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Your Visit
In-person field trips run 90 minutes and are available during the Spring, Summer and Fall months.
Virtual field trips run 30-45 minutes and are available through the school year with a brief hiatus during the winter months.
Bring lessons from the Island’s natural areas to your classroom! Pre-visit activities linked below require minimal materials and are designed to supplement the scheduled field trips. However, most activities can be used on their own in the class or at home!
Learning doesn’t stop when your students leave the Island! Extend the fun with one of our post-visit activities! Post-visit activities linked below require minimal materials and are designed to supplement the scheduled field trips. However, these activities can be used on their own in the class or at home!
The meeting location for the Waterfront Stewardship Program is Ichan Stadium or 10 Central Rd, New York, NY 10035. Download our directions for suggested travel routes whether you’re driving, biking, walking, or using public transportation.
In-person field trips run 90 minutes and are available during the Spring, Summer and Fall months.
Virtual field trips run 30-45 minutes and are available through the school year with a brief hiatus during the winter months.
Bring lessons from the Island’s natural areas to your classroom! Pre-visit activities linked below require minimal materials and are designed to supplement the scheduled field trips. However, most activities can be used on their own in the class or at home!
Learning doesn’t stop when your students leave the Island! Extend the fun with one of our post-visit activities! Post-visit activities linked below require minimal materials and are designed to supplement the scheduled field trips. However, these activities can be used on their own in the class or at home!
The meeting location for the Waterfront Stewardship Program is Ichan Stadium or 10 Central Rd, New York, NY 10035. Download our directions for suggested travel routes whether you’re driving, biking, walking, or using public transportation.
Learn More
For over 30 years, the Randall’s Island Park Alliance (RIPA) has worked to restore, maintain and develop programming along the Randall’s Island waterfront. The Park’s 20 acres of restored natural areas, ten acres of wetlands and nearly five miles of scenic waterfront offer a unique opportunity for families, community organizations and school groups to explore and learn from the natural world.
RIPA’s Waterfront Stewardship Program was created to utilize this unique resource for local engagement and environmental education. RIPA’s experienced educators guide RIPA in providing extensive volunteer opportunities, public events, guided tours, research partnerships, and educational programming for local public schools –
enabling RIPA to responsibly care for the Island’s shoreline while forming robust relationships with a range of local stewards.
The Waterfront Stewardship Program offers free hands-on STEM education to students in partnership with local schools, prioritizing public schools in neighboring East Harlem and the South Bronx areas. We offer all our courses to engage students at an appropriate level between Pre-K through 12th grade with our fully aligned curriculum.
The Randall’s Island Park Alliance is able to program and maintain the natural areas thanks to generous donations from individuals, foundations, and grants.
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Lessons to Choose From
Wild Wetlands
New York City and Randall’s Island are home to many different types of wetlands. Wild Wetlands explores the critical role wetlands play in the environment, including improving water quality, providing habitat for plants and animals, and protecting our communities from climate change. Students will get an up-close and personal look at the wetlands (your choice of Salt Marsh or Freshwater), plants, and animals found on Randall’s Island while exploring the critical roles wetlands play for people and our environment.
The Secret Life of Insects
Delve into the complex world of insects with this course! Insects are essential organisms in our environment and everyday lives. They pollinate plants, fuel ecosystems, impact human products, and inspire technology! Students will use their observational skills to participate in an up-close and personal exploration of the different types of insects found on Randall’s Island, learning about their biology, ecology, and conservation efforts to save them.
Plant Power
Plants are the backbone of all life on Earth and an essential part of our daily lives. They provide us with food and medicine, purify our water, clean our air, reduce greenhouse gases, and provide habitat. Students will get an up-close and personal look at the various plants found on Randall’s Island, learning about their life cycles, anatomy, and ecological roles.
Feathered Friends
They fly, they dive, they swim, and they sing! Birds are abundant at Randall’s Island year-round. Despite being located in one of the world’s largest cities, Randall’s Island Park is home to various species of waterfowl, songbirds, raptors, and wading birds. Check the wetlands for herons, egrets, and ducks. Look over Icahn Stadium for soaring hawks. Search the freshwater wetland for migratory warblers and sparrows in the fall and spring. Learn all about bird anatomy, their adaptations to survival, and their unique life histories. Students will learn how to use binoculars and scopes to view birds in their natural habitat.
Water is What Matters
Water connects us all. Water is constantly moving in, around, and through the Earth in various forms. People and wildlife all over the planet require clean water to live and thrive. Unfortunately, human activities related to different land uses and land management have severely deteriorated water quality over the last century. But where does water come from? Where is it going? What is a watershed? Are our NYC waterways clean and healthy, including the Harlem River, East River, and Long Island Sound? Through in-class and field activities, we will answer these and other questions in this course.
Enjoy Our Photo Gallery!
F.A.Q.
Yes! Randall’s Island Park serves as habitat to diverse and productive ecosystems. Students will have the opportunity to make in-depth observations and engage with local wildlife on this trip.
Restrooms will be available at the beginning and end of the field trip. If a need for the restroom should arise while students are in the field, please note that it would be a 10-minuite walk to the nearest facility.
The Waterfront Educators will be waiting to meet classes outside of the East entrance of Ichan Stadium. Please see our downloadable directions at the top of this page for further details.
We operate rain or shine, unless the weather is dangerous. In the case of dangerous weather, we will notify you of program cancellation a couple of hours before your trip and will attempt to reschedule for a later date. We also find that teachers know best what their students can tolerate. Please keep in mind that if you decide to cancel, we may not be able to reschedule your trip.
Students should be ready to explore, which might mean getting a little dirty! Currently our program is entirely outdoors, meaning students should not only wear comfortable clothing that can get soiled, but is also appropriate for the forecasted weather.
To prime the inquisitive minds of your students, please check out our Pre-visit lessons and activities at the top of this page that can be done in the classroom before your field trip!