The Nature Institute (TNI) offers field trip programs to groups of students in preschool through college. Field trip programs are offered in one and a half hour blocks, Tuesday through Friday throughout the school year. Field trips must be booked 2 weeks in advance minimum.

Program Length: 1 – 2 hours, depending on age group and program

• Field trips are facilitated by our staff and between 1 – 2 hours long.
• We provide one field trip leader per group of 15 – 17 students.
• You are invited to use our picnic tables and play area for self-guided lunch and free play time, before or after the program.

Program Size: 15-50 students per program

• Please break your students into groups of no more than 15.
• We are unable to accommodate more than 50 students at once. If you have more than 50 students, back to back or multi-day programs can be booked in order to schedule everyone in your group.

Program Cost: $7/student

• Minimum of $105 per program, which covers 15 students.
• Groups that have less than 15 students are welcome to book a field trip, but will still be required to pay the minimum booking fee of $105.
• All school staff are free. Additional parent chaperones are charged at the student rate of $7/each.
• Plan your field trip early and take advantage of the Illinois Biodiversity Field Trip Grant. It provides schools funds for getting kids out in nature on field trips each year.

Full Day Field Adventure

For $10.50/student, you can double your learning and fun at The Nature Institute. Option to book from 9 – 1, 9:30 – 1:30, or 10 – 2! Full Day Field Adventures include 2 programs of your choice, 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, with an hour long break between for lunch and playground time. Limited to 50 students or less per day.

Deposit/Cancellation Policy

Effective Spring 2020, TNI will require a deposit for all field trips in order to secure a date on our calendar. The deposit may be made through our online registration system or a check, but it must be received no later than 30 days before the program date. You will receive final confirmation from our staff once your program is on the calendar.

The deposit is $105, which is equivalent to the minimum program fee and will be credited towards the cost of the program. This deposit is only refundable in the case of TNI needing to cancel the program due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a hazardous weather event. If a school cancels their field trip within two weeks of their scheduled date, they lose their deposit and a new deposit will be required to reschedule the program. If a school cancels their field trip with at least two weeks notice, the original deposit can be applied towards the rescheduled date.