Field Trips

Our hands-on learning programs focus on connecting 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students with their local heritage and ecology through education and immersive experiences in the Rancho Era, Chumash Life, and Nature at DANA programs!

Students experience daily life on the Rancho through hands-on activities and nature exploration.

Each visit includes a tour of the historic Dana Adobe home and three activity stations of your choice, including:

Branding, Sketching Captain Dana’s Tree, Dancing, Tortilla Making, Vaquero, or the Meadow ecosystem station.

DANA’s Chumash Program immerses students in the culture, traditions, and daily life of the Chumash people through interactive, learning stations aligned with the California Content Standards for Social Science.

Students explore Chumash material culture, village life, traditional foods and plants, and games and sports while gaining a deeper understanding of Indigenous history and culture.

Our Chumash educational program was developed in collaboration with the yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe in 2019 to ensure the accurate and respectful representation of Chumash history, culture, and perspectives. Together, we honor the first stewards of this land by sharing their enduring connection to the Central Coast with future generations.

Nature at DANA explores the unique ecology of California’s Central Coast through hands-on discovery and outdoor learning. Students will investigate local habitats, identify native plants and wildlife, and discover how organisms have adapted to thrive in this diverse landscape.

Through engaging activities, they will explore ecological concepts such as symbiotic and parasitic relationships, predator-prey interactions, food webs, and the life cycles of the plants and animals that call the Central Coast home.

By connecting directly with nature, students gain a deeper appreciation for the region’s remarkable biodiversity and the importance of protecting it.

Coming Soon!