Field Trips & Self Guided Tours
Desert Botanical Garden is a natural learning environment for students of all ages. Request a field trip now or browse our field trip programs to see overviews, fees and other information:
- Sonoran Desert Adventure Program
For pre-K through 8th grade. - Self-Guided Field Trips
For students of all ages. - Independent Study Trips
For students of all ages - K through college. - Marshall Butterfly Pavilion
An add-on for students of all ages.
Additional Information
- Paying for your Field Trip: Checks, credit cards and purchase orders are preferred; cash accepted. Memberships and coupons may not be used toward school trips as they are considered a special event. As the lead teacher, you will need to present the entire payment for your group upon arrival at the Garden. If a chaperone arrives late and their payment is not included in the group payment, they will be charged regular admission fees.
- Field Trip FAQs: Find answers to all our commonly asked questions about Garden field trips in this PDF. Download now.
- Preparing for Your Guided School Visit: Get pre-visit and day-of checklists, garden rules and reminders for teachers and chaperones in this PDF. Download now.
- Request a Field Trip: Before you visit, be sure to book a field trip or self-guided tour at Desert Botanical Garden.
- Academic Standards: Each tour has been designed to meet Arizona Academic Standards - and not just for Science!
If you have additional questions, please contact our School Program Facilitator, at 480 481.8121 or email teacherRSVP@dbg.org.
Sonoran Desert Adventure Program: Guided Tours
School Field Trips for Pre-K through 8th Grade
Designed and taught by Desert Botanical Garden educators, we offer innovative field trips for grades Pre-K to 8. Our programs blend the Garden’s unique resources with a hands-on, inquiry-based learning experience--and a dose of fun--to get students excited about nature.
Garden field trips are specifically designed to complement your school district’s educational objectives, and correlate with Arizona Academic Standards, and we are renowned for advancing excellence in science education by:
- Getting students involved with interactive, hands-on experiences
- Stimulating an interest in scientific concepts
- Challenging them with inquiry-based investigations
- Nurturing a stewardship of the desert
- Encouraging a natural curiosity about the world
Group tours for the 2010-2011 school year are available October 4 through May 6. Start Times are 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
Fees
- $6 per student, teacher, teacher's aide and chaperone.
- $2 Additional fee for the Butterfly Pavilion (open seasonally).
- Free for Title I Schools from October – February. Donated funds cover the cost of these visits. (School must be 50% or greater Title I.)
Late cancellation fee for all groups (including Title I scholarships):
- Less than 2 weeks’ notice – $1 fee per person.
- No prior notice – $50 cancellation fee plus $1 fee per person.
- A fee will be charged if the number of students arriving on the tour is significantly lower than the scheduled number.
Field Trip Program Summaries
Request a Field Trip now
Are You A Yucca?: Basic Plant Parts
1 hr 15 min. / Suggested for: Pre-Kindergarten / Pre-Kindergarten Academic Standards
Children will travel through the Garden to different plant parts themed discovery stations. At the discovery stations students can pick a seedling, travel through roots “underground” and test to see if different leaves have their own scent, learning through their senses. At the end the students will decide as a group whether or not they are a yucca.
The Magic of Desert Plants: Basic Plant Parts
2 hr / Suggested for: Advanced PreK-1st / Kindergarten Academic Standards
Students discover the magical world of desert plants through a variety of activities designed to captivate young minds. Students learn the role of roots, what is hidden in leaves, a secret about stems, and more.
Desert Buddies: Habitats & Organism Interactions
2 hr / Suggested for: Grades 1–2 / Grade 1 Academic Standards
Students will be intrigued by our unique Sonoran Desert plants and animals and the way they help each other. Students investigate the desert habitat and its interconnections of living things.
Desert Detectives: Lifecyles
2 hr / Suggested for: Grades 1-3 / Grade 2 Academic Standards
Students examine the life cycles of the saguaro, the agave and a cactus wren. Stories and activities teach students about the importance of each stage in these organisms’ lives.
The Secrets of Desert Plants: Plant Parts and Adaptations
2 hr / Suggested for: Grades 2-4 / Grade 3 Academic Standards
Students explore the amazing ways that plants have adapted to the desert environment. Activities help students investigate how stems store water, roots gather water and leaves keep water from escaping.
Science Survival: Scientific Method
2 hr / Suggested for: Advanced 4-6 / Grade 5 Academic Standards
Students go through the steps of the scientific method and simultaneously learn about desert plants. Students need their critical thinking hats on for this tour!
Arizona Plants & People: Relationships between People and Plants
2 hr / Suggested for: Grades: 4-12 / Grade 4 Academic Standards
Students will discover how native plants are used for food, shelter and tools and how people rely on plants today, just as they have for thousands of years.
The Journey of Water: Transpiration
2 hr / Suggested for: Grades 5-7 / Grade 6 Academic Standards
Students investigate the path that water follows through a plant using challenging experiments and field study.
A Key to Desert Plants: Dichotomous Key
2 hr / Suggested for: Grades 6-10 / Grade 7 Academic Standards
Students will explore the Garden as they use a dichotomous key to learn about agaves, wildflowers, cacti, and trees. Using this scientific tool, students will sharpen their observation skills, and learn to correctly identify desert specimens.
Flower Power – the Genetic Journey
2 hr / Suggested for: Grades 7-9 / Academic Standards Grade 8
Students will explore the reproductive process of flowering plants during this tour. Students investigate the structure of seeds, flowers and fruit, match plants with their pollinators and use a Punnett square to cross-genetic traits.
Self-Guided School Group Visit
Visits for all students (K-12, High School, College)
Small school groups, high school groups and college groups are encouraged to visit the garden on their own, with their teachers and chaperones serving as guides.
- Academic Standards: N/A
- Start Times: Weekdays after 1 p.m. (October-May), and any time during regular business hours on weekends and during the summer months.
Fees
- $5 per student, teacher and chaperone.
- $2 additional fee per person for the Butterfly Pavilion (open seasonally).
- $2 additional fee per person during festivals and special events.
- Title I Schools pay $3 per person for self-guided field trips. Scholarship funds do not cover these visits.
Independent Study
Studies for all students (K-12, High School, College)
What is an "independent study" field trip?
- Teachers assign a semester-long, independent project to their students related to visit(s) to the Garden. Students visit the Garden on their own during a specified time period.
- Teachers submit a roster of students to the Garden and the Garden tracks the students who visit the Garden.
To schedule an independent study project for your students:
- Independent Study visits must be booked at least two weeks in advance.
- Complete the online request form (link to Request a Field Trip form) AND email your complete alphabetized student roster to TeacherRSVP@dbg.org or fax to (480) 481-8189.
- Students will not be admitted without a received roster.
Fees
- $5 per student.
- Guests accompanying student pay the regular admission rate.
- $2 additional fee per person for the Butterfly Pavilion (open seasonally).
Marshall Butterfly Pavilion
Add-on for all ages
A visit to the seasonal Butterfly Pavilion is the highlight of many students’ garden experience.
- Fall 2010 Butterfly Pavilion, Mariposa Monarca, will be open from September 25 – November 14.
- Spring 2011 Butterfly Pavilion is open March 5 – May 8. A visit to the Marshall Butterfly Pavilion may be added to any group Garden visit for the additional fee of $2.
