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Scouts BSA Programs
TNC Environmental Educators can lead your scouts in an exploration of the wonders of the natural world and help your scouts earn any of several nature or environmental science badges. Hands-on learning, close observations with live animals and artifacts from our 380-acre living museum bring badges to life! Seasonal programs like apple cider making and maple sugaring and evening programs like night hikes and campfires are also available for scouts to participate in.

If a subject or badge that interests you does not appear below, please contact the Scout Coordinator for more information.
Scout BSA Field Trip Programs (at TNC)
Scout TNC to Go Programs (at your location)
Scouts BSA Field Trips Programs
Designed to be taught at Tenafly Nature Center, however you can also schedule a TNC to Go program (at your location) to participate in some of these same experiences.
Sample Schedule Field Trip Program Evening Program
4:15 pm Arrive at TNC & Light Snack
4:30 pm-5:00 pm Program Option (ex. Tigers: My Tiger Jungle)
5:00 pm-5:30 pm Campfire Add-on
5:30 pm Depart TNC Arrive at TNC
5:45 pm-6:45 pm Campfire
6:45 pm-7:45 pm Night Hike
7:45 pm Depart TNC

(All program times are listed in description)
Click title to view description

Tigers
My Tiger Jungle
1.5 hours (best done in Spring, Summer, and Fall)
Get outdoors to discover bugs, birds, and animals that live at Tenafly Nature Center!
In the Wild
1.5 hours (best done in Spring, Summer, and Fall)
Take a hike! On this adventure, you will learn how to be a Tiger in the Wild.
Wolves
Finding Your Way
2 hours (best done in Spring, Summer, and Fall)
Maps and compasses are tools that have helped travelers for hundreds of years know if they are headed in the right direction. In this adventure, you will learn to read maps and use one on a hike. You’ll also get to make your own map and use a compass on a scavenger hunt.
Paws on the Path
2.5 hours (best done in Spring, Summer, and Fall)
Exploring far-away mountains. Traveling through deep, dark jungles. Crossing hot, dry deserts. The adventurers that mastered these journeys got their start on a short hike, just like the one you and your Wolf den are about to take! In this adventure, you will use your Scouting outdoor skills and learn more about the natural world around you.
Bears
Fur, Feathers, and Fern
2 hours (best done in Spring, Summer, and Fall)
Grab your binoculars and start exploring the natural world! In this adventure you will explore the world of mammals, birds, plants, and more. You will learn more about where wild creatures live and you will do your part to help them. You will practice the Outdoor Code by showing ways to be considerate in the outdoors.
Webelos
Castaway
3-3.5 hours (best done in Spring, Summer, and Fall)
To survive in the wilderness, you need to learn survival skills long before you have to use them. This adventure will help you learn some of these important skills in case you ever get lost. Learning these skills will make you a better Scout and increase your chances of survival in an emergency. Requirements that may be compleated are 1a, 1c, 2a, 2c, 2d, 2f, and 2g; with a Campfire add-on included the requirements that may be compleated are 1a, 1b, 2a, 2c, 2d, 2f, and 2g.
Into the Wild
2 hours (best done in Spring, Summer, and Fall)
Do you wonder what makes the howling, hooting, whistling, and humming sounds you hear at night? Do you wonder where flocks of birds are going when they fly overhead? When you go “into the wild,” you will begin to understand some of the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects that live with us day and night and how they contribute to the world in which we live.
Into the Woods
1.5 hours (best done in Spring, Summer, and Fall)
Trees and plants play important roles in nature. In this adventure, you will get to learn about the plants and trees in your community by exploring Tenafly Nature Center. As you go into the woods in this adventure, you’ll learn what trees and plants do for us and for animals and why taking care of them is important to our planet’s well-being.
Walkabout
3.5 hours (best done in Spring, Summer, and Fall)
Hiking is walking with a purpose. It is great exercise and a fun activity to do with your den or family. In the Webelos Walkabout adventure, you’ll learn how to prepare for a hike, what you should bring along, and what you should do if there is an emergency. During your den hike, you’ll also have the chance to do a service project.
    • No additional charge for scout leaders.
    • Maximum group size is 30 participants per TNC educator (scouts, parents, and siblings combined).
    • Programs require one leader per group and one adult chaperone per five scouts who may attend for free.
 
  • In order to obtain adequate staff, advance notice of additional students and adults is required. We reserve the right to limit the number of non-registered participants on the trail to the number originally registered on the confirmation form.
  • If your funds are limited, please consider applying for a scholarship (we strive to make nature accessible to everyone).
 

Accessibility at TNC
Many TNC programs can be altered to accommodate participants with special needs. We ask that you disclose pertinent information with a minimum of two weeks notice about any needs (educational requirements resulting from learning difficulties, physical abilities, or emotional and behavioral difficulties). This enables us to make accommodations to meet your group’s needs.

 


Program LengthField Trip Minimum Fee (Friday-Sunday)Field Trip Minimum Fee (Monday-Thursday)
1 hour Program$12/person $120 min$10/person $100 min
1.5 hour Program$18/person $180 min$15/person $150 min
2 hour Program$24/person $240 min$20/person $200 min
2.5 hour Program$30/person $300 min$25/person $250 min
3 hour Program$36/person $360 min$30/person $300 min
Program LengthEvening Programing <30 people(Friday-Sunday)Evening Programing <60 people(Friday-Sunday)
1 hour Program$250$400
2 hour Program$350$550
Program LengthEvening Programing <30 people(Monday-Thursday)Evening Programing <60 people(Monday-Thursday)
1 hour Program$200$350
2 hour Program$300$500

Add-ons:
1) Animal Sponsorship: $60
2) Campfire Add-on: $60
3) Butterfly House: $2 per person

Additional Program Fees:
1) Apple Cider Making Press Fee: $60
2) ($) Scout Programs Materials Fees (for select programs

  • $25 for up to 15 scouts
  • $50 for more than 15 scouts

3) Additional Evening Program participants
(with approval of scout coordinator only):

  • 1 hour: $10 each
  • 2 hours: $15 each

Merit Badge Counseling

  • Members: Free for up to 3-hours (annually) for select individual Merit Badge Counseling with TNC Merit Badge Counselor (min. TNC for Two Level)
  • Non-Members: $35/hour
 

Merit Badge Workshop
See upcoming workshops for current pricing

 
(All programs are 1 hour)
Click title to view description

Apple Cider Making (September-November Only)
Scouts investigate simple machines and the differences in plant parts, as they use an old-fashioned screw press to make and sample fresh apple cider. In the process, they learn about the history of the cider making from colonial times to the present.
Maple Sugaring (February-March Only)
Scouts learn about the process of maple sugaring in North America by visiting our tapped Sugar Maple tree. (We encourage sap tasting, if enough has been collected.) We demonstrate both Native American and colonial syrup-making techniques. We challenge scouts to try to distinguish between corn syrup and 100% maple syrup by taste alone.
Pond Ecology (late April through early October)
Using a variety of tools (dip nets, magnifiers, etc.) scouts will discover aquatic ecosystems and food chains participating in hands-on pond exploration. They will study diversity, adaptations and interrelationships among the organisms they find in the water, and will discuss how human activity impacts aquatic habitats.
Seasonal Discovery (Fall/Winter/Spring)
Scouts will explore the wonders the season brings to the forest. On a walk along the trails, scouts will learn the forest plants and animals, and how they respond to seasonal changes! Check out tracks in the snow in winter, calling frogs and migrating birds in the spring, native plants and wildflowers in the summer and colorful autumn leaves.
A minimum of 6 scouts and maximum of 10 scouts are permitted at each workshop. Adults are welcome to join at the rate of one per scout.
Bird Study Merit Badge Workshop 5.5 hours
Enjoy the outdoors and learn how to identify some of NJ’s most common inhabitants. With a little pre-study (Participants must obtain and read the Bird Study Merit Badge Book), you’ll complete all of the requirements in this one day field class!
Environmental Science Merit Badge Workshop 5.5 hours
Learn more about protecting nature by understanding how it works.
Mammal Study Merit Badge Workshop 3 hours
Learn about classification, food chains, and do a service project to help local mammals.
Reptile and Amphibian Study Merit Badge Workshop 4.5 hours
This half day workshop is all about snakes, turtles, lizards, and alligators, as well as frogs and salamanders. Learning about these creatures will lead to an appreciation for all native wildlife. Scouts will study the different species and observe the native species present at the Tenafly Nature Center.
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS


Merit Badge Counseling
Other Merit Badge Counseling Offerings:
Insect Study, Nature Study, Fish and Wildlife Management Merit Badges.
(All programs are 1 hour)
Click title to view description
Batty for Bats
(April-September Only)
One of the most misunderstood creatures this program concentrates on the one mammal that flies. After games and activities, scouts will journey outside to search for and listen to bats as they actively acquire their food.
Campfire
Available all year
Songs, stories and fun filled activities around a campfire where no one is left out and everyone participates! Learn about the seasonal changes and forest animals, roast marshmallows, sip hot chocolate or cider.
Night Hike
Available all year
Experience the forest without flashlights as you develop your night vision, play games, and listen for animals during a short walk on the trails. Stars, bats, frogs, and insects are just a few of the things you may encounter at night.
Owl Prowl
Available all year
New Jersey is filled with night life and one of the more audible creatures of the night are its owls. After a short discussion about these winged wonders we will go outside for a walk in search of our night time feathered friends.
Click title to view description
Animal Sponsorship (all year)
Help support the animal ambassadors that live at TNC, in conjunction with a scheduled field trip. Enjoy a 30 minute up close visit and Q&A session with your sponsored animal. All school & summer group sponsorship’s receive a thank you package which includes: a group photo with the animal, certificate, photograph of sponsored animal, recognition in our newsletter, species information and animal’s biography.

Fee: $60
Butterfly House (open 2nd week in June-October*)
Campfire Add-on (all year)
Enjoy 30 minutes of roasting marshmallows and making s’mores around a toasty fire

Fee: $50
Guided Seasonal Walk (all year)
Before or after your scheduled programs, enjoy a guided trail walk along one of our trails, led by a TNC staff member.

Fee: $50-$75 (30-60 minutes)
Self-guided Seasonal Walk (all year)
Before or after your scheduled programs, grab a trail map and guide your students along one of our trails.

Fee: Free

Designed to be taught at your location, however you can also schedule a field trip to Tenafly Nature Center to participate in these same experiences.

TNC To Go Programs Available All Year
(All programs are 45-60 minutes, unless otherwise noted)
Click title to view description

Creatures of the Night
Discover what really makes an animal nocturnal and what they need to survive. Meet several live animals who are most active at dawn, dusk, or night. Learn how the earths surface is affected by sunlight and about the amazing adaptations some of these animals possess to thrive as they roam the nighttime landscape.
 
Endangered NJ
Best for scouts in 3rd grade and up. Learn about the major factors that threaten animals with endangerment and extinction worldwide. Through use of artifacts and live animals, participants will learn the status of select native New Jersey fauna. Activities are designed to raise awareness of New Jersey’s over 60 endangered species, and inspire participants to practice how they can help prevent threats to local wildlife.
 
Hanging with the Herps
“Herps” (reptiles and amphibians) are among the most under-appreciated and misunderstood species of the animal world. This program will introduce students to live snakes, frogs, salamanders and turtles and highlight the characteristics which distinguish between reptiles and amphibians.
 
Remarkable Raptors
Students will observe live raptors up close and learn about their behavior, physiology, adaptations, ecological importance and natural history. Hands-on artifacts and demonstrations will capture the imagination of young and old.
 
Who Goes Whoo
Students learn how these nocturnal raptors have adapted to night flight, as they observe our live resident owl. Your class will learn about NJ’s owls’ status by discussing the pros and cons of human interactions with these powerful and efficient predators.
 
The World Beneath Our Feet
A hole in the ground is always mysterious as it invites curiosity and wonder. Learn about the creatures that live underground as we shed some light on the mysteries under our feet. Discover what other unseen organisms might share this world and how they affect our lives from below.
 

TNC To Go Add-Ons
Animal Sponsorship
Help support the animal ambassadors that live at TNC, in conjunction with a scheduled TNC to Go program.

Enjoy an additional 15-30 minute up close visit and Q & A session with your sponsored animal. All scout group sponsorship’s receive a thank you package which includes: sponsored animal sticker or collectible trading card for every student, a certificate, photograph of sponsored animal, recognition in our newsletter, species information and animal’s biography.


 1st HourConsec. Hour
Bergen County  
<30 participants$225$135
>30 participants$375$300
   
Up to 1-Hour Away  
<30 participants$225$135
>30 participants$375$300
   
NYC Boroughs  
<30 participants$350*$135
<30 participants$500*$135
  • No additional charge for scout leaders.
  • *Additional fee is included to the first program fee for all New York City boroughs visits to cover NYC permit requirements.
  • A mileage charge of the current IRS rate per mile round trip is added to the program fee.
  • One parking space must be provided near the entrance of your location (if no parking is available at your site then a fee will be added to cover any associated garage fees).
  • Consecutive classes are programs held one right after another, for different groups, in the same location with no more than a 60 minute break between two of the programs.
  • If your funds are limited, please consider applying for a scholarship (we strive to make nature accessible to everyone).