NPS Biscayne National Park offers a land-based day trip to our Dante Fascell Visitor Center in Homestead, Florida called the Explorer Program. The facility includes a boardwalk for wildlife viewing, picnic tables, and bathroom facilities. Biscayne Explorer is a fourth grade standards-based, ranger-led program that brings marine science to students as they explore the wonders of Biscayne. Upon arrival, students are greeted by a park ranger, given a brief orientation, and then split into groups to complete three activities that help them explore the concept of interdependence while looking into the four main ecosystems found here. The standard Explorer program offers a guided Jetty Walk, Plankton Lab, and Coral talk. A ranger will guide students in a nature walk along Biscayne Bay to discuss the Seagrass ecosystem and Mangrove Forest that are found in the park. Students will enter our classroom as scientists to participate in a plankton lab exploring phyto and zooplankton, algae blooms, and water quality while making wet slides and identifying microscopic life inside a drop of water. Finally students will take a closer look at one of the most biodiverse ecosystems by exploring the wonders of corals and using a dichotomous key to identify coral structures. When planning field trips please remember to check the weather and prepare students appropriately. We recommend sunscreen, hats, and bug repellant. It is necessary that school groups bring their own lunch and refillable water bottles.
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Last updated: June 25, 2025