Bring the wild inside your classroom … with a virtual experience.
Synchronous + Asynchronous + Additional Virtual Experiences + Local Webcams
Synchronous Virtual Field Trips
Students can interact live with science and conservation professionals across the region to learn about wildlife, careers, and more.
Texas Wildlife Association offers live and recorded video lessons featuring Texas wildlife, water, and conservation. Register for a live videoconference or watch online at anytime.
TPWDiscover offers both live and recorded programs in STEM, social studies, language arts, fine arts and physical education, as they relate to natural and cultural resource management. All programs are free and TEKS aligned. Some also come with pre- and/or post-program materials.
Virtually Wild!Texas is a unique platform that brings nature to young people learning from inside a classroom or their home and have limited access to nature. The award-winning program is free and provides TEKS-based, nature related activities for 3rd to 5th grade. To register, sign up through Region 4 ESC.
Past Virtually Wild Programs to watch for in 2023-2024 School Year! Sign up through Region 4 ESC.
NOT ON MY WATCH! WILDLIFE INSPECTORS WORKING FOR WILDLIFE AND YOU
Session Resources: Links and Videos from Program and Animal Trafficking Worksheet
BIRDS OF THE BAYOU
Session Resources: Armand Bayou Nature Center EcoEducation; The Cornell Lab K-12 Lessons & Activities; Audubon Teacher Resources
WINTER WATERFOWL
Session Resources: Katy Prairie Conservancy Education & Outreach; All About Feathers
WILDLIFE UNDER THE SEA
Session Resources: Aquatic Wild Activity Resources
WHAT’S IN MY WATER at City of Houston Public Works
Session Resources: Wipes Clog Pipes, Fix a Leak Week, Protect Our Pipes, & Houston Water Conservation
BIRDS OF THE BAYOU at Armand Bayou Nature Center
SAVING A RARE TEXAS WOODPECKER FROM EXTINCTION at W.G Jones State Forest
WHO LIVES HERE? at Galveston Island State Park
Session Resources: TPWD Resources, Galveston Island State Park Scavenger Hunt
REPTILE ADAPTATIONS at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
Session Resources: Wild Wetlands video, and Reptile Close Reading.
Session Resources: Educators’ Toolkit to City Nature Challenge, FAQs, more about creating an iNaturalist Project for your School, the Houston- Galveston Team invite, and where you can see team observations on iNaturalist.
Asynchronous Virtual Field Trips
Below are videos and corresponding TEKS-aligned activities highlighting different ecosystems and nature-related topics.
Wonders of Wetlands at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.
Recommended reads from Houston Public Libraries: Chomp (young adult) by Carl Hiaasen, Wetlands by Peter Benoit (ages 8 - 9) or Map and Track Wetlands by Linda Barghoorn (ages 9 - 12).
With help from Ranger Stephanie at Anahuac NWR, see the benefits of a wetland using a model. Then, Emma will show you how to make your own.
Animal Adaptations at Houston Audubon Raptor & Education Center.
Recommended reads from the Houston Public Libraries: Bird Watcher by David Burnie, Birdhouses by Renee Schwarz and Sadie’s Story by Christine Heppermann.
Part of a series on Green Jobs in Houston. Jeanette works for Houston Audubon as a wildlife caretaker and educator.
Meet Alex the barn owl with Mary Ann at Houston Audubon's Raptor Center.
Meet Simon the Great Horned Owl with Jeanette at Houston Audubon's Raptor Center.
Snakes at Jesse Jones Park and Nature Center.
Recommended reads from the Houston Public Libraries: Nic Bishop Snakes by Nic Bishop, Cottonmouth by Deb Tuttle Nelson or Map and Track Wetlands by Linda Barghoorn.
Part of a series on Green Jobs in Houston. John works at Jesse Jones Park and Nature Center as an educator
Thanks, John Carey, for the description of snakes.
Keep Wildlife WILD at Wildlife Center of Texas
Recommended reads from Houston Public Library: Animal Helpers. Raptor Centers by Jennifer Keats Curtis, Animal Helpers. Wildlife Rehabilitators by Jennifer Keats Curtis and A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold
Meet Randolph Watson, a wildlife rehabber, as he introduces an Eastern Screech Owl.
Grow It, with Mercer Botanical Gardens
Recommended reads from Houston Public Library: Grow a Garden by Alexis Frederick-Frost; Let’s Get Gardening by Radhika Haswani and Easy Peasy: Gardening for Kids by Kirsten Bradley
Part of a series on Green Jobs in Houston. Laura is an arborist for Harris County Precinct 4 and the Legacy Tree Project.
See a butterfly lay eggs on its host plant at Mercer Botanic Gardens.
Learn about different types of vegetable plants.
Become a Farmer with Fresh Life Organics
Recommended reads from the Houston Public Library: A graphic novel (comic book) on growing a garden called: Grow a Garden by Alexis Frederick-Frost; Let’s Get Gardening by Radhika Haswani or Easy Peasy: Gardening for Kids by Kirsten Bradley
Part of a series on Green Jobs in Houston. This episode features farmer and small business owner Jeremy Peaches.
Hosted by Houston's own Jeremy Peaches, learn about different ways to grow food using aquaponics and hydroponics.
Recycle Right, Houston!
Recommended reads: Why Should I Recycle? By Jen Green; The Adventures of a Plastic Bottle by Alison Inches; Judy Moody Saves the World by Megan McDonald; Earth-friendly Waste Management by Charlotte Wilcox.
Produced and Animated by CEC Media Production Intern Autumn Johnson especially for HOUSTON.
Native Trees at T. C. Jester Park
Recommended reads: The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups by Gina Ingoglia; I can name 50 trees today! By Bonnie Worth; The Secret Wisdom of Nature by Peter Wohllenben; The Forest Unseen by David George Haskell.
All about a native tree planting project at T.C. Jester Park with Houston Parks and Recreation Department.
Technology in the Forest
Recommended reads: Can you Hear the Trees Talking? By Peter Wohllenben; How do Drones Work? By Speedy Publishing; Technology: A Byte-Sized World by Simon Basher; Drones by Katie Marsico; Eye of the Storm by Amy Cherrix; Robots and Drones by Mairghread Scott.
Drones & Technology in the forests near Kingwood with Lone Star College Professor Dr. Shmaefsky.
Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality
Recommended reads: Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up; Mars, Jimmy and Me by Dr. Barrett Hays; What is Air Pollution by Ian Olio; and 50 FAQs on Air Pollution by Rupak Ghosh.
A look at air quality around your community - using the Plume Flow.
Same video... with Spanish text.
HOW TO BUILD A BEE HOUSE & A LOOK AT NATIVE BEES
Recommended reads: What if there were No Bees? By Suzanne Slade/Children; Bee Journal by Sean Borodale/Poetry; The Bee Manual: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Keeping Bees by Claire Waring/Nonfiction
Additional Asynchronous Virtual Field Trips
Galveston Bay Foundation offers "At Home With The Bay," a series of educational videos featuring a virtual lab, conservation craft, talk with a Bay biologist and an activity.
NOAA created virtual dives for the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Explore coral reefs, like the ones in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, with The Nature Conservancy’s virtual field trips.
Take a stroll through the Deer Park Prairie, study plants and insects, and even make some art!
Webcams
Houston Zoo has webcams set up all over the park; they’re also Live on Facebook with corresponding at-home lessons called "Bringing the Zoo to You" on their website.
Houston Audubon has webcams set up at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary and Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary for a virtual birding experience.