WESTCHESTER COUNTY PARKS
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Student Group Activities
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Trailside


Student / Group Activities

Trailside Nature Museum, is located within the 4,300-acre Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River. The museum offers interpretive nature-related programs throughout the year for schools and scout groups. Programs can be tailored to all grade and interest levels from elementary student to adult. Programs are scheduled by appointment and are lead by trained naturalists.

Most programs start at 10 AM and run between 1 and 2 hours. The number of participants and program fees vary based upon the program and the number of attendees.  Call ahead for details.

Groups may choose to bring a bag lunch and are welcome to use the picnic tables outside the museum. Teachers and parents accompanying the group should be aware that the reservation has a "carry-in, carry-out" policy and visitors must take their trash with them when they leave. Visiting teachers will be expected to monitor the collection of litter and garbage from their group.

American Indian Program: Includes presentations about the tools, toys, and foods of the Indians of the region. Also, a short forest hike, native stories, and a visit to the museum’s authentic, full-sized wigwam is included. Offered September- December, and April –May. Grades K – Adult

Maple Sugaring Program: Provides children with an introduction to this traditional and unique late-winter activity. Tree biology, sap collection, evaporation process, and historical methods of making maple sugar are discussed. Students get to help tap a tree, collect sap, and of course take a “taste test.” Offered mid-February through mid-March .
Grades K – Adult

Pond or Stream Study Program: Gives participants an exciting look at pond or stream life. Students explore a section of a pond or stream and discover some of the aquatic plants, insects, crayfish, amphibians, and other animals that thrive in the reservation’s wetlands, ponds, and streams. Offered April through May.
Grades K – Adult

Nature Ecology Program: Introduces participants to the fascinating variety of plant and animal life in our area. The reservation's fields, woods, and wetlands provide an exciting setting for nature study unsurpassed in our region. Topics can include habitats, animal tracking, and general forest ecology, and will vary according to season of the year. Specific ecology topics may also be requested. Offered February through November.

Beginner’s Orienteering Program: Teaches basic land navigation skills that can be used in the wilderness or on the road. Students learn how to read a map and orient themselves to the landscape. Basics of how to read a compass is also covered. To ensure individual attention, group size is limited to 15 students per groupOffered April through May, and October through December Grades 5 Adult

 

 

 

CONSERVATION

Trailside Nature Museum
Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

Routes 35 & 121
Cross River, NY 10518 
914-864-7322

Conservation


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