The Greenbelt Environmental Education Center High Rock Park Staten Island New York

Greenbelt Environmental Education

The Greenbelt
Environmental Education Center
Explore your world with us

Choose a program that interests you!
Call our Education Department to register

Interactive Explorations
2-hour hands-on programs with an outdoor component
(Offered at High Rock Park only)
Anatomy and Adaptations | Environmental Issues
Microscope Investigations | Owl Lab | Wetland Exploration

See our Scouting badge programs

Teachers: The Greenbelt makes a great class trip!

The Greenbelt's Environmental Education Department is a federally landmarked educational resource that augments science curricula for school students. From the magic of the insect world to the wonders of weather and Native American lore, children engage in hands-on learning about local habitats, wildlife, and natural history.

We offer summer camp sessions, studio art classes, hikes and school vacation programs. Special programming is also available for senior adults, educators and the general public. For more information call (718) 667-7475, or Email the Greenbelt Education Department.

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HELPING MAKE THESE PROGRAMS POSSIBLE: Greenbelt Conservancy program funding is provided, in part, by the Richmond County Savings Foundation, SI Bank & Trust Foundation, Con Edison, New York City Environmental Fund, The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, Time Warner Cable, Commerce Bank, Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks, KeySpan, New York State Senate and Assembly, Office of the Staten Island Borough President and New York City Council. We are also grateful to the many individuals and businesses that support our operations and programming through their generous contributions.
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Here are some of the programs we currently offer:

Anatomy and Adaptations: An Interactive Exploration
(Fifth to Twelfth Grade, All Seasons)
This investigative program will use bio-facts and real animal specimens to encourage students to draw conclusions about the similarities and differences that exist between representatives of the different animal kingdoms. Students will develop an understanding of how an animal’s anatomy is related to the adaptation to its environment. (This 2-hour interactive session is offered at High Rock Park only.)

Animals of the Greenbelt
(Pre-K to Sixth Grade, All Seasons)
The Greenbelt is home to various mammals and birds. Younger students will learn to identify some of these animals, and investigate their homes, behavior and eating habits. Older students will learn about different animal communities and their interrelationships, and explore the physical and behavioral adaptations of urban animals. Students will also be introduced to the topic of threatened and endangered animals and habitat conservation.

Aquatic Life
(Second to Sixth Grade, Spring)
Younger students will examine aquatic animals and discover how their needs – water, air, light, food, space and shelter - are met by their wetland habitats. Older students will explore the zones of a freshwater wetland, and learn about the different life stages and food chains of the organisms that live in this unique ecosystem.

Bats
(Third to Eighth Grade, All Seasons)
Forget their association with the scary side of night. Bats are gentle and marvelously beneficial creatures. They help pollinate innumerable plant species worldwide and are capable of devouring hundreds of mosquitoes in an hour! Students will explore the incredible nature of this unique nocturnal mammal and the important role bats play in our environment.

Ecology Hike
(Third to Sixth Grade, All Seasons)
From its glacier-sculpted hills and kettle ponds, to its post-revolutionary war second growth forests, the Greenbelt offers a model of urban ecology and a snapshot of Staten Island’s pastoral history. Students will examine the diversity of plant and animal communities while they learn about its geological and human history.

Environment - A Clean and Healthy Earth
(Pre-K to Sixth Grade, All Seasons)
Through discussion and practical hands-on activities, students will learn how they can help keep the environment clean and healthy. Students will learn ways to reduce the amount of garbage they produce through recycling and reuse. Older students will discuss the effect of human-made materials and non-organic garbage on our environment. They will investigate natural decomposition.

Environmental issues: An Interactive Exploration
(Fifth to Twelfth Grade, All Seasons)
Students are introduced to regional and global environmental issues, such as species and habitat loss, pollution and waste-management practices, human population growth and urban development. Interactive and outdoor activities encourage students to examine these issues and facilitates informed decision-making regarding their personal role within the environment. (This 2-hour interactive session is offered at High Rock Park only.)

First Forest Experience
(Pre-K and Kindergarten, children with special needs, All Seasons)
First impressions are important. Your child's first experience with nature and forest land will last a lifetime. This introductory program focuses on developing observation skills by having students use their five senses to explore the natural world around them.

Food Chain
(Pre-K winter outreach class, First to Sixth Grade, All Seasons)
Who is eating whom and why? Students will explore the eating habits of animals found in the Greenbelt, investigate the “links” that make up a typical food chain and gain an understanding of the natural predator-prey relationships that exist in the wild.

Interactive Explorations
This is a two-hour interactive and hands-on learning experience which includes an outdoor component.

Insects & Spiders
(Pre-K to Sixth Grade, Fall & Spring)
Insects and spiders are not one and the same. Students will discover their similarities and differences, life cycles, habitats and adaptations.

Lenape: Native Americans of NYC
(First to Sixth Grade, All Seasons)
Students will explore the history, lifestyle and ingenuity of the Lenape Indians who once lived on Staten Island. Through hands-on activities and games, studying artifacts and outdoor investigations, students will learn what life was like for these Eastern Woodland people.

Magnifying Nature
(Third to Sixth Grade, Fall & Spring)
Using magnifying glasses, bug boxes, and binoculars, children will take a closer look into the realm of the forest not always obvious, or even visible to the naked eye.

Microscope Investigations: An Interactive Exploration
(Fifth to Twelfth Grade, All Seasons)
In order to evaluate pollution levels, scientists often utilize microscopes to help them identify different particles found in air, soil or water. Students will learn what makes a magnifier and how to use various magnifying tools to take a closer look at the microscopic problems that threaten the environmental health of our community. (This 2-hour interactive session is offered at High Rock Park only.)

Map and Compass
(Fourth to Eighth Grade, All Seasons)
Students will be introduced to the concept of the Earth’s magnetic field and how it helps humans navigate around the world. Students will learn how navigational skills apply to daily life, as they learn to read maps and use a compass to navigate through park trails.

Owl Lab: An Interactive Exploration
(Fifth to Twelfth Grade, All Seasons)
Students will experience an in-depth look at the special physical characteristics exclusive to owls including their intriguing dietary methods. This program includes an owl pellet dissection. (This 2-hour interactive session is offered at High Rock Park only.)

Polar Animals
(Pre-K winter outreach class, Winter & Spring)
Students will develop an understanding of why some animals are able to adapt to living in sub-freezing conditions. They will also learn where in the world Polar Regions can be found. This program is a fun introduction to geography, anatomy and science.

Reptiles
(Pre-K winter outreach class, Winter & Spring)
Learn what it takes to be a member of the reptile family through a playful hands-on science class. Students will become “reptile experts” as they are introduced to the anatomy, habitats, and adaptations of these fascinating creatures.

Scouting badge programs
(* next to the program means completion meets all the requirements necessary to receive the badge.)
Fees: $5 per participant. Programs are Tuesday through Thursday, 3:30 pm - 5 pm.
Call the Education Department for details.

Boy Scout badge programs at High Rock Park

	Indian Lore*
	Reptile/Amphibian
	Weather
	Bird Study
	Insect Study
	Nature
	Forestry
	Mammals
	Hiking

Girl Scout badge programs at High Rock Park
Brownie Troops:

	Animals*
	Earth and Sky
	Eco-Explorer*
	Watching Wildlife*
	Water Everywhere (Spring only)

Junior Troops:

	Finding Your Way*
	Hiker*
	Wildlife*
	Your Outdoor Surroundings*

Cadet & Senior Troops:

	All About Birds
	Eco-Action
	Orienteering
	Wildlife

Weather
(Third to Sixth Grade, All Seasons)
An introductory study of the components of weather: sun, air, water and earth using instruments and interactive play. Simple experiments will help students become amateur meteorologists as they make their own weather predictions.

Wetland Exploration: An Interactive Exploration
(Fifth to Twelfth Grade, Fall & Spring)
Using data collected through experiments, students will conduct a study of a fresh water wetland: They will analyze pH levels and turbidity of water samples and conduct wetland plant and animal indicator surveys. (This 2-hour interactive session is offered at High Rock Park only.)

Woodland Wonders
(First to Sixth Grade, All Seasons)
Plants are the only organisms able to both produce their food and provide food and shelter for animals and humans. Students may conduct a sensory exploration of the forest; learn to identify plant parts; explore how plants use the sun’s energy, chlorophyll, carbon dioxide and water to produce carbohydrates for plant food and study plant reproduction, pollination and seed dispersal.

Class trips
Has your child's class visited the Greenbelt?
The Greenbelt has a tradition of presenting environmental education programs to stimulate students' awareness of our natural world.

Call the Greenbelt's environmental Education Department
at (718) 667-7475 to request a program guide, or E-mail us.