Presentations about Oregon’s native animals are available to local teachers through the Youth Environmental Education Program (YEEP). Complement your classroom lessons by requesting a presentation or Discovery Hike field trip with City educational outreach staff, you can help your students discover what makes animals unique. They will learn about an animal’s adaptations, behaviors, or diet and participate in hands-on activities that supplement your science curriculum.

Presentations and Discovery Hikes

The presentations are also available at outdoor school if you need an extra teacher. You can use one of YEEP’s topics or a hand-tailored lesson of your choice. You can choose from a variety of presentations and Discovery Hike field trips that help your class meet Next Generation Science Standards.

Presentations

Presentations are one hour and given to one classroom at a time. These are the current presentations we are offering:

• Bats
• Beavers
• Seed Sleuths
• Pollinators and Monarch Butterflies

We anticipate adding more to the list in January 2024.

You can also request a presentation about water.

Discovery Hikes

Field trips are approximately an hour and a half.

• Minto-Brown Island Park: Observe ospreys and beavers in their native habitat.
• Willamette Mission State Park: Learn about Salem’s first settlement while observing wildlife such as blue heron and bald eagles.
• Neighborhood Parks: Find hidden gems as you explore your neighborhood park.

How to Register

Registration for the 2023-24 school year will open on Friday, October 13.

The Youth Environmental Education Program is funded in part by a grant from the Salem Foundation Donna E. Aldrich Trust. This funding helps keep the cost of YEEP programs low.

• Presentations: $25 per class
• Field trips: $4 per student for Title 1 schools, and $6 per student for all other schools

Stay Informed

Email the Youth Environmental Education Program Instructor to sign up for our email list and learn about upcoming opportunities for class presentations and field trips.