00/00 child for each additional hour program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Introduction to Canoes

Learn about canoe safety, the proper equipment required, and identifying the different parts of a canoe.

Grades: Ages: 10-18

Fee: Includes use of the site and a one-hour program and applies to each child ages 4 and older. $7.00/child; additional $2.00/00 child for each additional hour program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Night Hike

Increase your awareness of the nocturnal life around you. Use your sensory skills to explore the night time. Involves hiking over uneven terrain.

Grades: AGes 5-18

Fee: Includes use of the site and a one-hour program and applies to each child ages 4 and older. $7.00/child; additional $2.00/00 child for each additional hour program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Orienteering: Map and Compass

Combining the abilities of map reading and using a compass, you will learn basic orienteering skills and practice these skills on a compass course. Participants will hike on a natural, uneven trail to reach an open, grassy area for the program.

Grades: Ages: 10-18

Fee: Includes use of the site and a one-hour program and applies to each child ages 4 and older. $7.00/child; additional $2.00/00 child for each additional hour program

Program Length: 1 1/2-2 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Pond Exploration

Search the shoreline and shallow waters of our pond looking for aquatic life and collect live specimens for identification. Wear old shoes; the pond's shore is both muddy and sloping in some areas. Field scopes are availaable upon request.

Grades: Ages: 10-18

Fee: Includes use of the site and a one-hour program and applies to each child ages 4 and older. $7.00/child; additional $2.00/00 child for each additional hour program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Understory Exploration

Visit the special ecosystem of the forest floor. Learn about decomposition and the organisms involved in the process. Participants will have an opportunity to explore several off-trail sites.

Grades: Ages: 10-18

Fee: Includes use of the site and a one-hour program and applies to each child ages 4 and older. $7.00/child; additional $2.00/00 child for each additional hour program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.479.2255 for details.

Isle a la Cache Museum

Badge Hike

We can tailor a program to meet your needs by fulfilling some of the requirements for your badges. Call our facility for more information and for suggestions on badges that your group can work on.

Grades: Ages 5-18

Fee: -

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 815.886.1467 for details.

Beaver Tracks and Trade

There are beavers at Isle a la Cache! Do you know how to find them? Learn how beaver eat, build, and swim, and find signs of their presence. We may even find where they live!

Grades: Ages 5-12

Fee: $20.00/program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 815.886.1467 for details.

Native American Clay Crafts

Where does clay come from? Where do you find it? How was it used by Native Americans? Learn about clay, and then make a pot or beads in the traditional ways. The clay pots can be taken home for your own painting.

Grades: Ages 5-12

Fee: $20.00/program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 815.886.1467 for details.

Outdoor Fun

Discover the diversity of nature and gain an appreciation of how Native Americans used their surroundings. Use your senses as you walk around the trails of Isle a la Cache.

Grades: ages 5-10

Fee: $20.00/program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 815.886.1467 for details.

Monee Reservoir

Canoeing Workshop

Participants will learn the terminology and equipment used in canoeing. How to get in and out, basic paddling skills, and techniques for maneuvering the canoe will be discussed. All gear and equipment are supplied, including life jackets, paddles, and canoes. Fee of $30 is for one educator for every ten people. This workshop meets some of the requirements for the following badges:
BSA-Canoeing Merit Badge,
GSA-Small Craft; Paddle, Pole, and Role

Grades: Ages 10 and up

Fee: $30.00/group

Program Length: 2 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.534.8499 for details.

Dragons and Damsels

Armed with buckets, nets, and field guides, your group will explore “what lies beneath.” Find and identify water scorpions, snails, dragonfly nymphs, and more in the wetlands of Monee Reservoir. All equipment is provided Participants will walk a short distance on a mowed trail to wetland areas; wear shoes and clothes that can get wet and muddy.

Grades: Ages 7 and older

Fee: $3.00/person

Program Length: 2 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.534.8499 for details.

First Time Fishing

Learn the basic skills each angler should know: how to put together a pole, tie a knot, and cast. All materials are provided, including pole, tackle, and bait. Information covered satisfies requirements for Cub Scouts Fishing Belt Loop, Fishing Sports Pin, and Boy Scout Merit Badge.

Grades: 7 and up

Fee: $5.00 per person

Program Length: 2 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.534.8499 for details.

Kayak Kollege

This workshop introduces participants to the fun of kayaking. Participants will gain an understanding of basic kayaking safety, equipment, and paddle skills, and will get experience paddling a kayak in flat water conditions. All equipment is provided, including life jackets. Be sure to wear shoes and clothes that can get wet. This workshop meets some of the requirements for the following BSA- Kayaking; Cadet and Senior GSA- Water Sports, High Adventure, and Paddle, Poll, and Roll. For the safety of this workshop 2 educators are required. Maximum of 10 participants per workshop.

Grades: Ages 12 and older

Fee: $60/workshop

Program Length: 2 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.534.8499 for details.

Twilight Canoe

Watch the sun slip under the horizon as we welcome twilight at Monee Reservoir. An interpreter will guide participants in canoes around the lake to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. A sandy beach where the canoes are launched is accessible via a short paved trail from the parking lot. Canoe experience is required, and participants must be able to navigate a canoe in low-light conditions. To provide the best possible experience for participants, two educators are required for this program, regardless of size.

Reserve your spot: Call 708.946.2216 for details.

Grades: Ages 10 and up

Fee: $30.00/educator

Program Length: 2 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.534.8499 for details.

Plum Creek Nature Center

Badge Hikes

Spend some time with an interpretive naturalist who will customize a badge hike with you to meet or complete badge requirements. This customized hike may include games, activities, stories, or songs.

Grades: Ages 5-18

Fee: $20.00/program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.946.2216 for details.

Goodenow Grove Discovery Hike

What types of habitats does Goodenow Grove have and what lives in them? Your group will find out when they take a naturalist-led hike specifically designed to explore and discover all that Goodenow Grove Forest Preserve has to offer. What you see will depend on the time of day and the season you visit us in, but no matter the setting, your group is guaranteed a fabulous nature outing!

Grades: Ages 5-18

Fee:

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.946.2216 for details.

Hooray for Herps!

Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians. This program will introduce your group to the reptiles and amphibians that live in Will County. Learn fun facts and the differences between snakes, lizards, frogs, and turtles.

Grades: age 5 - 15

Fee: $20.00/program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.946.2216 for details.

Owl Prowl

Gather around a warm campfire as you listen to stories from various cultures about owls and other nocturnal animals. Learn about the natural history of Illinois owls and their specialized adaptations. Then, participate in an "owl prowl" and learn to call for resident owls.

Grades: age 5 -15

Fee: $20.00/program

Program Length: 1 hour (s)

Reserve Your Spot: Call 708.946.2216 for details.