Crystal Springs Preserve

I’ve been to Crystal Springs Preserve a number of times with my elementary school class. Each time we’ve gone through the same program, one that is designed to teach third thru fifth grade about wilderness survival. Each visit has had some overlap but they’ve also been updated and improved so that one could feasibly come a few years in a row and still learn something new. It shows that the Crystal Springs Preserve staff is not resting on their laurels.
The survival field trip is broken into three parts. One part has the students learning about shelter in the woods. They examine different ways to use natural resources to build a shelter and what kind of snakes to look out for when building in the woods. After a bit of classroom time, the students get the opportunity to put what they learned into practice by going into the woods and building their own shelter. The preserves crew has already gone out and precut some different items that the kids can pick up and turn into a neat little survival shelter. Its awesome to see the creativity at work as each of our groups used the same materials but created shelters that were completely different. During the second part of the trip the kids learn how to collect water and food from the various plants and trees around them. The staff shows them how to collect water from the leaves of a plant, how to collect water from a natural spring and how to get food from a palm tree and Spanish moss. The kids were completely excited by the thought of eating something that they can find anywhere, even on our school campus. The third portion of the field trip is a slide show teaching students survival 101 basics. They also get a chance to explore and learn about some of the wild animals that live in Florida.
The Crystal Springs Preserve staff in charge of the field trip are extremely knowledgeable and know how to work with kids. The keep things moving so that the group remains engaged and attentive. The trip cost a total of four dollars a kid (this included paying for the bus) so the preserve is very cheap and affordable. It is no wonder that available dates fill up quickly (they are already taking reservations for next year).
Aside from the programs aimed at educating elementary, middle and high school students, the Crystal Springs Preserves offers a number of other services as well. There is a nice, screened in pavilion that is available to rent for weddings, family reunions and/​or parties. They also have miles and miles of hiking trails, numerous opportunities for wildlife viewing and a number of butterfly gardens. There’s a little somethin’ somethin’ for everybody at the Crystal Springs Preserve.