Available Year-Round
Learning for All Ages

We provide an array of programs (described below) for student groups in Grades 1 - 5.  These are offered to TEA Region 18 students free of charge. 

For all public, private, and homeschool schools, in addition to all grade levels through college, we'll create a program around your learning objectives with a guided interpretive hike.  

We'll custom-design a guided, interpretive hike to Modesta Canyon or Clayton's Overlook or a lighter guided tour of the Botanical Gardens and Cactus Museum Collection for adult tour groups. 

​All visiting groups are welcome to stay for lunch from the porch at the Powell Visitor Center or the serene surroundings of the Pavilion.

Contact 432.364.2499 or programs@cdri.org to schedule a date for your group.
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Classroom Field Days
In addition to our student and group hikes, we offer special field days for area school children throughout the year. These are created for various grade levels, each tailored to the TEKS for that grade level. Each event day offers 6-8 unique learning stations or activities, divided into morning or afternoon sessions. A description of CDRI's current program portfolio is listed below:


Bugs, Bugs, Bugs
March 29 & 30, 2023

Students in 2nd & 3rd grades learn about insects, find out which are deadly and poisonous, observe insects as pollinators up close in the garden, and learn about entomophagy while answering the age-old question: "Which is better? Spicy mealworms? Or  chocolate-covered crickets?"
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Living Things
May 10 & 11, 2023​

First-grade students will explore the natural world of living things, from a guided hike to learning about the life cycles of frogs and birds, the basics of what makes up a food chain, and the parts of a flower. These are all items covered in the TEKS, making this program a great review and culmination of what students have learned throughout the year.
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Critter Camp
June 2023

Critter Camp 9:30 -11:30 a.m., was created for children between the ages of 4-8. Pre-K and Kinder are on Day 1, followed by 1st through 3rd graders on Day 2. Children learn about animals from A-Z in the Chihuahuan Desert through games and projects. Day campers get to hike the trails, discovering interesting things about plants and animals along the way. And, of course, we provide snacks.                                        ​The Earth Rocks
October 18 & 19, 2023
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Celebrating National Earth Science Week, 5th-grade students learn about renewable energy resources, the effects of weathering, erosion, and deposition; groundwater; rocks and minerals mined in the region; levers and pulleys used in mining; and they get to hike one of the trails to learn first-hand about land formations and the effects of geological 
forces at work.
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Junior Explorer
We will provide you and your family with an activity booklet (free) that sets you off on a scavenger hunt through the garden area. When you have completed the activities, bring the activity booklet to the Information Desk at the Powell Visitor Center, and your child will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Junior Explorer is a year-round activity, free of charge. 
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Herp Day
November 8 & 9, 2023
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Designed for 4th graders, students will discover the world of Herpetology, including the study of amphibians and reptiles. They will examine venomous specimens (non-living) while learning about non-venomous snakes with live specimens. Students will also learn about first aid for pets and humans in case of a snakebite.
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