Classroom Meets Outdoors
The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center provides numerous programs for both school visits and field trips to bolster students’ interest in ecology, the natural world, and environmental sciences. In line with the Next Generation Science Standards in New Hampshire, making it ideal for visits that line up with classroom discussion about environmental sciences. Programs can be tailored to very specific learn goals and educational discussions by the instructor on their group visits page.
Visits to the Center encourages students to ask questions about the things they experience in the natural and everyday world, and to find resources that deepen their understanding of the answers to those questions. The Center also offers outreach programs where Naturalists can, with wildlife ambassadors, visit schools and educate students on the natural world.
Exploration
Walk the Wild Animal Exhibit Trail for an up-close look at New Hampshire wildlife. The Natural Science Center has made the outdoor grounds into several realistic habitats for the animals that they look after. Visitors can spot river otters, black bears, bobcats, mountain lions, and others going about their lives from the comfort of a gravel path. The three quarter mile trail takes a winding route around the entirety of the campus. On this self-guided journey students can take their own pace while getting to know the animals that call New Hampshire home.
After a visit to the Wild Animal Exhibit Trail visitors can see the flora of the Kirkwood Gardens. An informal garde, the one-acre area is a blend of sun and shade beds full of shrubs, ferns, flowers, and trees that are suited—but not necessarily native—to the New England climate. Programs taking place here will focus on some of the smaller fauna-flora ecosystems, like that of the many animals that pollinate beyond just bees and butterflies as well as some of the bugs who maintain things at a soil and stem level.
Meet the Water
Discover the Squam Lakes by boat. Get on the water and see how clear the lakes are, see celebrated islands, and historic homes. These 90-minute tours are a great way to get engaged with the aquatic world outside of an aquarium. Cruise with a Naturalist to get insight into the wildlife that calls the Squam Lakes home, see common loons and bald eagles. Each route with a naturalist is chosen to maximize wildlife observations so each tour is unique to the experience.
