Field Trips
The Welder Wildlife Foundation’s 7,800-acre Refuge and field research station is the perfect setting for university field trips. The directors and educators at the Refuge work with each university to design a program tailored to reinforce course topics and interests of the participants.
Program Focus
Program topics range from biology, ecology, and management of individual wildlife species to range and wildlife habitat ecology and management. All programs offer an overview of the ecology of south Texas with emphasis on research that has been conducted on the Refuge and within the region. Current conservation issues within the context of wildlife and range management in south Texas are discussed to give students a better understanding of the economic and environmental challenges that range and wildlife managers deal with daily.
In addition to visiting demonstration sites where habitat management techniques such as prescribed fire have been employed, these field trips take students through a host of the Refuge’s 16 native plant communities. The exceptional diversity among communities makes this experience unique. Students are introduced to habitats as diverse as chaparral uplands, open grassland prairies, and riparian bottomlands. Depending on the course topic and trip length, we also expose students to a range of activities that give them hands-on experience with various monitoring and management techniques.
The Foundation’s CEO often participates in or assists with these programs if arranged in advance. To schedule a university field trip to the Welder Refuge, please contact the Foundation’s Education Manager, Angie Arredondo, or fill out the form at the bottom of the page!
Charges
Our educational programming and field trips are free, however, there is a lodging use fee for groups utilizing our facilities for overnight trips. For more information on facilities, policies, guidelines, and more review our Group Packet and review our Facility Use Fees document below for costs.
welderwildlife.org 