Education
FIND Outdoors is committed to ensuring that the public lands we enjoy today will be in better shape for those who come after us.
FIND Outdoors Tours & Field Trips
Education is integral to FIND Outdoors mission, we offer educational programs, field trips and tours at all of the visitor centers and campgrounds we manage. Whether you use our self-guided Junior Ranger booklet to become a Leave No Trace advocate or visit with a school field trip, we love seeing children, adults and families explore, learn about and enjoy their public lands.
Want to book an educational experience at one of our sites? Click the button to learn more and submit a program request. Our staff will get back to you soon with more information.
Club de Exploradores
Club de Exploradores is a free, bi-lingual outreach program that recruits middle school aged students from the Hispanic communities of Transylvania County and surrounding areas to join FIND Outdoors team members on monthly, all-day adventures in Pisgah National Forest. The initial cohort was funded by our friends at the Dogwood Health Trust. This project was born out of the need to address the imbalance of who is enjoying and benefiting from living next to public lands, like the Pisgah National Forest.
FIND Outdoors believes that everyone can benefit from connecting with the natural world. From healthy lifestyles to the economic opportunities through connecting with local small business owners, club members will see and feel the local community echoing the message that “these forests belong to you too!”
Jr. Ranger Program
As a proud community partner of Leave No Trace, FIND Outdoors is excited to provide our Junior Ranger program for FREE.
The Jr. Ranger program at FIND Outdoors introduces visitors to the seven Leave No Trace principles in a fun and easy to understand way. Each booklet provides games, things to talk about around a campfire, and different “Ranger Missions” to explore each of the Leave No Trace principles.
So, whether you are visiting a FIND Outdoors managed campground, visitor center or own your adventure, the FIND Outdoors Junior Ranger program is guaranteed fun for the whole family.
FIND Outdoors offers these booklets as a self-guided activity OR as a guided program perfect for scout groups, homeschool groups or anyone that would like to take a closer look with Leave No Trace experts from FIND Outdoors.
Contact us to learn more about becoming a Jr. Ranger or to schedule your group’s Junior Ranger program.
Scout Saturdays
Scout Saturdays are 3-hour programs designed for scout groups. Regional scout groups can sign up to explore our public lands with FIND Outdoors educators to earn a wide range of badges at FIND Outdoors managed campgrounds and visitor centers. Pre-registration required; badge not included. Scouts will have a great time learning about and exploring their public lands. We offer selected badge programs for Scouts of America and Girl Scouts of the USA.
Choose from the following badge programs:
- Scouts of America – Forestry
- Scouts of America – Nature
- Scouts of America – Fly Fishing
- Girl Scouts of the USA – Outdoor Art Maker for Daisies (Grades K-1)
- Girl Scouts of the USA – Bugs for Brownies (Grades 2-3)
- Girl Scouts of the USA – Animal Habitats for Junior (Grades 4-5)
- Girl Scouts of the USA – Trees for Cadettes (Grades 6-8)
Programs are available most Saturdays, 10am to 2pm with an hour lunch break (3-hour program).
Community Science Activities
Around the world ordinary people of all ages engage in community science (also known as citizen science)—participating in projects in which people and scientists work together to answer real-world questions. We love community science because it involves bringing our communities together to explore and investigate our shared public lands. By partnering with scientists, we can learn more about our forests and how to make them more resilient.
Leave No Trace
The Leave No Trace organization is a national advocacy nonprofit that offers easy to follow guidelines for everyone to consider when they go outside. As a partner of Leave No Trace, FIND Outdoors offers Leave No Trace specific events and resources that teach visitors how they can increase their fun while decreasing their impact on the natural world.
Reach out to the FIND Outdoors Education team about scheduling a Leave No Trace focused program for your group.
Smokey Bear
Smokey Bear has been the USDA Forest Service’s symbol for wildfire prevention and forest conservation for nearly 80 years. We at FIND celebrate our 51-year partnership with the USDA Forest Service by recognizing Smokey Bear’s educational contributions to wildfire prevention on our public lands. Each August we celebrate his birthday in an effort to honor his dedication to forest conservation. Learn more about Smokey Bear and how “Only you can prevent wildfires”!
The Natural Inquirer
Whether you would like materials to support your classroom or homeschool group, want to learn more about Smokey Bear or are looking for coloring pages, Natural Inquirer has you covered!
