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 [email protected] to schedule a date for your group.
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 [email protected] to schedule a date for your group.
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 six unique 20-minute learning stations or activities, divided into morning or afternoon sessions. A description of CDRI's current program portfolio is listed below: Bugs, Bugs, Bugs April 2026 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?" Living Things May 2026 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. |
Summer Shake Up
June 2025 Summer Shake Up, Mon.-Thurs., from 9:30-11:30 a.m., is offered to school-age children in 1st through 8th grade. Participants learn about plants, wildlife, rock formations, and so much more in the Chihuahuan Desert through games, experiments, projects, and hikes. This program is conducted with the assistance of the Tierra Grande Master Naturalists. The Earth Rocks October 2025 5th-grade students learn about renewable energy resources, as well as the effects of weathering, erosion, and deposition. They also learn about the importance of groundwater, and they get to hike one of the trails to learn first-hand about land formations and the effects of geological forces at work. _________________________ |
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. __________________________ 
Herps Day
October 2025 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. _________________________ |
