Blending Science, Nature and Fun on School Trips to Florida - By: Adrianna Goldstiver

Located at the southeastern tip of the United States, and famous for its beaches and being the home of Disney, Florida offers more than just a place to go to soak up the sun in the mid-winter months. It is a great state to visit on school trips to give students a mix of science, nature, and technology, as well as a bit of all-important fun.

While in Florida exploring the science and nature of the area, students could head to the Everglades, and then to see the Harry P. Leu Gardens, before finishing with visits to the Disney Animal Park and Seaworld.

Everglades — In the southern part of Florida, the Everglades are a subtropical region of natural wetlands that are populated with sawgrass marshes, cypress swamps, pine rock lands, and the estuarine mangrove forests of the Ten Thousand Islands. School trips to the Everglades will always be well chaperoned by experts, as the area is home to many natural predators such as alligators and a variety of poisonous and non-poisonous snakes. In the 1970s, UNESCO and the Ramsar Convention dedicated the area as one of only three in the world to be considered a wetland of global importance - it is beautiful, interesting, and very hard to forget.

Harry P. Leu Gardens — Once school trips take students out of the Everglades and head back towards civilization, a trip to the Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando is well worthwhile to learn more about the region’s ecology. The gardens are semi-tropical and tropical with over 50 acres of manicured lawns and lakes. Established in 1936, they began with the international collection of plant species of Mr. and Mrs. Harry P. Leu, who then willed the house and grounds to the local government. While at the gardens, students should visit the house itself as well, which is now a museum and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Disney Animal Park — After seeing the plant life at the Harry P. Leu Gardens and experiencing the wildness of the Everglades, students on school trips can experience a change of pace and see some of the most exotic animals in the world. The animals are incorporated into a wildlife park within the Disney attraction. Students can go on a VIP wildlife tour, or explore the rides and entertainment of the theme park. The animal park is an ideal stop on the itinerary of school trips, as it blends the fun of a Disney Park with the ethos of Walt Disney’s dedication to nature and its preservation.

Seaworld — Next stop on the agenda should without a doubt be Seaworld - a marine life-based zoological park that incorporates sea life and aquarium features into its entertainment ideology. With a host of rides that thrill and shows that mix sea-life with human performances, Seaworld is considered a must-see attraction for students in Florida. The park is also home to the ‘Wild Arctic’, an indoor zoo that features polar bears, walruses, and beluga whales, which is designed to mimic the look and feel of an arctic research station.

About the Author

Adrianna Goldstiver works for Equity School Travel, experts in creating educational visits for schools and colleges. We organise school trips worldwide, as well trips for many other curriculum subjects. Our school trips include destinations in the UK, Europe, Asia, North America and Africa.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Adrianna-Goldstiver/219296

Additional Articles From - Home | Travel & leisure | Vacations