Everglades National Park ROYAL PALM AND LONG PINE KEY GUIDE

Workshop Attendance

All teachers are required to attend a one-day workshop at Royal Palm/Long Pine Key prior to leading a field trip. (Attending a workshop for another Everglades program does not qualify a teacher to participate in this one.) Workshops are typically held on teacher work days in November and January. Workshop enrollment is arranged when submitting a trip reservation form, or by calling the Education Office.

New teachers, and those who have not participated in the program for the past two years, must attend a workshop. However, even for teachers whose participation has been frequent, attending a workshop every few years will help bring them up to date on any program changes. It will also stimulate new ideas for classroom preparation and follow-up.

Teachers must submit a reservation form by mail to the Everglades Education Office. This form is included in the annual School Visits to South Florida National Parks booklet mailed out at the start of the school year. Reply letters are sent to all teachers who submitted reservation requests. If a date has been reserved for you, a pink confirmation post card will be enclosed. This card must be signed by your principal and returned to the park to confirm your acceptance. The card also asks you to give the size of your group, their grade, and any special information that would be useful to the rangers preparing for your visit.

Approximately one week before your visit, the Education Clerk will call to confirm the details of your visit. Please be sure to inform him/her of any changes in teacher-leader or group size.

Chaperons are an integral part of the park visit. A minimum of one adult chaperon or teacher for every ten children is required. (Have a chaperon stand-by list ready in case of last minute cancellations.) Children look at adults as role models-they will watch and model the adults' actions and reactions. Teachers should review the chaperon responsibilities on pages 23- 24, with all adult participants. These guidelines, in English and Spanish, are provided in a form that can easily be copied as a handout. Chaperons, like students, must wear long pants and walking shoes. We ask that they not smoke in front of the students or use the vending machines (since students aren't allowed to use them).

Support from the chaperons is essential to the trip's success. Please instruct them to assist in maintaining discipline, to join in all activities, and to be on the lookout for potential safety hazards.

School Regulations

Teachers are responsible for making sure that all school system regulations regarding parental permission slips, travel authorizations/insurance, etc. are followed.

Chaperons

One adult (chaperon or teacher) per ten students is required by Everglades National Park.

Clothing

Tell the students and chaperons to wear clothes appropriate for sitting on the ground. Long pants (no shorts or dresses) are required. Shoes should be comfortable for walking. No sandals, flip-flops, or other open-toed shoes are allowed. Long pants and shoes protect participants from biting insects and poisonous plants.

Nametags

For safety and courtesy, the rangers prefer to call students by name. A single piece of masking tape with the first name written in big letters works well. If you choose to make name tags as a pre-visit activity, be sure they are easy to read and do not fall off when the students are active.

Groups

Divide each class into two groups of 12-18 students each before arriving at the park. Assign at least one chaperon to each group. (A typical bus of 60 students would be divided into four groups of fifteen students each.)

Items To Leave Behind

Students are not allowed to bring cameras, binoculars, tape-recorders, radios or money. These distract the student's attention from the group leaders and also from what is around them. We also ask that adults not bring cameras or cellular phones. If you feel that you must have pictures of your field trip, designate one adult as the class photographer and ask them to use their camera unobtrusively. Picture taking should never take precedence over the learning experience.

Food And Drink

Bag lunches are best. Food and drink (except water fountains) are not available at the picnic site. Please label and separate the lunches by class to save time. The lunches must fit into an area under the last bus seat. This space is about the same size as a box that holds copy machine paper. You may want to use such a box to pack your lunches. No one from the trip is allowed to use the vending machines at Royal Palm.

Insect repellent

Insect repellent is usually only needed during the fall months. Lotions, rather than sprays, work best. One or two squeeze bottles per class will be sufficient. If mosquitoes are a problem, the rangers will adjust the schedule to spend less time in the hammock habitat.

Littering

Discuss with your students before the field trip, the need to leave a clean picnic and study area. Gum and food of any sort are prohibited on the trails and on the bus.

Safety

An accident can ruin a field trip and jeopardize future ones. Safety is everyone's concern. Students should be within view of an adult at all times.

Protection Of The National Park

Remind your students and chaperons that in a national park, collecting or damaging any plants or animals is prohibited.

Ranger for a Day! Teachers participating in the Royal Palm/Long Pine Key Program are required to lead a group (usually 12-18 students) on the trails. The ranger will lead the other half of the class and will coordinate activities of both groups. Listen to the ranger's instructions carefully as themes and plans vary somewhat from field trip to field trip. Teacher Backpack Each teacher is given a backpack at the start of the fieldtrip. The backpack contains trail maps; bird, plant and fish identification cards; a color wheel for use as an optional activity; a measuring tape for demonstrating alligator and bird wing span measurements; and a small first aid kit. Lunch Time! Everyone looks forward to lunch after an exciting morning. Remember, you will be out in the heat for 3 hours; if the school packs the lunches, we suggest juices or cold drinks (or just plain water) rather than milk. If students pack their own lunches, remind them to bring cold drinks. Also, having lunches marked and organized for easy distribution will decrease the time spent passing things out and increase the time on the trail! Students are responsible for leaving the picnic area clean.

Discipline The park environment is a novel and exiting one for students. Providing a firm framework of rules during a pre-visit discussion will make enforcement during the field trip much easier. This discussion should include the following: Respect the wildlife. Making loud noises, throwing objects at, or other harassment of the animals in the park is illegal. Respect the plants. Do not pick flowers, or break leaves and branches off plants. the collecting of pine cones, feathers, or other natural objects is not allowed in Everglades, or any national park. Respect the right of others to enjoy Everglades National Park. Loud noises and disruptive behavior interfere with other visitors. Respect each other. Running and pushing can lead to injuries. When the ranger or teacher is talking, or a student is answering a aquestion, everyone should listen. Remind the students to always stay with their group. Each group should be led by a teacher or ranger, with an adult chaperon at the end.

Adaptability to weather conditions, bus problems, etc. are essential to having an enjoyable visit to the park. No two school programs are exactly alike, but the following schedule represents a typical trip.

8:30 am - 10:00 am Travel to the Park

Simple assignments can be completed by seatmates or individuals during this time. Point out sights along the way that relate to the park story such as canals, isolated stands of pine trees, or new housing developments. You may also want to review vocabulary words or ecological concepts.

10:00 am - 10:15 am Meet Park Rangers at Royal Palm

After a brief welcome by both rangers to Everglades National Park, one ranger will remain on the bus and talk to the students about expected behavior. The other ranger will meet on the walk outside the bus with teachers and chaperons to review the plan for the day.

10:15 am - 11:30 am Anhinga Trail Activities

After leaving the bus, the students take a quick restroom break and classes join their ranger. Each ranger will lead an introductory activity for their entire class, and then the class is split into two groups. The groups, one led by a ranger, the other by a teacher, will walk the trail observing wildlife and viewing the wetland habitats.

11:30 am - 11:45 Travel to Long Pine Key

11:45 am - 12:15 Lunch

Each class eats together, sitting on the grass. The students, supervised by teachers, are responsible for leaving the area clean.

12:15 - 1:15 pm Long Pine Key Activities

Rangers and teachers lead groups through the high ground habitats. The ranger conducts a concluding activity with the entire class.

1:15 pm Bus Leaves the Park (12:15 pm on Wednesdays).