Michigan fourth-grade classrooms can register for free DNR state park field trips
Registration is now open for Nature Awaits, a Michigan DNR program offering fourth-grade classrooms free, educator-led state park field trips with up to $1,000 in school transportation reimbursements available this fall.
What’s happening: Fall registration is open for Nature Awaits, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) initiative offering free state park field trips for fourth-grade classrooms. Fall field trips run from September through November.
How it works: Educators can select from 30 participating Michigan state parks. DNR educators lead interactive, 90-minute outdoor hikes featuring student-centered activities aligned with state standards across science, language arts, social studies, and physical education. Public schools qualify for up to $1,000 in transportation reimbursements.
The goal: Grounded in environmental literacy best practices, Nature Awaits reinforces that state parks belong to everyone while fostering a lifetime of physical and mental well-being through nature. Participating locations include McLain, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness, and Van Riper in the U.P., as well as Interlochen, Van Buren, Warren Dunes, and Sleepy Hollow in the Lower Peninsula.
What they’re saying: “Nature Awaits exemplifies the core mission of the DNR,” said Tracy Page, DNR Education Services manager. “It connects students with hands-on science, reinforces that Michigan’s natural resources belong to them, and gets them outside to experience nature in a fun, meaningful way.”
Information: Learn more and register at Michigan.gov/NatureAwaits.
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Michigan fourth-grade classrooms can register for free DNR state park field trips
Registration is now open for Nature Awaits, a Michigan DNR program offering fourth-grade classrooms free, educator-led state park field trips with up to $1,000 in school transportation reimbursements available this fall.
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