Field Trips

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Field Trips

GBRA Facilities

GBRA offers the following tours to schools within the 10-county statutory district. For more information or scheduling call GBRA at 830-379-5822 or 1-800-413-4130.

GBRA offers TEKS-aligned educational programs, outreach initiatives, and immersive field experiences at Canyon Lake Gorge and Coleto Creek Park. These opportunities are available to schools, homeschool groups, and youth organizations, providing students with meaningful connections to the natural world.

Focused on water science, conservation, and watershed stewardship, GBRA’s programs combine hands-on exploration with real-world environmental concepts. By engaging students in interactive outdoor learning experiences, these programs support educators in meeting Texas science standards while fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the region’s natural resources.

For more information or scheduling call GBRA at 830-379-5822 or 1-800-413-4130.

Coleto Outdoor Classrooms / Field Investigations (suitable for grades 3 and up)

Contact GBRA Education for school field trips to Coleto Reservoir. We can put together a 4-5 activity rotation for your grade level, specific to the standards you would like to address. The group size is restricted to 100, and trips must be requested at least one month in advance.

Schedule

Canyon Lake Gorge

An outdoor, hands-on, educational experience reinforcing Earth and Life Science stations aligned with TEKS. All students receive an overview of the history about Canyon Lake Dam and rotate through educational stations within the Gorge property. The stations we offer are Sedimentary ROCKS!, Aquatic Ecosystems, Where’s Water, Home on the Move, Binocular Bonanza, Educational Hike and Local Landforms. The program fee is $5.00 per student/parent. There is no program fee for Title I schools. Schools must provide their own transportation.

Schedule

GBRA Lab

Tour includes overview of the GBRA Lab services and demonstration of equipment including chemical and bacteriological testing conducted for cities, industries and individuals. Optional aquarium presentation highlights native aquatic species. (groups of 20 and under, larger groups will have to be split; approximately 1 hour)

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Water Treatment Plants (suitable for grades 4 and up)

This tour of GBRA operated water treatment plants (Luling, Western Canyon and San Marcos) follows the stages in the drinking water treatment process that converts raw water from a river to drinking water quality. (groups of at least 15 and under 30, larger groups will need to be split; approximately 1 hour)

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Wastewater Treatment Plants (suitable for grades 6 and up)

The tour follows the treatment process from initial raw waste to a finished wastewater that can be returned to rivers and streams or recycled for land irrigation, golf courses or parks. (groups of at least 15 and under 30, larger groups will need to be split; approximately 1 hour)

Outdoor Education Partnerships

GBRA Education Staff works in partnership with the following sites. Presentations are dependent upon the programs offered at each site.

Seguin Outdoor Learning Center (Seguin, TX)

The Seguin Outdoor Learning Center offers many exciting, hands-on science and nature activities for explorers and naturalists of all ages. The SOLC pond, creek, and wooded trails are the perfect classroom for learning about nature and awakening the senses. GBRA Education staff can work with schools in the Guadalupe Basin in the Environmental Science lab. Activities include Macroinvertebrate Investigations and Water Quality Monitoring.

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Cibolo Nature Center (Boerne, TX)

The Cibolo Nature Center offers an outstanding outdoor classroom program for schools in the public and private sectors as well as home school groups. Their curriculum (grades K-8) emphasizes conservation of natural resources, addresses science processes and concepts and is fully aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). GBRA Staff can provide leadership at a number of the stations offered at CNN to schools in the Guadalupe River Basin.

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Coleto Creek Reservoir and Park (Fannin, TX)

The Coleto Creek Reservoir and Park offer a variety of “Outdoor Education Classes” and “Field Days” to schools, tour groups, and other interested groups. The park develops each program to meet each group’s specific needs. GBRA Education staff is available to assist with field trips.

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The Meadows Center (San Marcos, TX)

The Meadows Center’s interpreter-led field trips offer a unique learning environment at Spring Lake. We teach visitors about Spring Lake’s ecosystem and biodiversity, the water cycle, and the importance of environmental stewards. Our 30 TEKS-aligned curricula create customized experiences to meet specific learning goals of any age group, from pre-school to post-retirement.

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Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (San Antonio Bay)

AMWRD provides outdoor classroom experiences to give students the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while promoting an understanding of conservation. Groups can contact ANWRC for a fun filled hands-on environmental education field experience, where students learn by interacting with the environment of the Refuges. GBRA staff is available to assist ANWRC Environmental Education staff for river basin schools.

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Canyon Lake Gorge (Canyon Lake, TX)

The Canyon Lake Gorge offers Outdoor Classroom events for fifth grade students throughout the school year. Topics covered include the formation of sedimentary rocks, fossils, erosion, landforms, land and aquatic ecosystems, and the water cycle. The Outdoor Classroom is not a full Gorge tour, instead it includes a visit into the lower portion of the Gorge. For more information on the Gorge Outdoor Classrooms, contact the GBRA Environmental Education Administrator at: [email protected].

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