This is a guided tour with a member of our education team that includes a lesson before or after the tour for an addition $1 per person. Your students will learn more about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, how each species fits into it, why each of our animals is here, and how your students can help wildlife. Choose between our Add-On activities at check out (details on options below). Our Add-On activities give your students a hands-on opportunity to apply the lessons they learned in the tour.
Tour Guides are $40 per 20 students (tours are broken up into groups of 20 or less). If you need more guides than listed available please contact education@yellowstonewildlife.org
If this is a financial burden, please reach out to education@yellowstonewildlife.org
Upon arrival for your tour, we will confirm your final headcount with the following fees:
- Discounted student admission - $5.00
- Chaperones - 2 per 10 students -$5.00
- Additional chaperones/family members - regular admission rate ($12 for adults, $6 for kids)
All groups: 2 adults per 10 kids maximum
Max group size is 20
Groups larger than 20, please do one of the following - or contact education@yellowstonewildlife.org for special arrangements.
- Book on a Thursday: we can accomodate up to 2 groups of 20 during the morning or afternoon on these days only! Please email the education team if you need an additional guide as we can accomodate on a case to case basis on all available dates.
- Or have half of your group come for the morning time slot, and half for the afternoon
- Comfortable walking shoes.
- Water
- Wearing layers is advised due to changing weather conditions in Red Lodge.
Please have the lead teacher check in at the gift shop approximately 10 minutes before your tour begins.
Activity Options (selected at check-out):
Theme: Yellowstone Ecology & Adaptations
1. Animal Castles (PreK-4): Build habitat models based on knowledge learned on tour about animal needs
2. Habitats & Food Webs (Grade K-5): Categorize animals into their proper habitats and their place in the food web
3. Animal Encounter (Any Grade): Meet one of our ambassador salamanders up-close, learn about their story, care and conservation message.
4. Classifications: Learn the differences between groups of animals
- Taxodermic Tree Lesson (Grade 4+): Learn what a taxonomic classifications are and the basic categories of animals
- Mammals (Grade 6+): Learn about and to differentiate between the famous large mammals in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem that it is known for
- Amphibians vs. Reptiles (Any Grade): Learn to differentiate between amphibians and reptiles
Theme: Scat & Tracks
1. “Who Pooped in the Park?”(Grade K-3): Read a fun book that teaches how to identify scats and tracks, supplemented with sanctuary artifacts
2. Animal Detectives (Grade 1-6): Use scat/track knowledge learned on tour to investigate “crime scenes” (better with groups smaller than 15 or less)
Theme: Conservation & the Sanctuary Mission
1. Endangered Species: What endangered means, status of regional species, the effects of climate change on wildlife and what you can do to help.
- Pika Activity (Grade K-7): Play a game that teaches about pika, the threats they face, and what we can do to help
- Endangered Species (Grade 8+): What endangered means, status of regional species, the effects of climate change on wildlife and what you can do to help
2. Bear Safety (Any Grade): Learn the problems with habituating bears, and proper bear safety to protect both you and the bears. Including how to use a bear spray!
Theme: Animal Care & Enrichment
1. Animal Castles (PreK-4): Build habitat models based on knowledge learned on tour about animal needs
2. Enrichment (Any Grade): Learn what enrichment is, it’s importance for captive animals, and then make an enrichment item for our animals and watch them explore it!
- Large groups: Make “popsicles” for the animals by putting ingredients into dixie cups mixed with chicken broth, water and food coloring
- Small groups: Make paper mache balls to be filled with food
- Other: Make fire hose, CD mobiles, or food puzzles with toilet paper rolls as materials are available and as requested by animal care
3. Animal Encounter (Any Grade): Meet one of our ambassador salamanders up-close, learn about their story, care and conservation message.
Please contact YWS at least 24 hours in advance if you need to cancel.
If the Sanctuary has an unexpected closure due to weather, animal care, etc., YWS will contact you as soon as possible, ideally 24 hours in advance and work with you to reschedule.