Environmental Education Virtual Field Trips for Nature Lovers

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) believes it's vital for every child to learn about the environment. The government agency says that quality environmental education allows students to understand issues facing the environment, participate in finding solutions to these issues, and begin to take action to do their part to make the environment better. Environmental education also requires students to research issues and form their own opinion based on their research. It should help students hone their critical thinking skills and also become more involved in the world around them. Luckily, there are many resources available to aid educators in providing high-quality environmental education.

Botanical Gardens and Flower Garden Tours

• United States Botanic Garden Virtual Tour: It's possible to virtually tour the extensive outdoor gardens along with the Conservatory.
• The Gardens of Versailles: A Living Work of Art: Andr Le Ntre began working on this garden at the behest of King Louis XIV in 1661. Today hordes of tourists visit each year, but virtual tourists can visit without dealing with the crowds.
• Watch: Behind the Scenes at Our Tropical Nursery: More than 10,000 varieties of tropical plant life are tended to at this nursery which is part of Kew Palace in London.
• Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens: Frederick Law Olmstead, best known as the designer behind Central Park, also created this garden in upstate New York.
• Foundation de Monet: Tour the French home of artist Claude Monet, along with the extensive gardens that inspired some of his most famous works.

Virtual Tours of National Parks

• Acadia National Park: The beautiful coastline of this park, located in Maine, is displayed in the virtual tour.
• Biscayne National Park in South Florida: The world's third longest coral reef is the star of the park and of the tour, which also features a variety of wild birds.
• Yosemite Falls: Located in Yosemite National Park, this tour allows viewers to virtually experience watching one of the world's tallest waterfalls.
• Statue of Liberty: The view from the crown of the Statue of Liberty, a National Monument operated by the National Park Service, encompasses views of New York City but also captures the wide variety of birdlife in the area
• Bloom Cam: The blooming of the cherry trees that border the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is a beloved annual tradition. Watch the trees flower through the bloom cam.
• Virtual Yosemite: Tour famous sites like Glacier Point at this fully interactive tour of Yosemite.

Online Nature Museums and Virtual Classrooms

• National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours: Take virtual tours of past and current exhibits.
• Hintze Hall: David Attenborough is the host of this virtual tour of London's Natural History Museum's main hall.
• 3D Virtual Visit National Museum of Ireland: It's possible to visit all four natural history floors of Ireland's national museum.
• North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Virtual Tours: The Mountain Cove Virtual Tour and a tour of the museum's Naturalist Center are available.
• Dinosaurs and Natural World Virtual Galley Tour: The National Museums Liverpool hosts this virtual tour of their extensive exhibit on dinosaur fossils.

Tour the World Biomes

• Biomes of the World: Virtually tour both aquatic and terrestrial biomes.
• Biome Tours of Our Frozen Worlds: Polar bears are the stars of this virtual tour.
• World Biome Tour: Explore how animals and fauna adapt to their surroundings.
• Mission: Biomes: NASA doesn't only explore Space. They also explore and study life here on Earth.
• The Five Major Types of Biomes: Biomes are defined by their climate, vegetation, wildlife, and soil.
• Terrestrial Biomes: Biomes are often defined by their amount of annual rainfall and the average temperature of the region.

Wildlife and Aquarium Live Cams

• African River Wildlife Cam: Elephants and giraffes are just two of the species that regularly visit this Kenyan watering hole.
• Dollywood Bald Eagle Nest Cams: The stars of this cam are eagle mates Braveheart and Honor, but viewers will see other eagles as well.
• Live Osprey Cam: Maryland's Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is home to a native flock of Ospreys that build nests there every year.
• New Jersey Wildlife Cam: Viewers of this cam regularly see deer and squirrels.
• Jelly Cam: The Jellyfish of the Monterey Bay Aquarium are the stars of this live stream.
• Livestream Ocean Voyager: The Georgia Aquarium hosts this cam, which features one of the most extensive aquarium exhibits in the world.

Additional Readings for Environmental Education

• Activities on Sorting Plants & Animals for Preschool: Environmental education should begin as soon as possible. Preschoolers will enjoy these lessons.
• Earth Science and Natural Resources Science Project: Teachers will find ideas for teaching every grade level about the environment.
• Natural Resources: First and second graders will learn what natural resources are and how to identify the most critical natural resources.
• Science, Education, and Outreach Roadmap for Natural Resources (PDF): The grand challenges facing the Earth's environment are listed along with resources for learning more about them.
• I Am A Scientist: Natural scientists are among the people profiled, and educators can use the provided virtual kits as a basis for lesson plans.
• Teaching Natural Science in the Foundation Phase: Teachers' Understanding of the Natural Science Curriculum (PDF): Teachers are sometimes hesitant to teach new material, which can be an issue when teaching environmental science.
• Habitats of Georgia: The various habitats of the southeastern state are profiled by the University of Georgia's Georgia Museum of Natural History.
• Curriculum and Guides: Fossils are just one of the subjects that the San Diego Natural History Museum has prepared educational materials for so that educators can more easily include environmental science topics in their classrooms.
• Alternative Energy -- Freeing Ourselves from Fossil Fuels: Students will learn about alternatives to fossil fuels.