Field trips are the same today. Kids are excited to get out of the classroom and see the world around them. And research shows that field trips are important to student learning. A 2025 review of the educational value of field trips said that when children go on well-designed outings, there are measurable gains in critical thinking, historical empathy, and student interest with students from rural or high-poverty schools benefiting the most.

Here at Wild Roots Nature Center we hear a lot of people say they first came to the forest preserve on a field trip in second or third grade. They remember hiking in the forest, hearing the frogs on the pond, and learning about the mushrooms growing on the side of a decaying tree. For students currently in school, Wild Roots has even more to offer. Because of societal factors  like reduced greenspace, increased screentime, and parental safety concerns, we are hosting children who never sat in the grass, saw a caterpillar up close, or experienced the crunch of fall leaves underfoot.

Getting outside is more important than ever and offering children the opportunity to get outside on a field trip is a win-win. Due to the generosity of several donors, we are able to keep our field trips low cost for schools and students. The Rich Toppe Educational Scholarship, memorializing our friend and longtime volunteer, Rick Toppe, scholarships classrooms who are unable to afford the full price of our field trips.

If you are a teacher, I urge you to check out our website and consider taking your students on a field trip to Wild Roots. If you’re a donor and want to make a difference in the lives of children, consider making a contribution to Wild Roots and let us know it’s specifically for field trips. If you remember coming to the forest preserve on a school field trip, stop in and let us know. We love to hear the stories of how an outing in nature impacted you. You might want to explore the forest and the pond and maybe call your best friend who you got to sit with on the bus.