Oceano Dunes District School Programs

Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove Tour

School Field Trips

State Park staff will lead your class through the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove.  This hour long program will rotate through three stations where students will learn about the Western Monarch Butterfly's life cycle, special adaptations, and migration patterns. To schedule a monarch butterfly field trip for your class please call 805-474-2664.

Northern Chumash Education

Northern Chumash Education Field Trips at Oceano Dunes District 

Take your students on a memorable field trip to the Oceano Dunes District to learn about Northern Chumash culture.  During this program, students will get to tour the Oceano Lagoon, and explore and learn about the natural resources of this local area.  

If you are a local 3rd grade teacher and you would like to schedule a field trip, please contact 805-474-2664.  Reservations are taken on a first come first serve basis.  This field trip will fully book, so send your requests in early. 

Distance Learning PORTS Program

Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students (PORTS) program provides FREE live interactive videoconference programs, also known as virtual field trips. K-12 students from California and around the world are connecting with live State Park Interpreters and learning academic content standards within the context of California’s dynamic state park system. Using platforms like Zoom, Skype and Google Meets, we will connect with your students for these live video conferencing programs.  Student participation is encouraged as we design these programs to be very interactive!

For the 2022-2023 school year, the Oceano Dunes District is offering 2 virtual field trip programs:

Discovering the Dunes at Oceano Dunes SVRA 

Students of all ages will learn about how the rock cycle and other natural forces form the coastal sand dune habitat. As a State Park Interpreter broadcasts live from the sand dunes, students enjoy the live element of seeing the beach and sand dune habitat in real time! 

Western Monarch Butterflies at Pismo State Beach 

State Park Interpreters will bring the magic of the Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grover directly to your classroom in a digital format. This lesson covers the butterfly lifecycle, migration routes, and the importance of conserving the food sources and overwintering habitats of the Western Monarchs. 

To schedule your virtual fieldtrip, please visit the www.ports-ca.us