Skip to form
image

Aquatic Resources Education Center Program Signup

                                 
Thank you for your interest in the Aquatic Resources Education Center's (AREC) programs. The AREC is a multi-use environmental education center located in Anacostia Park. The center exhibits many different species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, and invertebrates found in the District and the Chesapeake Bay. We offer AREC tours and classroom lessons upon request. All AREC programs are provided free of charge. Please review our schedule and fill in the program fields below. An AREC staff member will reach out to you within two business days upon receiving your request.


AREC Schedule:

  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday-Friday 10 am-12 pm: Open for Field Trips & Other Private Groups
  • Tuesday-Friday 1 pm-3 pm: Open for Walk-In Visits

 

Full Name

Due to the limited size of the building, no more than forty (40) visitors, including teachers and chaperones, are permitted inside the AREC at once. Larger classes may be asked to divide into groups and rotate between indoor and outdoor stations, or split their program across multiple visits.

Age(s) or Grade Level(s) of Students

Please select your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd most desired dates for a program/visit. Please note that AREC program dates are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis, and your preferred date(s) may not be available. If none of your preferred dates are available, AREC staff will seek to identify an alternative date if possible.

1st Preference Date

Date Picker

2nd Preference Date

Date Picker

3rd Preference Date

Date Picker

AREC Program Desired

Please read the following lessons along with their descriptions, and pick the lesson(s) that best fit your group's goals and needs. Please note that most lessons are designed with specific age groups and grade levels in mind.
 
Programs Offered: 


AREC Tour: Students experience a guided tour of the AREC and learn about various species of local aquatic wildlife. Takes place indoors for 30-60 minutes, suitable for all ages and grade levels, group sizes of 25 or fewer at a time.

 
Fish Art Workshop: Students and teachers learn the basics of fish anatomy and put their artistic skills to the test for the annual DC Fish Art Contest. Takes place indoors for 30-60 minutes, suitable for grades K-12, group sizes of 25 or fewer at a time.
 
River Life: Students experience a "story time" activity about the different animals visiting a river over the course of a day. Features hands-on props. Takes place indoors for 30-45 minutes, best suited for Pre-K & Kindergarten classes of 20 or fewer at a time.
 
Amazing Amphibian Adaptations: Students explore the unique life cycles and adaptations of amphibians through a combination of guided discussion and hands-on activities. Takes place indoors for 30-45 minutes. Versions available for lower elementary, upper elementary, and middle school classes of 20 or fewer at a time. 
 
Fabulous Food Webs: Students discover the parts of a food web and build an Anacostia food web using local species. Versions available for upper elementary and high school classes of 20 or fewer at a time. Takes place indoors, upper elementary elementary version takes 30-45 minutes, high school version takes 30-60 minutes. 
 
Fishable Waters: Students discover the importance of healthy fisheries and explore the ways in which our actions can influence the health of local fish populations. Takes place indoors for 30-45 minutes, best suited for upper elementary and middle school classes of 25 or fewer at a time. 
 
Watershed Wonders: Students learn the meaning and value of watersheds and discuss the ways that our actions impact watershed health using realistic examples. Takes place indoors for 30-45 minutes, versions available for upper elementary, middle school, and high school classes of 25 or fewer at a time. 
 
Careers in Fisheries and Wildlife: Students explore the wide variety of careers needed to support fisheries and wildlife. Takes place indoors for 45-90 minutes, best suited for high school classes of 25 or fewer at a time. 
 
Practice Casting: Students learn how to cast a fishing rod with plastic Backyard Bass casting targets.Takes place outdoors for 30-45 minutes, suitable for all ages and grade levels in groups of 30 students or fewer at a time.
 
Catch-and-Release Fishing: Students discover the joys of fishing right here in Anacostia Park. Takes place outdoors for 60-90 minutes, best suited for upper elementary school classes and older. Note: due to limited shoreline access, fishing is limited to 10 anglers at a time.
 
Anacostia River Explorers Boat Tour: Depending on partner availability, students, teachers, and chaperones are invited to explore the Anacostia River on a boat tour led by one of our partner organizations, Anacostia Riverkeeper and Anacostia Watershed Society. Takes place outdoors for 45-90 minutes, suitable for all ages and grade levels. Note: boat tours are limited to 20 passengers at a time and are dependent on the availability of partner organizations. The season for boat tours runs from late March to mid-November.
 
Roller-Skating: Come skate with Friends of Anacostia Park at the Anacostia Roller Skating Pavilion, located right next to the AREC! Takes place outdoors, suitable for all ages.  Skate rentals are open free of charge from Memorial Day to Labor day and require an adult with an ID.

AREC Program Desired

Transportation Request

The Aquatic Resources Education Center has a limited annual transportation budget and may be able to provide transportation for your group's visit upon request. Please note that transportation requests are fulfilled on a first-come, first-serve basis, and we cannot guarantee that transportation funding will be available for your group's visit. Transportation funding is limited to schools and other organizations located within the District of Columbia.

Transportation Request

Other Information or Requests:

Please share any other information or requests that you feel may be relevant to your group's experience, e.g. accessibility needs, translation services, etc.

If you would like to request an ASL interpreter, please give at least five (5) business days notice before the date of your program. Interpreters for other languages may require advance notice.

Student Travel Policy and Code of Conduct

In order to ensure the most enjoyable and educational experience for all visitors to the AREC, we ask that DCPS teachers and chaperones fulfill their duties and responsibilties outlined in the DCPS Field Trip & Student Travel Policy and do everything in their power to ensure that their students do the same, including adherence to DCPS behavior and discipline policies.

 
Groups not affiliated with DCPS are asked to abide by the rules and regulations set by their respective organizations and should encourage student behavior aligned with their organization's values and standards.

Do you agree to fulfill the duties and responsibilties outlined in your organization's policies and encourage student behavior aligned with that organization's values and standards?

Be sure to verify that you are not a robot by using the Captcha tool at the below.
Having reCaptcha issues? Click here to reset the widget.