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Carlsbad Caverns National ParkLake Chandelier in Lechuguilla Cave.
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Carlsbad Caverns National Park
For Teachers
 
The park's education staff often visits with Carlsbad area schools.
NPS Photo
A Carlsbad-area classroom learns all about the Waste-In-Place program.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park offers numerous educational opportunities and materials. Recently the park unveiled a new lineup of ranger-conducted school programs for all grades. These include both onsite presentations at the park and offsite presentations in school classrooms. School fee waivers are available if a field trip to the cave correlates with a specific topic of study in class. A list of available programs as well as fee waiver information can be viewed through the Plan a Field Trip links on this page.

The park also offers curriculum-based materials for students of all ages. For high school students, the Chihuahuan Desert Lab offers hands-on participation in resource monitoring and stewardship activities at the park. Also available is a high school geology curriculum guide, as well as three curriculum guides for middle school classes on geology, ecology and biology. About Bats, Caves, and Deserts is a curriculum guide designed for elementary school classes.

Available on request are an introductory ParKids video and a traveling trunk designed to help teach students about park resources. The park also has a Junior Ranger program for visiting children and electronic fieldtrips (EFTs) on bats and geology.

Plan a Field Trip
Plan a Field Trip
Learn more about the park with an onsite visit!
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Before entering Carlsbad Cavern, a park ranger will go over the cave rules for your group.
Group Visitation Rules
Know them before your visit.
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Soda straws in Carlsbad Cavern.  

Did You Know?
Most of the formations—or speleothems—found inside Carlsbad Cavern today were active and growing during the last ice age when instead of having a desert above the cave, there were pine forests.

Last Updated: February 13, 2007 at 16:28 EST