Discover the Flyway is an outdoor education program for kindergarten through 12th grade students based on California science and social studies standards. Its goal is to offer children a meaningful outdoor experience that will give them an appreciation for the wetlands, agriculture, and wildlife of the Central Valley and contribute to a lifetime of healthy outdoor activities and development of a land stewardship ethic. See the options below to learn how you and your students can Discover the Flyway!
Registration for the 2025-26 school year is being updated to include all school program options and will be available soon. Check back for updates!
Visit the program pages below for more information and to make a reservation.
Discover the Flyway Field Trips
The all day 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. All activities are hands-on, interactive, and inquiry based.
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.
Click here for more information about Discover the Flyway Field Trips and to make a reservation.
Discover the Flyway Vernal Pool-based Field Trips
The free Discover the Flyway Vernal Pool-based field trips start at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters. After the morning science activities and lunch, students load up in their bus or chaperoned cars and caravan to the nearby vernal pools of Grasslands Regional Park for a time of discovery before returning to school. All activities are hands-on, interactive, and inquiry based. The Vernal Pool-based field trips are FREE thanks to a grant with California State Parks and a partnership with Yolo County.
Discover the Flyway In-Class Activities
Discover the Flyway In-class Activities bring the wetlands to you. These activities provide hands-on, inquiry-based science or social studies curriculum for 1st through 5th grade classrooms.
Click here for more information about Discover the Flyway In-class Activities
Discover the Flyway Teacher Workshops
Teachers must attend a one time Teacher Workshop before bringing their students on a Discover the Flyway field trip. All educators interested in learning how to teach students about wetlands, wildlife, and human history in the Central Valley are also welcome to attend!
Click here for more information on Discover the Flyway Teacher Workshops and to register.
Discover the Flyway is an outdoor education program for K-12 students, based on California science and social studies standards. Its goal is to offer children a meaningful outdoor experience that will give them an appreciation for the wetlands, agriculture, and wildlife of the Central Valley and contribute to a lifetime of healthy outdoor activities and development of a land stewardship ethic.
The program is a partnership between the Yolo Basin Foundation and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Since 1997, over 80,000 students from both public and private schools in the Sacramento region have experienced a Discover the Flyway program.