Kids of all ages love exploring the wonders of the Sound..
The Maritime Center welcomes all age groups to experience the wonders of the Port Royal Sound. Teachers work with our naturalists to create a schedule of activities that will enhance their classroom curriculum and give the students a unique understanding of their complex coastal environment.
How to Book a Field Trip
Review
Review our different Field Trip Opportunities & Field Trip Activities.
Contact
Call: 843-645-7774
Email: jkochman@portroyalsoundfoundation.org
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Details
PRSF will contact you to discuss details of your field trip.
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Field Trip Activities
We offer a variety of curriculum-based activities for creating the perfect field trip experience for your class. Depending on your schedule, most field trips include 2-4 activities. If you don’t see an activity that works for your class, contact us to discuss other options.
Using furs, bones, models, and live animals, students will learn to classify different groups of animals found in the Lowcountry.
Grades K-12
Classroom Option
What complex ecosystem lives under our docks? Students will use standard microscope techniques to identify numerous invertebrates that live in the Port Royal Sound.
Grades 4-12
While taking a stroll through the forest, students will learn the many characteristics of local plants, how plants and animals interact within the forest, and why the forest is an important ecosystem.
Grades K-12
How do we impact our waters and surrounding environment? Through use of an Enviroscape interactive model, students will understand the impact of pollution on our waters to our area.
Grades 4-12
Classroom Option
Explore the ecology and history of the Port Royal Sound through exhibits, artifacts, and live animals. The fun and educational Maritime Center has something for all ages!
Grades K-12
A walk through our 105-acre campus explores the transition from a lush maritime forest to an active salt marsh. Birds, snakes and arrowheads are often discovered on our hikes!
Grades 3-12
Why is out water the color it is? What is at the beginning of the ocean’s food chain? Students will collect a water sample and use microscopes to discover plankton’s importance to our world’s oceans.
Grades 4-12
Students will learn what happens to our trach once it’s thrown away, the process of recycling, and how to reduce our ecological impact on the Port Royal Sound and the world’s oceans.
Grades K-12
Classroom Option
Learn about the wandering lives of jellyfish through an interactive sea jelly build. Your future marine biologists will have fun crafting their own pet jelly to take home.
Grades K-3
Classroom Option
Students will learn about the form and function of a squid by examining the internal and external anatomy.
Grades 5-12
Additional $4/student
Through a partnership with Beaufort Dolphin Adventures, students will explore the Chechessee River learning about local marine mammals, birds, sea life, Spartina grasses, and other environmental factors.
Each trip can accommodate 14 passengers. At least 2 adults must be present on each trip
Grades K-12
Seasonal Availability
Pricing:
- 1 Trip: $365
- 2 Trips: $470
- 3 Trips: $645
- 4 Trips: $820
- 5 Trips: $995
- 6 Trips: $1,170
Students construct a model research buoy using limited resources. This team building competition puts your knowledge of technology, engineering, math, and resourcefulness to the test.
Grades 4-12
Design your own reusable canvas tote bag with anatomically correct fish models This activity teaches the importance of reusable materials, and students get to take their bag home to use over and over!
Grades K-12
Additional $4/student
Students will learn what makes an insect an insect, the process of metamorphosis, and why insects are important animals. Students will then collect insects that are home to the Lowcountry.
Grades K-12
Classroom Option
While using transects, students will determine different factors that affect species distribution in a salt marsh and understand why the marsh it a vital ecosystem.
Grades 4-12
How hard is it to find microplastics in our water? Students will investigate water samples using microscopes to determine if there are plastics in our water and learn how this can threat our ecosystem.
Grades 4-12
Dive into the ecosystem of an oyster reef through the dissection of an oyster bag from our own artificial oyster reef. Students will learn why oysters and these reefs are important to our estuarine system.
Grades 3-12
Seasonal Availability
Through visuals, games, and a visit to our native plant garden, students will learn the process of pollination and who the pollinators are.
Grades K-12
Optional Bonus Activity: Students will plant and take home a native place to attract pollinators to their school or home. Additional $4/student.
South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement (SCORE). Students take part in bagging oyster shells – the building blocks of oyster reefs! Filled oyster bags will be used in SC Department of Natural Resources shore restoration projects.
Grades 4-12
Seasonal Availability
A 2-part program that involves the gathering of Spartina alterniflora seeds, their germination and growth (at your school), and the planting of the Spartina in the salt marsh at the Maritime Center. Kids learns about plant growth and the many benefits of our most abundant plant in the Port Royal Sound. Schedule seed gathering field trip in the fall, and planting field trip in the spring.
*Teachers must complete a From Seeds to Shoreline workshop with Sea Grant. More information about From Seeds to Shoreline can be found at this link: https://www.scseagrant.org/from-seeds-to-shoreline/
Grades 6-12
How do we know if our waters are healthy? Students will test different water quality parameters and compare their results to local data sets, investigating why we are seeing certain results and how this can affect our local community.
Grades 5-12
Contact us today to customize your field trip! Our Education Coordinator can tailor any program to fit your needs.
Field Trips at the Maritime Center
Field trips begin at 10am. Depending on the number of participants, classes are divided into groups and rotate through activity stations. Students can bring lunches to eat on the grounds. Typical field trips size is 60 students or less. Minimum of 10:1 student to adult ratio is required from your school (not including PRSF naturalists or volunteers).
Pricing
Final pricing will be quoted and confirmed by the PRSF prior to your arrival. Teachers and chaperones are free.
1 activity field trip = $10/student
2 activity field trip = $12/student
3 activity field trip = $14/student
4 activity field trip = $16/student
Add Fish Printing, Squid Dissection, and the optional Pollination activity for an additional $4/student.
We’ll Come to You!
Our Naturalists will provide a hands-on experience right in your classroom. Activities labeled “Classroom Option” can be done at your school.
Pricing begins at $12/student for 1 activity
*A mileage fee of $.85 per mile will be charged for travel to and from your school.
Virtual Field Trip
With ZooZooms, our virtual field trip, a Naturalists will join your classroom with a 30 minute program about one of our animals. Animals include horseshoe crabs, butterflies, snakes, turtles, frogs & toads, alligators, or crabs.
$25 each or 5 for $100