The image depicts three children on a dirt path. The foreground child wears colorful boots and steps into a puddle, creating ripples. Another child, wearing dark shoes and shorts, is mid-step. In the background, a third child waits to jump. Green plants line the path, suggesting an outdoor setting, possibly after rain.

Education and Outreach

Preserve programs for schools.

Guided Hikes for School Field Trips Are Available!

Trained trail guides are ready to take your students on an outdoor learning adventure in the Preserve. School field trips are offered Tue - Fri mornings. Download the flyer for additional details: School Guided Hike Flyer

To schedule a field trip for fall or spring, email wbedu@cjpk.net or call 512-326-7058. 

We encourage a $5/student donation to help cover program costs. Bus reimbursement is currently available for Title 1 and low-income schools. Please call or email with questions or to schedule a trip for your students.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Special Events at Wild Basin

See Visiting the Preserve

Educational resources and opportunities for teachers, faculty, and artists. 

For years, Wild Basin has served as a valuable resource to area schools for site-based environmental education. As the pandemic increased the need for virtual learning, the Wild Basin Creative Research Center has supported area schools with STEM-based webcasts for 4th - 8th graders, and a reading series for pre-K - 3rd graders.

We offer resources for St. Edward’s faculty to teach at Wild Basin, as well as resources to support their student researchers. 

The Artist in Residence (AIR) program at Wild Basin supports professional artists in the Austin area and an inspirational environment in which to work.

The image is a collage titled "Science Live at Wild Basin." It features six photographs related to outdoor scientific activities conducted by St. Edward's University at the Wild Basin Creative Research Center.

Virtual programs for science learning.

Science Live! at Wild Basin is an hour-long live webcast series showcasing real field science happening at Wild Basin and other Balcones Canyonlands Preserve lands. We explore natural science themes and make real science accessible to middle grade students with a live Q&A over-the-air with scientists. Recommended for 4th-8th grade.

Episode 1: High Flying Science  (aired November 2020)
Can robots help save birds? What does a field biologist do? Join Wild Basin staff for a live synchronous virtual program about Austin birds and some ways that biologists are going "high tech". Special live Q&A with field biologist and Wild Basin Research Director Dr. Darren Proppe.

Part 1 - "Banding Birds", with City of Austin Biologist Dr. Laurel Moulton, 7 min.
Part 2 - "Mapping the Soundscape", 8 min.
Part 3 - "Spy in the Sky", 5 min.
Full program - Science Live! at Wild Basin, High Flying Science, 55 min.
Full Science Live! playlist on YouTube  - all episodes and videos

Episode 2: Biodiversity Detectives (aired April 2021)
Which animals roam Wild Basin? What is it like to work at a nature preserve? Join us for a free live virtual program featuring three field science projects that help gauge biodiversity on the preserve. We’ll connect wildfire prevention, invasive species removal, and wildlife camera studies in a packed hour-long program. Special live Q&A with field biologists Dr. Barbara Dugelby and Dr. Amy Concilio and Preserve Manager Niki Lake. 

Part 1 - "Unexpected Consequences", with St. Edward's University professor Dr. Amy Concilio, 7 min.
Part 2 - "Chasing Invasives", with Preserve Manager Niki Lake, 8 min.
Part 3 - "Spy in the Wild", with Director Dr. Barbara Dugelby, 8 min.
Full Science Live! playlist on YouTube  - all episodes and videos

Curriculum and lessons for self-guided visits to Wild Basin.

New curriculum guides for educators serve as an introduction and guide to exploring Wild Basin with students. Each guide offers information about the preserve, suggested questions and critical thinking strategies, a vocabulary list, TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) correlations, sample activities, literature connections, and links to outdoor learning resources.

Curriculum Guides

CURRICULUM GUIDE TO WILD BASIN

Grades K-2: Insects, Seeds, and Patterns, .pdf, 4 MB.

CURRICULUM GUIDE TO WILD BASIN

Grades 3-5: Food Chains, Animal Evidence, and Fossils, .pdf, 9 MB.

CURRICULUM GUIDE TO WILD BASIN

Grades 3-5: Animal Environments, Seasons, and Aquifers, .pdf, 2.6 MB.

CURRICULUM GUIDE TO WILD BASIN

Grades 6 - 8: Animal Traits, Watersheds, and Rocks, .pdf, 1 MB

Environmental Justice Videos and Curriculum 

Environmental Justice: Making a Difference in Austin; 14:20min.

Environmental Justine at Wild Basin: Now or Never; 10min.

Grades 3rd-5th: Environmental Justice Now or Never, .pdf, 5MB

Grades 6th-8th: Environmental Justice Now or Never, .pdf, 9MB

Lessons

Supplement your school visit to Wild Basin with these natural science lessons for the classroom. Each lesson includes: lesson objectives, TEKS correlations, materials, procedures, and extension suggestions.

St. Edward's University Wild Basin Creative Research Center is located within Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. This 227-acre nature preserve is co-owned and co-managed by Travis County and St. Edward's University, and is a treasured resource for our entire community.