School and Community Programs

We have multiple options for programming on-site here at the Nature Center. You can choose from a program, a nature hike, or both! Each of the offerings allow for time to explore the Nature Center and our animal habitats. The Trust Nature Center has restrooms and a picnic area for your use. We require a signed safety release waiver form for all participants that will be provided prior to the program date.

Field Trips at Balsam Mountain Trust are available Tuesdays to Fridays throughout the months of March to November (March and November dates are weather dependent for the safety of participants, staff, and animals)

Nature Hike (Grades K-12), 1.5 hrs
Stomp through our streams, hike through our forests, and find where different organisms make their homes. Guided by one of our naturalists, you will be greeted almost immediately by a waterfall, and then meander down a lush, forest trail. This hike can be tailored to meet the learning goals and accommodations of your group. Please note: While participants can see our animals on-site, there will be no up-close animal encounters. If that is something that is of interest, you may book a Hike and Program Field Trip. 

Programs (Grades K-8), 1 hr

• Aquatic Ecology: The Wonder of Water (Grades: 5-8), 1.5 hrs
  Get ready to get muddy! Join in on the exploration and identification of residents of the aquatic world. The water on the Preserve is considered some of the cleanest around. Learn: what it takes to keep it that way; what clean water provides for the residents of the streams on the Preserve; how this most important of our natural resources provides for an amazing diversity of life, and finally – how to identify clean water by the critters that live in it.
• Amazing Adaptations (Grades K-5), 1.5 hrs
  Learn about the different classifications of animals by meeting some real-life examples! During this interactive lesson, we will explore Amphibians, Fish, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals. This program can be tailored to different ages to cover NC standard topics such as body coverings, structural anatomy, biodiversity, adaptations and evolution, and human/environment interactions.
• Birds, Birds, Birds (Grades 3-8), 1.5 hrs
  Learn about the Trust’s Birds of Prey! During this interactive lesson, we will explore the different types of birds we have living at the Nature Center. The group will be able to see how our Staff/Volunteers train our birds for free-flight and programming. This program can be tailored to different ages to cover NC standard topics such as body coverings, structural anatomy, biodiversity, adaptations and evolution, and human/environment interactions.
• For grades 6-8, Owl pellet dissections can be added to this programming for an additional $2 per participant. This will add on 30 minutes to the programming. Based on pellet availability, please inquire about this program add-on. 

Don’t see a program that fits your needs? Educators are invited to work with the Trust Education Department to curate a program that will fit the desired program need and/or to utilize the Preserve as a living laboratory.

Are you looking to offer programming to work towards the ecoEXPLORE program? Balsam Mountain Trust and our AmeriCorps program are offering programming that can help you earn badges from the ecoEXPLORE citizen science program through the North Carolina Arboretum. If you are a public library/school or a Title 1 program, you can be provided programming at no charge for the listed programs below.

The following programs will be available:

What is ecoEXPLORE?

“ecoEXPLORE (Experiences Promoting Learning Outdoors for Research and Education) is an incentive-based citizen science program for children in grades K-8. Developed by The North Carolina Arboretum, this innovative program combines science exploration with kid-friendly technology to foster a fun learning environment for children while encouraging them to explore the outdoors and participate in citizen science.” (Source: The NC Arboretum)

Discovery Boxes are currently available to all 1st/2nd grade teachers in public schools around the WNC region. The Trust Staff recognized the need for quality, accessible conservation-based programming in the local school systems and partnered with the Jackson and Haywood county school boards to design curricula that addressed state science standards. Cultivating an understanding and appreciation of the natural world and our connection to it is vital for a healthy environment and society.  The activities in the kit are hands-on and designed to encourage outdoor exploration and learning. They also provide young children with exposure to STEAM fields at an age-appropriate level, incorporating math, language arts, social studies, and art into the realm of science. We hope that through the implementation of these activities, the students will not only learn about the basics of pollination but also increase their appreciation and curiosity for the natural world. We challenge and encourage teachers to conduct as many of the kit activities in the outdoors as possible.  

Current Discovery Box Offerings: 

Pollinators– This Discovery Box addresses three concepts: the basics of plants, the process and importance of pollination, and human impacts on pollinators. Each concept has corresponding background information and is correlated to the NC State Standards. With pollinators in peril, this could not be a better time to address this topic with young learners. The Discovery Box includes activity lessons and the supplies needed to complete the activities. 

Balsam Mountain Trust outreach presentations generally include 3-5 live animals and last between 45 minutes – 1 hour, depending on the program you choose. Virtual programs are accessible via a viewing link that will be provided prior to the date of programming.