Learning Grows Here
Outdoor learning for Baltimore schools and teachers, Pre-K through college
Habitat Discovery brings hands-on, place-based learning to your students, on our 10-acre urban farm and forest or in your own school garden. Students meet goats and bees, taste honey from our hives, dig into soil, and explore a woodland in the middle of the city. Teachers leave with fresh ideas for teaching outdoors.
Ways to Partner With Us
Visit
Visit
Visit
A half-day ($150) or full-day ($300) field trip to BLISS Meadows, guided by our educators or self-guided.
Each class can bring up to about 40 people, including chaperones.
Grow
Visit
Visit
A field trip plus 6 weekly lessons at your school, during the school day or as an after-school garden club.
Partner: Custom year-long partnership
Build the partnership that fits your school. Choose one, a few, or all of the following:
- Garden creation or refresh, with summer care
- Weekly lessons, or an after-school club
- Teacher professional development,
- Field trips to BLISS Meadows,
- Recess support,
- Green School certification support.
We'll work with you to set the scope and cost.
Interested in a year-long partnership?
We are an approved Baltimore City Public Schools partner
Field Trip Themes
Forestry + Tree Ecology
Gardening + Urban Farming
Gardening + Urban Farming
Explore the woodland at BLISS and the trees that keep a city healthy. Students identify trees, look for signs of wildlife and learn how forests clean the air, cool neighborhoods and soak up stormwater.
- Younger students: leaf and bark scavenger hunts, a "who lives in this tree?" search.
- Older students: tree measurement, forest health surveys, the urban tree canopy and climate.
Gardening + Urban Farming
Gardening + Urban Farming
Gardening + Urban Farming
Dig into how food grows in the city. Students plant, harvest and care for the soil, and meet the goats and other animals that are part of our farm.
- Younger students: seed planting, worm hunts, feeding and caring for animals.
- Older students: soil science, composting, animal husbandry, food access and land justice in Baltimore.
Pollinators + Biodiversity
Nature Exploration + Outdoor Skills
Nature Exploration + Outdoor Skills
Meet the bees and other pollinators that make our harvests possible. Students visit our hives from a safe distance, taste honey and discover how many species share our 10 acres.
- Younger students: pollinator role play, flower exploration, a honey tasting.
- Older students: hive biology, species counts with iNaturalist, why biodiversity matters in a city.
Nature Exploration + Outdoor Skills
Nature Exploration + Outdoor Skills
Nature Exploration + Outdoor Skills
Time to roam, wonder and build confidence outside. Students explore the meadow and woods and practice skills that help them feel at home in nature.
- Younger students: sensory walks, nature play, mud and stick building.
- Older students: plant ID, map and compass basics, nature journaling, Leave No Trace.
Every visit is adapted to your grade level, from Pre-K through college. Mix themes or design your own with our team.
Field trips connect to Next Generation Science Standards, Maryland environmental literacy standards, and can support a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE).
Cost shouldn't keep a class from coming
Ask us about sponsored field trips and reduced fees.
We can also point you to grants that fund outdoor learning and watershed education, and help with your application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach us at info@backyardBasecamp.org if you cannot find an answer to your question.
$150 for half day; $300 for full day, for up to 40 students, plus chaperones.
Bringing more than one class? Book each class separately, or tell us your total group size and we'll plan with you.
Pre-K through college. We adapt every visit to your students' age and goals.
Half day - 10 am to 12 pm, or full day 10 am to 2 pm.
Aug - Oct; March - May / Mon - Fri Please book at least 4 weeks ahead.
Please follow your school's chaperone requirements. Chaperones stay with their group throughout the visit. Our educators lead the activities, but teachers and chaperones are responsible for student supervision.
Drop-off at BLISS Meadows is at 5111 Plainfield Ave, Baltimore, MD 21206.
Yes, we have restrooms, a water bottle filling stations, and a places to sit and eat lunch.
Closed-toe shoes and clothes that can get dirty. Dress for the weather, since the day is outdoors.
Invoice, check, purchase order, online payment.
AT YOUR SCHOOL
Before
Before
Before
After
Before
Before
We come to you
Garden creation and care: We build a new school garden or reset an existing one, then maintain it through the summer.
Weekly lessons: Our educators visit during the school day or lead an after-school garden club.
Pre- and post-visit activities: Short lessons that turn a field trip into a full unit.
Recess support: Our educators lead nature play and outdoor games during recess, giving students structured, joyful time outside.
SUPPORT FOR TEACHERS
- Professional development: We join your school's PD days quarterly with practical ideas for bringing the garden into every subject, from math and science to art and writing.
- Green School certification: We help schools earn MAEOE Green School certification, from setting up the account and setting goals to reviewing the application.
Meet the Educators
Habitat Discovery is run by our youth and education team, led by Asia, our Youth Programs Director.
Kawther, Ro and Terrel bring a shared love of teaching outdoors to every lesson, garden club and field trip. They know how to help students feel at home outside, whether it's their first time holding a worm or their tenth visit to the hives.
Bring Your Class Outside
Tell us your grade, group size and preferred dates, and we'll follow up within 3 business days to plan your visit.
Questions? Email info@backyardbasecamp.org. If the link doesn't open your email, copy the address and send us a note with "Field Trip" in the subject line.
Copyright © 2026 Backyard Basecamp, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.
5111 Plainfield Ave, Baltimore, MD 21206
info@backyardbasecamp.org
EIN 84-3528011 | 501(c)(3)