Florida Keys & Me

The Florida Keys are a world-renowned tourist destination, but they’re also a key ecosystem to the sunshine state, Caribbean and beyond.

Tour a selected Monroe County location based on choosing from the following three modules:

Hardwood Hammocks—Explore hardwood hammocks to identify native and invasive plants.
Mangroves—Remove marine debris, then categorize all using citizen science apps.
Coastal Seagrass Survey—Perform a coastal seagrass survey building underwater transects.

Reserve This Program

Fill out our form to begin your reservation. Each field trip accommodates up to 30 individuals. Virtual group field trips run 120 minutes. Experiences are primarily offered during core hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Virtual

Offered Monday–Friday
Requires a strong internet connection
$365 per virtual field trip (max. 30 participants)

In Person

Primarily offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
OPTION A: Upper Keys (Primary Location: Green Turtle Hammock Nature Preserve) $450 per in person field trip (max. 30 participants)
OPTION B: Middle/Lower Keys (Primary Location: Bahia Honda State Park) $550 per in person field trip (max. 30 participants)
10% off an additional field trip on the same day

Requests for alternate days or times will be considered. Within 48 hours after you submit your request, an Education Outreach team member will contact you to discuss your proposed itinerary. Once everything is reviewed and set the invoice will be sent.

K-12 Florida Education Standards

5th Grade
Big Idea 1 - SC.5.N.1: The Practice of Science
Big Idea 2 - SC.5.N.2: The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge
Big Idea 15 - SC.5.L.15: Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms
Big Idea 17 - SC.5.L.17: Interdependence
6th-8th Grade
Big Idea 1 - SC.6.N.1 (SC.7.N.1, SC.8.N.1): The Practice of Science
Big Idea 2 - SC.6.N.2 (SC.7.N.2, SC.8.N.2): The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge
Big Idea 4 - SC.8.N.4: Science and Society
Big Idea 15 - SC.6.L.15: Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms
9th-12th Grade
Big Idea 1 - SC.912.N.1: The Practice of Science
Big Idea 2 - SC.912.N.2: The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge
Big Idea 3 - SC.912.N.3: The Role of Theories, Laws, Hypotheses, and Models
Big Idea 4 - SC.912.N.4: Science and Society

Girl Scout Patch and Badge Alignments

More to Explore

Want to get more from your adventures?

Combine labs, demos and field trips to reinforce learning and fun.

Animal Encounter – Get to know the creatures that help keep the balance of marine and coastal ecosystems everywhere. Dive in as you explore marine invertebrates along the Florida coast.
Aquarius Journey – Take the conservation journey underwater with a biology lab that features Mission Inspire curriculum and focuses on a variety of issues that impact marine life.

Check out the following articles to prep for or continue your learning adventure.

Explore Aquarius Reef Base – Take a virtual tour of the Aquarius Reef Base and see how such a small space can be so dynamic.
Discover Mantis Shrimp vision – Learn about how Aquarius Reef Base has allowed researchers to make discoveries about the visible spectrum of light available to these creatures and about the different ways this has been used in bioengineering and biomedical fields.
Create a food chain mobile – Whether close to home or a world away, build your own example of the delicate balance that an ecosystem needs to be sustained.

Discover real FIU research and community engagement efforts.

Institute of Environment – A comprehensive solutions center, we are dedicated to combating environmental crises that devastate ecosystems, disrupt communities and destroy natural resources.
Researchers across the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Earth and Environment contribute to developing new knowledge in this area. Explore their work.