Field Trip Programs for Environmental, Earth, Coastal Science and PE Classes

            Make your curriculum come alive on the Outer Banks!!! Kitty Hawk Kayaks offers guided kayak tours in local estuarine environments perfect for incorporating into the curriculums of Earth Science, Biology, Physical Science, Physics, Environmental Science, History and Physical Education classrooms. We are capable of handling large groups up to 60 students at a time for Elementary, Middle and High School students with staff well versed in coastal ecology. Educators can coordinate with us beforehand to plan out the perfect field trip for your students or you can leave it up to us. We have partnered with the University of North Carolina’s Coastal Studies Institute, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, The North Carolina Coastal Reserve, US Fish and Wildlife Service in Pea Island and Alligator River National Wildlife Refuges and the College of the Pallbearer to provide grade A, hands on coastal science lessons on kayaks. We can arrange for speakers from any of the aforementioned organizations, and prepare water quality testing, sane netting, service projects, and species identification projects. Round out the trip by visiting some of the amazing wildlife preserves like Jockey’s Ridge State Park, The Nature Conservancy’s Nags Head Woods Preserve, the Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Preserve, Cape Hatteras National Seashore and the wildlife refuges. Call us at (252) 261-0145 or email at info@khkss.com for more information.

$15.00 per student for groups of 20 or less.
$12.00 per student for groups of 21-40
$10.00 per student for groups larger than 40
Educators and chaperones go for free for a three hour tour and lab. Includes paddling instruction, safety talk and closure activity.

Kitty Hawk Woods Coastal Preserve and Maritime Forest Tour
One of our most popular tours, the Maritime Forest tour is excellent for first time and younger paddlers. The tour leaves from our store in Kitty Hawk and explores the Kitty Hawk Coastal Preserve, one of the few intact maritime forest environments on the Outer Banks. We generally see many reptiles such as snakes and turtles, as well as many birds. This is also an excellent locale on windy days because of the shelter provided by Live Oaks and Loblolly Pine trees insuring smooth waters, even during Nor’easters!!! This location is also ideal for water quality experiments, salt marsh and wetlands observations and post-trip lessons and experiments because we have some classroom space at our store perfect for such occasions.

Pea Island Salt Marsh Tour
This tour explores the salt marshes sound-side in the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. We frequently spot ospreys, pelicans, herons, egrets, ibis, terns, rails, skimmers, wrens, and warbles just to name a few. During the winter months this location is particularly abundant with migrating ducks, swans, geese and other water foul. We will tour the salt marshes of the Pamlico Sound and visit the old bridge joining Hatteras Island to the Northern Outer Banks across the now closed New Inlet. This location is also ideal for water quality experiments, salt marsh and wetlands observations and presentations from the Department of Fish and Wildlife officials that we can coordinate. Sediment sampling, estuarine health and federal environmental protection discussions are also a great fit for this tour.

Oyster Reef Restoration Paddle
We can organize a paddle out to some restored oyster reef in the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds to observe real oyster reef restoration projects. We can also incorporate a service component where we “recycle” collected old oyster shells by adding them to the reef. Students can see first hand the role oyster reefs play in coastal water quality and underscore the importance of environmental conservation and activism. This location is also ideal for water quality experiments, salt marsh and wetlands observations and presentations from the Department of Fish and Wildlife officials that we can coordinate. Sediment sampling, estuarine health and federal environmental protection discussions are also a great fit for this tour.

Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve

Through a partnership with the Nature Conservancy and the Kitty Hawk Kayaks, we are now offering a hike and paddle in Nags Head Woods.  This is the crown jewel in our kayaking program for those who want to hike and paddle. Visit the Nature Conservancy’s Nags Head Woods and hike a ½ mile to the launch site. Then paddle the Roanoke Sound through protected salt marshes and visit Run Hill State Preservation Area. This location is also ideal for water quality experiments, salt marsh and wetlands observations and post-trip lessons, experiments and presentations from Nature Conservancy officials in their on-site classrooms.

Physical Education Field Trips
Looking for a way to spice up the PE Department at your school? Come and paddle some of our tour areas with guided kayak instructors. PE was never this much fun while learning something new.  All of our kayak tours begin with paddling instruction, boat steering techniques, safety protocols and a description of the tour area and route. Then we hop in the boats and practice our strokes, turning, breaking and paddling backwards. Now we are ready to venture off onto the tour and observe the natural beauty of the Outer Banks and coastal North Carolina. The guide will talk about local flora and fauna, coastal ecology, local history and offer kayaking tips throughout the tour. We will do all we can to make sure everyone is comfortable and having a good time while getting some good exercise in the outdoors.