Naples, FL -- 09/24/20 -- When the novel coronavirus pandemic resulted in many students choosing to take classes at home, with no opportunities for actual field trips, Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary found a way to take the swamp to the students through a virtual field trip.

During a typical year, hundreds of Collier County Public School students enjoy an immersive experience in the swamp, learning about the Sanctuary’s 13,000 acres of pine flatwoods, wet prairies, and cypresses as part of the Collier County Public School Field Trip Specialist program. This year, fifth-grade students and teachers will virtually experience the richness of Florida’s natural resources through the Wild Florida Adventure Tour, developed by Sanctuary staff with the support of the Community Foundation of Collier County.

View it below or click here to open a wide-screen experience.

“We are really excited to share Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary with students through this virtual tour,” says Debbie Lotter, youth education coordinator for the Sanctuary. “This tool, together with curriculum my team and I are currently developing, can provide a virtual option in lieu of in-person field trips this school year,” she added.

These programs provide systematic environmental education field trip experiences that foster skills central to critical thinking and problem solving as well as many other state learning objectives and vocabulary for proficiency in the sciences.

Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, recognized in 2019 as the newest Wetland of Distinction by the Society of Wetland Scientists, has been an Audubon-protected nature site for more than 100 years. It protects 13,000 acres, including the world’s largest remaining, old-growth bald cypress forest. An estimated 100,000 visitors annually explore the Sanctuary’s 2.25 miles of boardwalk through ancient forest and marsh habitat. The Sanctuary is currently closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Learn more about the Wild Florida Adventure program