Preserve programs for schools.
Guided Hikes for School Field Trips Are Back!
Trained trail guides are ready to take your students on an outdoor learning adventure in the Preserve. School field trips are offered Tue - Fri mornings. Download the flyer below for additional details.
To schedule a field trip for fall or spring, email wbedu@stedwards.edu or call 512-326-7058.
We encourage a $5/student donation to help cover program costs. Bus reimbursement is currently available for Title 1 and low-income schools. Please call or email with questions or to schedule a trip for your students. We look forward to hearing from you.
Special Events at Wild Basin
WEEKLY (click on date link for more details)
- Walk to the Waterfall Wednesdays - Family friendly guided hikes along various trials that lead to the Wild Basin waterfall area. Event is free to attend but space is limited so reserve your spot(s) ahead of time. Events occur every Wednesday during June and July.
MONTHLY - Reservation required (click on date link for more details)
- Second Saturday Guided Hikes: Wild Basin’s guided hikes are a great way to learn about the native Texas Hill Country. Join us for a guided hike with one of our seasoned trail guides and naturalist. June 10th July 8th
- Walk and Talk with Wild Basin's Executive Director: June 9th July 7th
- Wild Basin Speaker and Social Series:
- Texas Backyard Wildlife: The Astonishing Natural History of a Suburban Backyard: Join Dan Ballard & Jane Hunter as they share some of their most fascinating and funny critter videos and recount the stories behind them. Their Texas Backyard Wildlife project began as idle curiosity and a few trail cameras. It has now grown into a website, as YouTube channel, an Explore.org channel, and a cameo appearance in a BBC wildlife documentary. June13th
ONE TIME ONLY (None at this time)
Educational resources and opportunities for teachers, faculty, and artists.
For years, Wild Basin has served as a valuable resource to area schools for site-based environmental education. As the pandemic increased the need for virtual learning, the Wild Basin Creative Research Center has supported area schools with STEM-based webcasts for 4th - 8th graders, and a reading series for pre-K - 3rd graders.
We offer resources for St. Edward’s faculty to teach at Wild Basin, as well as resources to support their student researchers.
The Artist in Residence (AIR) program at Wild Basin supports professional artists in the Austin area and an inspirational environment in which to work.
Virtual programs for science learning.
Science Live! at Wild Basin is an hour-long live webcast series showcasing real field science happening at Wild Basin and other Balcones Canyonlands Preserve lands. We explore natural science themes and make real science accessible to middle grade students with a live Q&A over-the-air with scientists. Recommended for 4th-8th grade.
Episode 1: High Flying Science (aired November 2020)
Can robots help save birds? What does a field biologist do? Join Wild Basin staff for a live synchronous virtual program about Austin birds and some ways that biologists are going "high tech". Special live Q&A with field biologist and Wild Basin Research Director Dr. Darren Proppe.
Part 1 - "Banding Birds", with City of Austin Biologist Dr. Laurel Moulton, 7 min.
Part 2 - "Mapping the Soundscape", 8 min.
Part 3 - "Spy in the Sky", 5 min.
Full program - Science Live! at Wild Basin, High Flying Science, 55 min.
Full Science Live! playlist on YouTube - all episodes and videos
Episode 2: Biodiversity Detectives (aired April 2021)
Which animals roam Wild Basin? What is it like to work at a nature preserve? Join us for a free live virtual program featuring three field science projects that help gauge biodiversity on the preserve. We’ll connect wildfire prevention, invasive species removal, and wildlife camera studies in a packed hour-long program. Special live Q&A with field biologists Dr. Barbara Dugelby and Dr. Amy Concilio and Preserve Manager Niki Lake.
Part 1 - "Unexpected Consequences", with St. Edward's University professor Dr. Amy Concilio, 7 min.
Part 2 - "Chasing Invasives", with Preserve Manager Niki Lake, 8 min.
Part 3 - "Spy in the Wild", with Director Dr. Barbara Dugelby, 8 min.
Full Science Live! playlist on YouTube - all episodes and videos
Curriculum and lessons for self-guided visits to Wild Basin.
New curriculum guides for educators serve as an introduction and guide to exploring Wild Basin with students. Each guide offers information about the preserve, suggested questions and critical thinking strategies, a vocabulary list, TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) correlations, sample activities, literature connections, and links to outdoor learning resources.
Curriculum Guides
CURRICULUM GUIDE TO WILD BASIN
Grades K-2: Insects, Seeds, and Patterns, .pdf, 4 MB.
CURRICULUM GUIDE TO WILD BASIN
Grades 3-5: Food Chains, Animal Evidence, and Fossils, .pdf, 9 MB.
CURRICULUM GUIDE TO WILD BASIN
Grades 3-5: Animal Environments, Seasons, and Aquifers, .pdf, 2.6 MB.
CURRICULUM GUIDE TO WILD BASIN
Grades 6 - 8: Animal Traits, Watersheds, and Rocks, .pdf, 1 MB
Lessons
Supplement your school visit to Wild Basin with these natural science lessons for the classroom. Each lesson includes: lesson objectives, TEKS correlations, materials, procedures, and extension suggestions.
- K-1 - Nuts About Squirrels - downloadable .pdf, 400 KB; Squirrels video copyright Brittanica School Edition.
- 2nd - Slithering & Swimming Snakes of Wild Basin - downloadable .pdf, 280 KB; Snake images, free for use.
- 4th - A Myriad of Arthropods at Wild Basin - downloadable .pdf, 740 KB.
- 5th - Tree-mendous Assets: Ashe juniper and Golden-cheeked Warblers at Wild Basin - downloadable .pdf, 1.9 MB.
- 6th/7th - To Plant or Not to Plant, Native vs. Invasive Species - downloadable .pdf, 216 KB.
- 7th/8th - Plains, Prairies & Plateaus, Oh My! Biodiversity in Texas Ecoregions - downloadable .pdf, 220 KB.
- 9th/10th - Taxonomy and Dichotomous Keys - downloadable .pdf, 194 KB. Dichotomous Key from Wild Basin, downloadable .pdf, 2.1 MB.
- 11th/12th - Saving Urban Wildlife Preserves - downloadable .pdf, 190 KB.
We would like to thank our 2022-2023 funding partners:
