Young students aboard the E/V Discovery for an educational boat cruise

K-12 Field Trips

We offer FREE on-site field trips that showcase current marine science research. Students get hands on experiences aboard the Educational Vessel Discovery, exploring the salt marsh, learning about sea turtles and more!

A class aboard the E/V Discovery holding a trawl net and learning how it functions

Field trips include two programs and last approximately 3 hours. Groups are welcome to eat lunch on site afterwards.

Field trip program options may be limited by location and weather. Click here for full program descriptions.

Field trips book very quickly so we use a lottery system. The Fall Lottery will open in July, booking for September through December and the Spring Lottery will open in December booking for March through May.

In addition, we host homeschool programs throughout the school year for families to book individually, we do not host individual homeschool co-ops.

Please sign up for the appropriate listserv to stay up to date on relevant programs. All listservs will receive our monthly coastal events and volunteer newsletter.

Join our homeschool email list to receive notifications about upcoming programs and get first access to registration.

Join our teacher email list to be informed of all lottery application periods.

Field Trip Locations

Aerial view of Fort Johnson on the point of James Island, SC

Fort Johnson
217 Ft. Johnson Rd.
Charleston, SC 29412

An aerial view of the field station, pavillion, and dock at Bennett's Point

McKenzie Field Station
15717 Bennett's Point Rd.
Green Pond, SC 29446

The front of the Edisto Learning Center

Edisto Environmental Learning Center
Oyster Row Ln.
Edisto Island, SC 29438

People walking a sandy path through the marsh out to the beach at Botany Bay

Botany Bay Plantation
Botany Bay Rd.
Edisto Island, SC 29438

SCDNR Group Job Shadow Opportunities

We cannot accept individual job shadow requests, but we offer multiple group job shadow days for middle and high schoolers at the Marine Resources Division Campus. The day will include facility tours and hands on activities to showcase an array of jobs within SCDNR. For more information and resources, check out our Career Toolkit.

Marsh Madness

In February and March, we host a virtual competition for students to complete a Marsh Madness bracket pitting estuarine species against each other. Students choose which animal is most likely to survive in their own habitat based on their adaptations and defense mechanisms. There are eight weeks of competition, and the winner is sent a prize at the end. Check out the website to learn about the new competitors and see last year's battles.

Send any questions to marineeducation@dnr.sc.gov