Teachers

Allen County Parks is committed to helping you out with tough job that you all have! Between budget cuts and testing we’re not sure how you do the wonderful things that you do, but we’d like to help!!

We can design programs to meet your curriculum needs and help you meet Indiana State Standards!

On-Site Programs at our place…

We offer the following at our two major parks, outdoor laboratory and field learning utilizing the natural environment to teach the following and more:

  • Pond life with macro-invertebrate and amphibian identification using pond nets, dippers and field microscopes.
  • Animal classification
  • Plant, fungi and tree identification
  • Ecological relationships
  • Bird identification and observation with binoculars
  • Herbivore vs. carnivore vs. omnivore
  • Mammal skins, skulls, scat and tracks
  • Reptile program with live turtles
  • Evening programs on bats, astronomy and owls
  • Outdoor survival skills and/or orienteering, shelters, and fire
  • Local natural and cultural history with fossil pile and geo-garden
  • Insect, honeybee hive and butterfly identification with butterfly nets
  • Habitat studies of forest, prairie, wetland, marsh, vernal pools, pond, and creek
  • Water cycle and health
  • Using your senses to explore the natural world
  • Winter programming (open year-round!)
  • Microscopes and dissections
  • Team Building Activities
We can also customize a program to meet any requirement you might have! Give us a call and give us a try!
 

Off-Site Programs at your school…

  • Pond Life with live turtles and amphibians
  • Rockin’ Reptiles
  • Creepy Crawlies (insect program)
  • Meet the Mammals (skins, skulls, scat and tracks)
  • Cultural History (Civil War, Canal Days, Early Settler)
  • Team-building Skills
  • Biology 101 (microscopes and dissections)
  • Backpacking Basics and/or Wilderness Survival
  • Life Cycles
  • Natural History of Allen County
  • Macro-invertebrates relating to water quality
  • The Sensory Experience
  • Birds (will coordinate visit with live birds of prey with Soarin’ Hawk rehabilitation center)

…we can also custom-design a program for your particular classroom topic

Our Two Main Parks with full facilities:

 Fox Island County Park

Contains 605 acres, including the 270 acre Fox Island State Nature Preserve, windblown sand dunes, marsh (with overlook) remnant of the Little Wabash River, wetland forests, restored prairie, geo-garden, fossil pile, seven miles of hiking trails, three picnic shelters, cross-country skiing, hayrides, bird observatory building, Nature Center, and sandy beach at Bowman Lake.

 Metea County Park

Contains 250, acres including the 120 acre Meno-aki State Nature Preserve, Cedar Creek State Scenic River, four miles of hiking trails, prairie, picnic shelter, sandy beach with pond, cross-country skiing, hayrides, sledding hill, bird viewing room, open field for recreational activities and the Goeglein Nature Center.

In addition to these two great parks the Department also maintains and operates a unique experience at Deer Run Wilderness Area. Visit our Deer Run Wilderness Area page by clicking here to learn more. Deer Run is not your typical field trip but may be useful especially for older students or team building for athletic teams etc.

Tree Discovery Bio Box

Don’t have the time for a field trip and not sure when in the next two weeks you would have time for a naturalist to visit your class. Check out this idea, borrow our Tree Bio Box and when time allows in a 2 week period do your program!

ITS FREE!!!  This box includes books and curriculum binder of activities with all the supplies in one box. All you need is one tree!
Call 449-3180 to check the entire box out for 2 weeks FREE! This box is available for check out at Fox Island County Park ONLY!

Complete with over 30 books, posters, tree cookies, leaf identification kit, magnifying glasses and much more.

A special thanks to one of our supporting organizations, the Fox Island Alliance for this awesome teaching tool!!

Facilities and Fees (Financial aid available upon request)

Nature Centers at both Fox Island and Metea County Parks are open daily from 9:00AM-6:00PM with full bathrooms, large classrooms, gifts shops, library and nature exhibits.

NO NEED TO CANCEL due to bad weather:  We have indoor space for up to 120 students. “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes!”

Program Fee is $2.00 per student / parent chaperone for a 1.5 hour standard field trip program (on or off-site).  $1.00/student/additional 1/2 hour.

Paid school staff and bus drivers are FREEEEE!!!!!!!!.

Hayrides are $3.00 per student.  A themed craft or snack may be added to your program for an additional $1.00 each per student.

Cross-Country Ski programs for 4th and 5th grade classes are $5.00 per student, $6.00 per adult, and include park entry fee and ski rental for one hour.

Self-Guided entry fee is $2.00 per person for the entire day.  Let us know you are coming.

FIELD TRIP GRANTS FROM TARGET!!  

Check out this link to find out how you can apply for a grant valued at up to $700 for your field trip. Wonderful idea for these budget strapped times!

We can also serve as your teacher workshop/training facility.

Call or check out Rental Facility page to get more information on holding your event at our parks!

Who to call………

Fox Island County Park
7324 Yohne Rd. Fort Wayne, IN  46809

449-3180  Fax 449-3181
Natalie Haley 449-3246, Jeff Ormiston 449-3184
Email: foxisland at allencountyparks.org  (replace “at” with @)

Metea County Park
8401 Union Chapel Rd. Fort Wayne, IN 46845
449-3777 Fax 627-5314
Email: metea at allencountyparks.org
Bob Dispenza 449-8619, Ron Divelbiss 449-3778