Ottawa County Parks & Recreation

School Programs & Field Trips

We invite you and your students to join us for a journey into the great outdoors of Ottawa County Parks! Our professional outdoor educators aim to provide field trips that are enriching, positive, and memorable, giving your students tangible experiences to relate back to what is taught in your classroom. Our goals go beyond supporting your students’ learning, as we always strive to:  

• Initiate and encourage further exploration.
• Nurture an emotional connection with nature.
• Advance a wider perspective of students’ sense of place in the environment.
• Promote a greater understanding and attitude of responsible stewardship.

It would be our privilege to host you and your students on a field trip at an Ottawa County Park.

Click the link below to fill out a program request form today.

 

Grades

• Pre-K / Kindergarten

  With options for every season, our Preschool and Kindergarten programs engage students’ senses through exploration, activities, stories, songs, and of course, play! Each topic is 1.5 hours. When filling out your program request form, you may choose two topics!

  Offered Year-Round

  Camo Critters
  Now you see me! Now you don’t! Camouflage is nature’s game of hide-and-seek. How many critters can we find along the trail?
  LS1.D, LS2

  Fur & Feathers, Tracks & Feet
  It’s an animal treasure hunt! Follow the clues to figure out who has been here.
  LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4, ESS3.A

  Nature Detectives
  We’ll use our five senses program to explore the outdoors. Using magnifiers and more, we’ll search for clues outside to discover who lives there.
  LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4, ETS2, PS4.C

  Wonderful Worms
  Wiggle and Woggle will introduce you to decomposers and what makes worms so wonderful. Using live worms, we’ll investigate how they move and more.
  LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4 ESS2.A, PS3

  Offered November 1 - March 15

  All About Birds
  What makes a bird, a bird? How do they eat with those beaks? We’ll investigate different feathers, beaks, and nests of these backyard buddies.
  LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4

  Winter Adaptations
  Some animals migrate, some hibernate, and others insulate. We’ll explore what animals do in winter, how they stay warm, look for signs of who is awake, and study different animal tracks.
  LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4, ESS2.C, ESS2.D, ESS3

  Offered April 15 - October 15

  Insect Detectives
  How many legs does a bug have? Wait... is that a spider? Let’s count to figure it out! Using nets and magnifiers we will sleuth our way to learn more about the most abundant creatures on Earth.
  LS1, LS2, LS3, LS4, ETS2, PS4.C

• Grade 1

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered Year-Round

  Camouflage Critters
  Now you see me! Now you don’t! Camouflage is nature’s game of hide-and-seek. How many critters can we find?

  Habitat Discovery
  Guided by their senses and a spirit of exploration, students will explore the diversity of life in a variety of habitats, compare living and nonliving features and discover how each habitat is similar or different by learning about the various plants and animals that survive in each.

  • Wetlands (fall/spring)
  • Forests (fall/spring)
  • Meadow (fall/spring)

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That? (winter only)
  • Animal Adaptations (winter only)
• Grade 2

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered Year-Round

  Camouflage Critters
  Now you see me! Now you don’t! Camouflage is nature’s game of hide-and-seek. How many critters can we find?

  Habitat Discovery
  Guided by their senses and a spirit of exploration, students will explore the diversity of life in a variety of habitats, compare living and nonliving features and discover how each habitat is similar or different by learning about the various plants and animals that survive in each.

  • Wetlands (fall/spring)
  • Forests (fall/spring)
  • Meadow (fall/spring)

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That? (winter only)
  • Animal Adaptations (winter only)
• Grade 3

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Creature Connections & Lifecycles
  How do creatures perpetuate themselves from season to season and year to year? Students will be introduced to the amazing strategies creatures use to complete their life cycles in a variety of different habitats.

  • Meadows & Monarchs - fall only
  • Wetlands & Frogs - spring only
  • Meadows & Bluebirds - spring only
  • Wetlands & Beavers - year-round
  • Forests & Trees - year-round

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Fall/Spring

  * Living History
  An active outdoor experience that aims to engage children in activities that explain and demonstrate the life and times of Michigan’s fur trade. Set at Connor Bayou, a former rendezvous location.

  • Furs in the Trade: An interactive experience that presents real furs, their value as a natural resource and why beaver was king.
  • Early Life on the Grand: Learn about the things that early settlers and traders used and wore in their daily lives.
  • Furopoly: Trading Along the Grand: A game involving the methods used, groups involved and materials traded in the fur trade.
  • Story Time: Hear a story of the Fur Trade and engage in discussion about it.
  • The Rendezvous: Play games that the children of the Fur Trade era would have played at the rendezvous.
  • Songs of the Voyageurs: Learn to sing “Alouette” in the voyageur’s mother tongue and the importance of songs to them.
  • A Gabagouache Experience: An opportunity to experience the roles the voyageurs played as you paddle an authentic reproduction of a voyageur canoe on the Grand River.

  Limited availability

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations
• Grade 4

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Creature Connections & Adaptations
  Using the springboard of a featured creature, students will look at how creatures are adapted for their role in each ecosystem as well as how they are connected to other organisms around them in the food web.

  • Meadows & Bees - fall only
  • Wetlands & Frogs - spring only
  • Meadows & Bluebirds - spring only
  • Forests & Woodpeckers – year-round
  • Forests & Squirrels – year-round
  • Wetlands & Beavers – year-round
  • Owls & Nocturnal Life – year-round

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Maps & Orienteering
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations
• Grade 5

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered in Fall/Spring

  Creature Connections & Ecosystem Investigation
  Using the springboard of a featured creature, students will look at how creatures are adapted for their role in each ecosystem as well as how they are connected to other organisms around them in the food web.

  • Upland Forest
  • Bottomland Forest
  • Meadow
  • Wetlands
  • *Great Lakes Dunes

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Maps & Orienteering
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations
• Grade 6

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered in Fall/Spring

  *Ecovision
  Designed for large or small groups, students will visit various stations and discover the role of various natural & human influences on different ecosystems. In the process they’ll gain insight into how these ecosystems provide us important services and how we can be good stewards of them.

  • Michigan Pine Forests + Invasive Species
  • Wetlands + Watersheds

  *Great Lakes Dune Ecology
  Whether you want a shallow dip into a sensory experience or a deeper dive into dune formation and ecology, this is an experience every student in West Michigan should NOT MISS! Choose one of the following experiences:

  • “First visit to Lake Michigan” sensory exploration experience
  • Dune formation ecosystem study experience

  This program can be held at the following parks: Rosy Mound Natural Area, Kirk Park, or North Ottawa Dunes/North Beach Park

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Maps & Orienteering
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations
• Grade 7

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered in Fall/Spring

  *Ecovision
  Designed for large or small groups, students will visit various stations and discover the role of various natural & human influences on different ecosystems. In the process they’ll gain insight into how these ecosystems provide us important services and how we can be good stewards of them.

  • Michigan Pine Forests + Invasive Species
  • Wetlands + Watersheds

  *Great Lakes Dune Ecology
  Whether you want a shallow dip into a sensory experience or a deeper dive into dune formation and ecology, this is an experience every student in West Michigan should NOT MISS! Choose one of the following experiences:

  • “First visit to Lake Michigan” sensory exploration experience
  • Dune formation ecosystem study experience

  This program can be held at the following parks: Rosy Mound Natural Area, Kirk Park, or North Ottawa Dunes/North Beach Park

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Maps & Orienteering
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations
• Grade 8

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered in Fall/Spring

  *Ecovision
  Designed for large or small groups, students will visit various stations and discover the role of various natural & human influences on different ecosystems. In the process they’ll gain insight into how these ecosystems provide us important services and how we can be good stewards of them.

  • Michigan Pine Forests + Invasive Species
  • Wetlands + Watersheds

  *Great Lakes Dune Ecology
  Whether you want a shallow dip into a sensory experience or a deeper dive into dune formation and ecology, this is an experience every student in West Michigan should NOT MISS! Choose one of the following experiences:

  • “First visit to Lake Michigan” sensory exploration experience
  • Dune formation ecosystem study experience

  This program can be held at the following parks: Rosy Mound Natural Area, Kirk Park, or North Ottawa Dunes/North Beach Park

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Maps & Orienteering
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations
• Grade 9

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered in Fall/Spring

  *Great Lakes Dune Ecology
  Whether you want a shallow dip into a sensory experience or a deeper dive into dune formation and ecology, this is an experience every student in West Michigan should NOT MISS! Choose one of the following experiences:

  • “First visit to Lake Michigan” sensory exploration experience
  • Dune formation ecosystem study experience

  This program can be held at the following parks: Rosy Mound Natural Area, Kirk Park, or North Ottawa Dunes/North Beach Park

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Maps & Orienteering
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations
• Grade 10

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered in Fall/Spring

  *Great Lakes Dune Ecology
  Whether you want a shallow dip into a sensory experience or a deeper dive into dune formation and ecology, this is an experience every student in West Michigan should NOT MISS! Choose one of the following experiences:

  • “First visit to Lake Michigan” sensory exploration experience
  • Dune formation ecosystem study experience

  This program can be held at the following parks: Rosy Mound Natural Area, Kirk Park, or North Ottawa Dunes/North Beach Park

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Maps & Orienteering
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations
• Grade 11

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered in Fall/Spring

  *Great Lakes Dune Ecology
  Whether you want a shallow dip into a sensory experience or a deeper dive into dune formation and ecology, this is an experience every student in West Michigan should NOT MISS! Choose one of the following experiences:

  • “First visit to Lake Michigan” sensory exploration experience
  • Dune formation ecosystem study experience

  This program can be held at the following parks: Rosy Mound Natural Area, Kirk Park, or North Ottawa Dunes/North Beach Park

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Maps & Orienteering
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations
• Grade 12

  In general, most of our topics are "you pick two" and each topic/session is 90 minutes long. A typical field trip schedule looks like this:

  • 9:30am - 11am: Program Topic 1
  • 11:00am - 11:30am: Break for Lunch
  • 11:30am - 1:00pm: Program Topic 2

  There are a few program topics that are a full three hours, so they cannot be paired with other topics. They are denoted with an asterisk*.

  Some of our program topics are offered year-round and others seasonally. The seasons will be listed following the topic. Please be sure you're choosing two topics that can take place in the same season.

  Offered in Fall/Spring

  *Great Lakes Dune Ecology
  Whether you want a shallow dip into a sensory experience or a deeper dive into dune formation and ecology, this is an experience every student in West Michigan should NOT MISS! Choose one of the following experiences:

  • “First visit to Lake Michigan” sensory exploration experience
  • Dune formation ecosystem study experience

  This program can be held at the following parks: Rosy Mound Natural Area, Kirk Park, or North Ottawa Dunes/North Beach Park

  Offered Year-Round

  Skull Detectives
  Discover the variety of skull structures in different animals and learn how to key them apart in a detective style program that involves teamwork and hands on activities.

  Outdoor Adventure Series
  Designed specifically as hands on, teamwork driven skill-building activities to increase students’ knowledge of the outdoors and how to interact with it.

  • Set up Camp! Tent and Fire Building
  • Maps & Orienteering
  • Birding Basics

  Offered in Winter Only

  Winter Adventure!
  In winter students will adventure through the park (by snowshoe if weather permits), investigate animal tracks, observe birds at the feeders and discover how creatures prepare for and survive the winter season in a variety of ways.

  • Whose Track is That?
  • Animal Adaptations

Visiting Parks

Are you visiting an Ottawa County Parks property with your class? Here are a few tips to plan your visit:

 

1. Please let us know you’re coming in advance by contacting us by email or phone (616) 786-4847; this helps us ensure that the park and facilities are ready for a large group.
2. Familiarize yourself with park rules Park rules and regulations may vary by property. For example, while visitors are not allowed off trail at parks, off trail hiking and exploration is allowed at open spaces.
3. Follow Leave No Trace principles: Take only pictures, leave only footprints.
4. Special events require a permit. Check here to see if you need a permit for the event you are planning.
5. Do you need a facility for your visit? Ottawa County Parks has many rentable facilities