Home School Group Membership at CNC

The Chattanooga Nature Center is now offering special yearly membership rates for Home School Groups of 25 or more families. We have two plans to choose from:

Basic Home School Membership - $15 per family

• Benefits include free access to the Chattanooga Nature Center and Reflection Riding arboretum and botanical garden properties during daylight hours.

Expanded Home School Membership - $30 per family

• Benefits include free access to the Chattanooga Nature Center and Reflection Riding arboretum and botanical garden properties during daylight hours.
• Enjoy member discounts to family programs such as the Festival of the Jack-o-Lanterns, nature walks, night hikes, bat programs, and much more!
• Learn about what’s going on at CNC with the quarterly newsletter sent to your group leader.
• Save 10% on all purchases in the Hollow Tree Gift Shop, where you can find unique one-of-a-kind gifts, many made by local crafts persons.
• Receive a $20 discount on rentals for the George S. Bryan Discovery Forest Tree house.
• Canoe Lookout Creek for the year for a one-time $5 per family orientation fee.

Home School Program Package

The Chattanooga Nature Center’s home school program was created so that home school groups can pay a yearly fee to have membership benefits, some naturalist led school programs with the added benefit of the “Family Naturalist” self-guided learning experience.

The “Family Naturalist” program designed by Dr. Lomino seems like a natural fit for home school groups because of the emphasis on the mentor / child learning model.

General Information

• This package deal includes 2 field class programs and 2 naturalist programs and a series of three self-guided “Family Naturalist” certification trips for $450.
• Field class size is limited to 30 program participants.
• Naturalist programs are limited to 50 program participants unless otherwise stated in the guide below.
• Programs can be held at CNC only.
• Programs must be scheduled for afternoon time slots.
• Your reservation must be made at least 2 weeks in advance. Call 2 to 3 months early to insure your spot- the program calendar fills up quickly - Especially October, April and May!
• After you make a reservation, a teacher packet will be mailed to you containing your confirmation.

Download Our Fun Educational Materials

• Adaptation Match
• Nature Bingo 1
• Nature Bingo 2
• Nature Bingo 3
• Nature Bingo 4
• Nature Center Scavenger Hunt
• Turtle Match

Program Listing

For reservations or more information call 423 - 821 - 1160 ext. 107

What about the weather?

Programs take place, rain or shine! Just make sure your students are dressed appropriately for the weather conditions.  If the weather is too severe for outdoor classes, your students will experience similar programming on your chosen topic, indoors.

For a listing of Hamilton County Learning Expectations and Tennessee Science Curriculum Content Standards for each class visit the Program Standards page in this website.

Field Classes

During a walk through the woods, while participating in games and hands-on activities, students explore the five senses and discover why senses are important to animals and people.

Students learn how to classify insects, spiders and other animals according to their characteristics, recognize the difference between plants and animals, and identify plant and animal habitat needs as they hike through the forest.

The story of the endangered red wolf unfolds for students through selected interactive experiences including “wolf talk” (howling) and role-playing games. A video presentation shows the Red Wolf Recovery scientists in action. The program concludes with a viewing of CNC's resident red wolves.

During a hike, students learn about the important connection between plants and animals while exploring different habitats, their basic requirements, and how plants and animals are adapted to their habitats. Students will experience the diversity of the forest while exploring how animals and plants are dependant on each other.

Students learn about the delicate balance between predators and prey while exploring different habitats, the elements of a food web, and how animals are adapted to survive in specific habitats. Students see firsthand the importance of decomposers and explore the process by which soil is formed.

Students experience different wildlife habitats and predator / prey relationships through games and activities as they hike out to the Bamboo Forest at Reflection Riding. Lunch is eaten at the pavilion near the Bamboo Forest so bring backpacks with a sack lunch and water bottles.

Students determine the water quality of a pond, learn about insects as indicators of water quality, and explore a natural wetland area.

Students learn basic tree identification skills while exploring the ways that trees provide food and shelter for many different animals. They adopt a tree in the forest, measure it, study it, and write their observations in a tree journal. Students also learn about transpiration, photosynthesis, and respiration.

Students hike along the trails around CNC and Reflection Riding, exploring the forest ecosystem. Using the tools of scientists, students work together to conduct a census of plant or animal populations, create biomaps, and explore the land through general ecological experiments. Fourth grade students will experience a sensory predator hunt and fifth grade students will participate in a red wolf predator / prey simulation activity.

Students learn about basic red wolf adaptations and behavior, the amazing story of their rescue from the brink of extinction, and how the national Red Wolf Recovery Program is helping to restore these important predators to their natural habitat in the southeastern United States. After a short writing activity, students meet CNC's red wolves in the Wildlife Wanderland.

Naturalist Programs

Winter is the perfect time to take advantage of this class. Using hand puppets, a naturalist leads your students through an investigation of wildlife survival techniques including hibernation, migration, and food storage.
Maximum class size: 40

Students learn what birds eat from studying their beaks and their feet and also meet some of our native raptors up-close.

Students learn about nocturnal animal adaptations by meeting some native animals and by participating in hands-on activities that demonstrate how animals use their senses at night.

Students learn about the importance of the predator/prey relationship and then meet some of our native predator and prey animals.

Students learn firsthand the characteristics scientists use to classify amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals while meeting some of CNC’s animal ambassadors.

Students learn about the adaptations of nature's most amazing creatures, as they meet some of CNC's native reptiles and amphibians.

Students learn to identify rocks and minerals at lab stations by testing for hardness, fracture, cleavage, luster, and other identification methods.
Maximum Class Size: 30