Are you an educator looking for opportunities for your students to learn more about garbage and recycling practices or environmental stewardship? If so, have we got options for you! Join us for a field trip to Metro Recycling Facility, Metro Park East Landfill, or the Environmental Learning Center!
Please note, because of the variety of educational services and programing we offer across multiple sites and in classrooms throughout our member communities, our calendar fills up quickly! As such, requests should be made as far in advance as possible and must be made using the field trip request form.
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Metro Recycling Facility
We've all been taught the mantra, “Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!” Now you can elevate that message by bringing your students for a tour of Metro Recycling Facility in Grimes, where they can learn about what happens to their recyclables once they've left the curb, and why it takes ALL of us to create and maintain a sustainable recycling program. This tour is appropriate for groups of 25 or fewer.
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Metro Park East Landfill
A field trip to the Metro Park East Landfill in Mitchellville is a great way for students to connect their own waste practices with the bigger picture, and to begin to understand the complexity of responsibly managing solid waste. This driving tour will take students through the most active portions of the landfill and will include one brief stop. The tour takes between 45-60 minutes. Metro Waste Authority can provide a tour vehicle for groups of 10 or fewer. Groups larger than 10 will need to arrange for their own bus.
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Environmental Learning Center
A field trip to the Environmental Learning Center in Runnells allows students to have access to approximately 500 acres of prairie and wetlands, dotted with ponds, woodlands, and oak savannas. Camp Creek cuts through the area as well. Visiting the ELC allows students to explore different habitats, engage in field science, and learn about the importance of environmental stewardship. This field trip experience can accommodate most age ranges and group sizes and can vary based on the size of our group and your learning goals. Please note that field trips to the ELC are often station-based, and while Metro Waste Authority can provide supplies and assist in planning and set up, teachers and chaperones should plan to facilitate most experiences. Contact information for additional environmental education professionals who may be able to assist in facilitation can be provided.
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Virtual Field Trips
Can’t make it to an in-person field trip? Let us bring the sites to you! Check out our virtual, interactive field trips here!