Discover the Flyway
Field Trips January - March, and May 2026
Welcome to Discover the Flyway, where students embark on an unforgettable adventure through one of California’s most important natural habitats. This hands-on field trip takes learning beyond the classroom, offering students the chance to explore the incredible world of wetlands, wildlife, and the migratory birds that rely on them.
Logistics
Discover the Flyway field trips start at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters. Students rotate through wetland themed science learning activities or a social science unit (see options below). All activities are hands-on, interactive, and inquiry based.
The morning activities are followed by a 20 – 30 minute break for lunch (not provided) at the Yolo Demonstration Wetlands. The field trip continues after lunch with the distribution of loaner binoculars and bird I.D. cards followed by a binocular lesson. Then students load up in their bus or chaperoned cars and caravan to the nearby Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area for a time of discovery before returning to school.
- Field trips are offered Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
- Chaperones: minimum of one adult chaperone for learning activity
Discover the Flyway Field Trip Options
Science Field Trips
Three Activity Field Trip
- $290.00
- 15-30 students
- 4 hours
- 3 learning activities
- K-12th grade
Four Activity Field Trip
- $315.00
- 15-40 students
- 4.5 hours
- 4 learning activities
- K-12th grade
Social Science Field Trips
Four Activity Field Trip
- $340.00
- 15-40 students
- 5 hours
- 4 learning activities
- 3rd-4th grade
Science Learning Activities
Choose any 3 activities for a Three Activity Science field trip. Choose any 4 activities for a Four Activity Science field trip.
Animal Tracks, Scat and Signs (1st – 6th)
Fantastic Flyway Mammals (3rd - 12th grade)
Salmon Senses (2nd – 6th)
Feathered Friends (K – 2nd)
How do I Compare to an Egret? (K – 1st)
Migration Madness (3rd – 6th)
Owl Pellets (4th – 12th)
What Can I Eat with this Beak? (3rd – 6th)
Leaf I.D. (K – 2nd)
Wetland Plant I.D. (3rd – 12th)
Sinking into Soil (K – 1st)
The Great Percolation Race (2nd – 12th)
Water Quality Testing (5th – 12th)
Wetland Pond Study (K – 12th)
Critter Caper (K – 3rd)
Pollution Solutions (4th – 8th)
Perch Protectors (3rd – 6th)
Un-Nature Trail (K – 2nd)
social Science Units
Select a Patwin Life or Feeding the People social science field trip.
Autumn: Acorn Season
Spring: Salmon Run!
Summer: Tule Cordage
Winter: Valley Villages
Changing Swampland to Farmland
Irrigation: Moving Water to the Farm
Seeds and Grains of the Yolo Basin
Transportation: Food on the Move
Read before registering
Before making a reservation request for a Discover the Flyway school program, please read the Discover the Flyway Program Terms and Conditions.
Reservations are available online only. First come, first served.
Teachers are required to attend a one-time Teacher Workshop before bringing students to a Discover the Flyway Field Trip. If you have never attended a Teacher Workshop and would like to reserve a date for a field trip, please register now.
Workshop Dates for 2024-25 School Year
For programs that work directly with youth (such as the Discover the Flyway school program), volunteers are required to complete a background check and complete a virtual mandated reporter training.
All volunteers must sign a CDFW volunteer agreement (renewed annually) and YBF volunteer agreement.
Volunteers under the age of 18 must be assigned an adult supervisor and must complete an additional parental permission form. Arrangements for this supervision must be approved by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Transportation Funding Assistance
Transportation funding assistance is available to Title I schools through the Transportation Mini-Grant Program. Contact Heidi Satter, [email protected], for more information.
Volunteer
If you have a passion for conservation, an enthusiasm for sharing this with kindergarten through 12th grade students, and a desire to learn more about local wetlands, then become a docent with Discover the Flyway!