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Natural Area Teaching Laboratory

Natural Area Teaching Laboratory

a boardwalk running through a cypress swamp
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Environmental Education

Since its establishment as a conservation area, one of the primary goals of the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory is stated right in the name - teaching! The NATL team aims to provide educational opportunities to the public using informational signage, including trail signs and kiosks, brochures, and natural area tours. Additionally, a pavilion located by the academic entrance is open to the public for use when not reserved (make a reservation to guarantee pavilion availability). This area includes multiple picnic tables and a large whiteboard (dry-erase markers not provided). 

We provide guided, educational tours of NATL which we can adjust for your group. To schedule a tour, please get in touch with us at natl@ufl.edu. 

  • Lesson Plans
    • Wetland Ecology
    • Bird Ecology
    • Mammals Lesson Plan
  • Supplemental Material

    Games

    • Bird Scavenger Hunt
    • Migration Hopscotch 
    • Pollination Activity Book

    ID Cards

    • Bird ID Cards

    Additional Information

    • Blueberry Pollination Info Sheet
    • Intro to Insects EDIS
    • NATL Plant Communities Handout
    • Longleaf Pine Info
    • Pollination Info
    • Pollination Vocab Handout
    • Water Cycle Vocab Handout
  • Audio tours of NATL's natural areas

    See our audio tour page here.

  • Classes that use NATL

    In 1993, the committee behind the creation of NATL sent questionnaires to all UF departments interested in natural resources and life sciences to gauge prospective use of the natural area. Through this feedback, they estimated that 28 courses from seven departments in three colleges would use the proposed 45-acre area for field trips and projects (Griffin et al. 1993a).

    In 2015, a survey was conducted to determine how many classes include NATL use in their curriculum. The result found that 47 courses were using NATL. These courses were taught by eleven departments in four different colleges, and bring an estimated 3,518 students to NATL for coursework alone. 

    • NATL Class Usage 2015

    In 2025, an attempt was made to update this list. Faculty members were contacted to update usage and include any new courses. Due to the informal nature of this survey attempt, the below list likely underestimates current class usage. 

    • results coming soon
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Entomology and Nematology Department
1881 Natural Area Drive, Steinmetz Hall | Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 273-3901

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