Contact Info
Parks & Recreation
Administrative Office
2800 Watkins Lake Road
Waterford, MI 48328
Programs & Services
Administrative Office
2800 Watkins Lake Road
Waterford, MI 48328
Programs & Services

Request a visit from nature center staff
Our naturalists worked with current Michigan classroom teachers to design field trips that align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and other Michigan standards. Field trips are 90 minutes to 2 hours long depending on the topic and group size. View topics in the drop-down menu below.
Field trip topics are available at both our nature center locations, Red Oaks Nature Center in Madison Heights and Wint Nature Center within Independence Oaks County Park in Clarkston.
For most programs, Red Oaks Nature Center can accommodate group sizes of up to 50 individuals. Wint Nature Center can accommodate up to 90 individuals in a group.
Field trips are $4/person. Some programs have an additional $1 or $2 materials fee. There is a $50 minimum field trip fee. The park entry fee is included with the program.
Our skilled naturalists are here to help you meet the needs of students by reinforcing your curriculum. Please call your nature center of choice and let us help your learners grow this school year! The nature centers also offer more general field trip topics. To see the full list of these topics, visit our general group field trips page.

30300 Hales St.
Madison Heights, MI 48071
248-585-0100
NatureEducation@oakgov.com
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday: Noon-5 p.m.

9501 Sashabaw Road
Clarkston, MI 48348
248-625-6473
NatureEducation@oakgov.com
Thursday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday: 1-5 p.m.
Memorial Day-Labor Day extended hours:
Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday: 1-5 p.m.
Become Nature Detectives and learn about local wildlife through the evidence they leave behind. Stamp a track story on an activity sheet (provided) or T-shirt (students must provide).
Learn about the impact animals have on their habitats. Brainstorm ways that humans change their environment and make an upcycled craft.
Standards: ESS2-2, ESS3-1, ETS1-1
Students use their senses to learn about the living and non living items around them.
Standards: LS1-C, ESS3-A
Learn how nature has inspired engineers to solve human problems through inventions.
Standards: LS1-1
Discover which adaptations help animals survive in their habitats. Students then put that knowledge to the test by creating an animal with natural adaptations to help them survive.
Standards: LS1-A
Learn about seed dispersal and pollination as we explore how animal behavior helps plants spread their seeds. A hands-on experiment will illustrate how animals help seeds move from one place to another.
Standards: LS2-2
The earth changes, but how? Brainstorm, discuss and examine the ways that erosion changes the earth.
Standards: ESS1-1, ESS2-1
Did you know that wolves live in Michigan? Have a “howling” good time becoming a wolf and learn how to be a member of the pack, “speak” wolf and catch prey.
Standards: LS2-A, LS1-A,D
Explore how we make items move. How can we make them go faster or slower? Discover how gravity and friction impact how things move.
Standards: PS1-1, PS2-2
Learn how owls are connected to other animals (and even plants!) in the food web by measuring and dissecting an owl pellet.
Standards: LS1-1, 2 GA-3, PS3-2
Discover how different types of rock are formed. Learn how fossils are formed and the many different types.
Standards: ESS1-C, ESS2-A,B
Discuss where water comes from and learn about the water cycle. Take a nature hike to see how water impacts the earth.
Standards: ESS2-1
Ecosystems consist of plants and animals interacting together. Discover different ecosystems on a nature hike and learn about their connections.
Standards: LS2-A, LS4-D
Inside our inflatable portable planetarium students learn about the constellations in the night sky, why some stars appear brighter than others and about the observable patterns of the stars and sun.
Standards: ESS1-A, ESS1-B
Administrative Office
2800 Watkins Lake Road
Waterford, MI 48328
Programs & Services