Search for School Programs at Wellfleet

Through an entertaining puppet show students learn the adaptations animals use to survive winter on Cape Cod.  Students "become" birds to search for food in a migration game, investigate fluffy fur and downy feathers, and experiment with a "blubber glove" to understand how marine mammals survive in chilly water.

This lesson will introduce students to marine animals that live along the coast. Students will have the opportunity to touch and hold live animals, such as crabs, minnows and snails while visiting inquiry-based stations.

It is time to explore the beach! In this investigation students will make observations, listen to bird calls, act out nesting and feeding behaviors of familiar shorebirds, and use dip nets to discover the wildlife that call the beach home.

Birds come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but why? Students will discover how certain features and behaviors help birds to survive, and how the various different habitats that birds live in have influenced them.

Banding birds is an important tool for scientist. It allows scientists to identify birds as individuals and track the banded bird throughout the course of its life. On this field trip students will observe a master bander, and learn how banding has influenced our understanding of birds.

This program will introduce students to birds, including their characteristics, habitat preferences of different species, and life cycles.  Students will listen to and imitate familiar bird songs and calls, act out the life cycle of a bird, and investigate bird artifacts.

Hike the sand dunes of Truro and learn how Cape Cod was created by glaciers, shifting sands, and scouring winds. This hike will provide students with panoramic views of the ocean, bay, and the tip of Cape Cod.

Students will learn about the different parts of a tree, as well as what the tree needs to live. Students will also be introduced to the process of photosynthesis. They will also learn what different animals rely on trees for food and shelter.

Students will learn about the different kinds of metamorphosis that insects go through. They will also take a closer look at different animals that are found in Cape Cod ponds and look at their various adaptations.

Students will go through an introduction to green building practices and resources. After the introduction, students will go on a scavenger hunt through the sanctuary building to locate different materials and techniques that were used to build the "green" nature center.

Using dip nets, magnifiers, and binoculars students will explore three different habitats. In each habitat students will learn about one of the creatures that live there and what types of adaptations they have to survive.

Swamps, fields, and ponds...oh my!  Explore these three different habitats at the sanctuary and discover some of the different creatures that live there. Students will have and opportunity to us a dip net at the pond and explore life under a log.

Explore the trails of the sanctuary and discover all that is has to offer. Spend time searching the field for turtles and catching insects or roam the woods looking for salamanders or signs of coyotes or other mammals. You may also get your hands a little wet as you try to catch fish and crabs in the salt marsh creek or dragonflies and frogs in the pond. A naturalist will be your guide as you meander through the varied habitats of Wellfleet Bay.

Students learn about birds, turtles, fish, and other groups of animals and plants during a short hike and exploration of several habitats of Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.  Students listen for sounds in nature, mimic animal behaviors, and use special science tools to explore what lives in the bottom of a pond or under a log.

Explore the trails of the sanctuary and discover all that is has to offer. Spend time searching the field for turtles and catching insects or roam the woods looking for salamanders or signs of coyotes or other mammals. You may also get your hands a little wet as you try to catch fish and crabs in the salt marsh creek or dragonflies and frogs in the pond. A naturalist will be your guide as you meander through the varied habitats of Wellfleet Bay.

What are the most common birds of Cape Cod? What would you expect to find here and when? In this introduction students will explore the basic classification of birds and become familiar with some of the species commonly found on Cape Cod.  

What is a dichotomous key, and how can we use it to identify a species? Scientists classify organisms to notice shared characteristics and understand relatedness. In this lesson students will act like scientists by noticing the similarities and differences of seashore creatures and then work together to identify them.

During the Marine Life Cruise, students will gain an up close and personal look at many different ocean animals that live in Cape Cod Bay. While on board the Albaross fishing boat, naturalists will be putting in a plankton tow, an otter trawl, and a scallop drag, and bringing them back up with many ocean animals and plants for students to look at.

During the Marine Life Cruise, students will gain an up close and personal look at many different ocean animals that live in Cape Cod Bay. While on board the Albatross fishing boat, naturalists will be putting in a plankton tow, an otter trawl, and a scallop drag, and bringing them back up with many ocean animals and plants for students to look at.

What is migration, and who migrates? Students will learn the reason a variety of different creatures migrate. The class will also chart the migration path of a number of bird species, and students will learn how far some birds travel during the course of a year.

During this study of the owls of Cape Cod, students will examine an owl mount identifying the body structures and adaptations which enable them to find, catch, and eat their prey. The class will also listen to the different calls owls make and dissect an owl pellet.

Students will learn about owls and their adaptations. Students will also have an opportunity to look at real owl body parts and learn about how owls are able to be active at night.

Oysters are everywhere on Cape Cod; they are in the water, on the plate, and in the classroom! In this class students look beneath the shell and identify the internal structures that help this organism survive in the ocean. Students will also learn about the critical role oysters play in the offshore ecosystem.

Students engage in a hands-on, inquiry-based activity with real bird nests and eggs before becoming piping plovers themselves and "feeding" throughout the classroom while dodging threats from predators and people. Students come away from this class with an understanding of threats piping plovers face and how humans can contribute to the survival of this species.

Many animals call the pond home, but how do they survive in this wet world? Working together the students will discover how certain physical adaptations help these creatures survive through the exploration of turtle shells and pond animal models.

Students will learn which animals call the pond home. They will look through pond muck to find various pond animals and will use field guides and pictures to learn more about the animals they find.

How have bird populations on Cape Cod changed over time? Students will use data collected from bird banding at Wellfleet Bay to notice changes in bird populations over time. Students will also work to understand how climate change will influence bird populations.

Join a naturalist for a 2-hour exploration of two coastal habitats: the salt marsh and tidal flats. Use dip nets and fish traps to discover fiddler crabs, shrimp, eels, and other marine organisms that inhabit the salt marsh. Explore the tidal flats looking for snails, crabs, horseshoe crabs, shorebirds, and other marine creatures. A naturalist will lead group activities, such as a scavenger hunt, assist with species ID, demonstrate proper sampling techniques, and provide interpretation of the habitat.

During this program, students may be exposed to wet/muddy conditions in rain or shine weather, so please encourage proper footwear and attire before arrival. Rain boots or shoes that can get wet/muddy are highly reccommended.

Join a naturalist for a 2-hour exploration of two coastal habitats: the salt marsh and tidal flats. Use dip nets and fish traps to discover fiddler crabs, shrimp, eels, and other marine organisms that inhabit the salt marsh. Explore the tidal flats looking for snails, crabs, horseshoe crabs, shorebirds, and other marine creatures. A naturalist will lead group activities, such as a scavenger hunt, assist with species ID, demonstrate proper sampling techniques, and provide interpretation of the habitat.

During this program, students may be exposed to wet/muddy conditions in rain or shine weather, so please encourage proper footwear and attire before arrival. Rain boots or shoes that can get wet/muddy are highly reccommended.

In this introduction to the salt marsh and its inhabitants, students will use their senses as they smell salt marsh peat, observe live creatures, and touch different specimens. Through their observation, student will come to understand how important this habitat is!

Join a naturalist for a 2-hour exploration of two coastal habitats: the salt marsh and tidal flats. Use dip nets and fish traps to discover fiddler crabs, shrimp, eels, and other marine organisms that inhabit the salt marsh. Explore the tidal flats looking for snails, crabs, horseshoe crabs, shorebirds, and other marine creatures. A naturalist will lead group activities, assist with species ID, demonstrate proper sampling techniques, and provide interpretation of the habitat.

During this program, students may be exposed to wet/muddy conditions in rain or shine weather, so please encourage proper footwear and attire before arrival. Rain boots or shoes that can get wet/muddy are highly reccommended.

Spending most of its life below the surface of the ocean, the life of a sea turtle are shrouded in mystery. Unravel this mystery by touching sea turtle artifacts, playing a sea turtle game, and tracing the life of a sea turtle from egg to adult.

After studying sea turtles and why some strand on Cape Cod’s bayside beaches during winter months, students will participate in the necropsy of a sea turtle. Under the supervision of teachers, students will gain experience performing a necropsy and recording and communicating data. Findings provide valuable scientific data to our understanding of sea turtle biology and physiology and may be used by researchers across the globe. 

Juvenile sea turtles are found cold-stunned and stranded on Cape Cod Bay beaches every year in the late fall. Join staff naturalists to learn more about the biology of sea turtles and the theories behind why they strand. A brief indoor presentation will be followed by a walk on a local beach in search of stranded turtles. While we can never predict when or if sea turtles will strand, the walk is scheduled during the typical stranding season. Participants will get a "hands-on" perspective of rescue and rehabilitation efforts by patrolling the beach in search of turtles and if turtles are found, assisting with collecting baseline data and preparing them for transport to the New England Aquarium.

Juvenile sea turtles are found cold-stunned and stranded on Cape Cod Bay beaches every year in the late fall. Join staff naturalists to learn more about the biology of sea turtles and the theories behind why they strand. A brief indoor presentation will be followed by a walk on a local beach in search of stranded turtles. While we can never predict when or if sea turtles will strand, the walk is scheduled during the typical stranding season. Participants will get a "hands-on" perspective of rescue and rehabilitation efforts by patrolling the beach in search of turtles and if turtles are found, assisting with collecting baseline data and preparing them for transport to the New England Aquarium.

Juvenile sea turtles are found cold-stunned and stranded on Cape Cod Bay beaches every year in the late fall. Join staff naturalists to learn more about the biology of sea turtles and the theories behind why they strand. A brief indoor presentation will be followed by a walk on a local beach in search of stranded turtles. While we can never predict when or if sea turtles will strand, the walk is scheduled during the typical stranding season. Participants will get a "hands-on" perspective of rescue and rehabilitation efforts by patrolling the beach in search of turtles and if turtles are found, assisting with collecting baseline data and preparing them for transport to the New England Aquarium.

Students will learn about different adaptations of sea turtles. Students will also learn about cold-stunned sea turtles on Cape Cod bay beaches, and what they can do to help the turtles.

Students will learn about different adaptations of sea turtles. Students will also learn about cold-stunned sea turtles on Cape Cod bay beaches, and what they can do to help the turtles.

Students will learn about different adaptations of sea turtles. Students will also learn about cold-stunned sea turtles on Cape Cod bay beaches, and what they can do to help the turtles.

Shorebirds are always on the move! Chart the movements of some of the common shorebirds of Cape Cod, and learn where they travel throughout the course of their life. Discover why shorebirds visit Cape Cod, and what we can do to keep them safe.

Students will learn about mollusk characteristics. They will also examine the external and internal anatomy of the long finned squid through an in-depth dissection.

Students dissect a real squid while investigating squid's taxonomy, adaptations, anatomy & physiology. Students are introduced to laboratory skills and even get to write with the squid's pen and ink!

Students will learn about Stellwagen Bank and its amazing productivity. Students will also learn about ocean food chains and where local Cape Cod animals and plants fit in these food chains.

Tidal flats are always changing! In this program students will learn about the different creatures that call this habitat home, and how they are able to survive in this ever-changing place. Students will have an opportunity to hold and identify a variety of shells.

Students will learn about the eastern box turtle, and the on-going box turtle tracking program at the sanctuary. Students will then go out with the naturalist in search of box turtles. If a turtle is found, students will collect data on the turtle.

In this exciting introduction to turtles, students will learn about the body structures and characteristics which enable turtles to survive in their respective habitats. Students will have the opportunity observe and handle turtle shells, try on a turtle costume, and see a live turtle in an aquarium!