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BioPark Education: Fee-Based Programs

The Education Department at the Albuquerque BioPark offers a number of classes and day camps throughout the year. Click on the links below for program details and registration information.

 

Spring Break Camps - Children, ages 9 to 11, can spend Spring Break exploring the Zoo, Aquarium, Botanic Garden and Tingley Beach.

 

Camp BioPark - These summer classes give children and young adults an in-depth look at the amazing plants, animals and ecosystems that make up our world!

CAMP BIOPARK 2009 IS CLOSED FOR THE SEASON.

Check back in 2010 to find out about next summer's fun!

 

Evening Programs - Enjoy a summer evening at the BioPark on one of these special tours.

 

Aquarium Overnights - Underwater fun for all ages!

 

BioPark Beginnings - Nurture your preschooler's curiosity and love of nature in these fall, winter and springtime classes.

 

Check out the Event Calendar, Daily Activities and Outreach and Teacher Resources for many other free and exciting educational programs throughout the year.

 

 

Camp BioPark 2009

CBP Logo

Camp BioPark is designed to inspire children's awareness of nature and the plants and animals that make each habitat unique. We strive to teach science in an engaging atmosphere through active, hands-on activities.

 

For immediate registration with a Visa, Mastercard or American Express payment, call 505-764-6214 for Zoo classes or 505-848-7180 for Aquarium, Garden and Tingley Beach classes. Online registration will not be available.

 

Camp BioPark class sizes are limited. Classes fill rapidly. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. Your payment is your reservation.

 

For all registrations, you will need to complete the registration form and return it to BioPark Education. Download the registration form. About PDF Files

 

If you would like to receive a copy of the Camp BioPark brochure by mail, please send your address to biopark@cabq.gov or call (505)764-6214.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Camp BioPark

 

 

Camps for Preschoolers

 

Farm Sprouts

Visit the Heritage Farm and travel back in time for one day a week.  Preschool children and one accompanying adult will plant and tend a class garden, harvest what they grow and make it into a yummy snack.  Each day will feature farm activities, such as carding wool, and visiting the barnyard animals.  Every class will include fun role play games and crafts.

Ages: 3-5 years old
Cost: $105 for all seven classes.  Price includes one child and one adult.  Additional children are $50 each for all seven classes.
Where: Heritage Farm at the Botanic Garden
Time: Tuesdays, 9:30-11:00am

 

 

 

Tingley Trekkers

Spend the morning at Tingley Beach and in the nearby bosque as we discover the wonders of the outdoor world.  This new class, designed for older preschool children and one accompanying adult, will include art, music and active adventures every day.  You’ll take a mini-hike to the Rio Grande, go fishing at the Children's Pond or look for wildlife living on land, in water and in the tops of the trees!

Ages: 4-6 years old
Cost: $105 for all seven classes in 2008.  Price includes one child and one adult.  Additional children are $50 each for all seven classes.
Where: Tingley Beach
Time: 8:30-10:00am

Dates: Wednesdays

 

 

Nature Beginnings

Explore the amazing world of animals and plants at the BioPark!  Pre-school children and one accompanying adult will play games, create fun works of art, sing songs and of course, visit the exhibits.  Come take a peek in the ocean, watch a butterfly drink from a daisy, and discover animals from around the world.

Ages: 0-5 years old
Cost: $105 for all seven classes.  Price includes one child and one adult.  Additional children are $50 each for all seven classes.
Where: Classes alternate between the Zoo and Aquarium/Garden.
Time: Thursdays, 9:30-11:00am

 

 

 

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Camps for Grades K-2

 

Discover the Zoo

Grab your safari gear, and head down to the zoo for new adventures!  You’ll meet education animals up close and tour the zoo to learn about incredible animals from around the world.  You’ll discover tiny frogs, gigantic hippos and everything in between.  Games, arts and crafts, and lots of fun are all included in this half-day camp.  The same class is offered in the morning and in the afternoon.

Grades:
 K-2
Cost:
$100
Where:
 Rio Grande Zoo
Time:
8:30am-12:00noon OR 12:30-4:00pm
Dates: Monday-Friday / Half-Day

 

 

Flower Power, Fishy Fun

Dive into this hands-on class!  Check out fish that flap their “wings,” whirling butterflies, and plants with strange smells.  Search for spiraling seeds, fish that kiss, and insects as big as your refrigerator.  This active, half day class will involve all the senses.  The same class is offered in the morning and in the afternoon.

Grades:
 K-2
Cost:
$100
Where:
 Albuquerque Aquarium and Rio Grande Botanic Garden
Time:
8:30am-12:00noon OR 12:30-4:00pm
Dates: Monday-Friday / Half-Day

 

 

Discover the BioPark

Spend the week learning about all of nature as you explore the entire BioPark.  You’ll search for sharks at the aquarium, smell “pizza plants” at the garden, take a train ride to Tingley Beach and “chill out” by the polar bears at the zoo.  This all-day camp incorporates arts, crafts, games and time in the afternoon to relax and read.

Grades:
 K-2
Cost:
$185
Where:

Monday and Tuesday at the Aquarium/Garden

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at the Zoo

Time:
8:30am-4:00pm
Dates: Monday-Friday

 

 

 

Land and Ocean Locomotion

Discover the many motions of nature!  Explore how seeds fly, fish wiggle, ducks waddle, and elephants march.  Along the way, you’ll learn about some uniquely human types of locomotion.  Take a ride on the Rio Line Railroad to deliver freshly-harvested vegetables to the Zoo.  Visit the Botanic Garden’s miniature railroad where tiny trees are grown, and meet some of the animals that help people get around.  All aboard!  Chug-a-chug-a-choo-choo!

Grades:
 K-2
Cost:
$100
Where:
 Rio Grande Botanic Garden
Time:
12:30-4:00pm
Dates: Monday-Friday / Half-Day

 

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Camps for Grades 3-5

 

Explore the Zoo

Calling all animal lovers!  Prepare to be amazed by the new things you’ll learn about amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.  In this camp, you’ll discover the wildest creatures on earth and learn about their secrets of survival.  You’ll find out what it takes to care for exotic animals as you go behind the scenes with a zookeeper, and you’ll even have the chance to prepare food for some of the Zoo’s animals.  Games, hands-on activities and art projects complete this wild week. 

Grades:
 3-5
Cost:
$185
Where:
 Rio Grande Zoo
Time:
8:30am-4:00pm
Dates: Monday-Friday

 

 

 

Explore the Botanic Garden - New Camp!

There is a whole world waiting for you in the Garden!  Campers in this full day class will criss-cross the globe without ever town.  You’ll search for ancient symbols in the new Japanese Garden, get the buzz on insects while getting a sneak peak of the future Insectarium, and experience farm life firsthand at the Heritage Farm.  Along the way, you’ll encounter wild and weird plant partners, create eco art and grow plants to take home to your own garden.  You’re going to dig this camp!

Grades:
 3-5
Cost:
$185
Where:
 Rio Grande Botanic Garden
Time:
8:30am-4:00pm
Dates: Monday-Friday

 

 

 

Underwater Explorations

Aquatic adventures await you as you unravel the mysteries of marine life and discover your connections to the ocean!  Sink your teeth into the truth about sharks, meet a “living fossil,” and look down into the ocean tank from behind the scenes.  You’ll learn about the most magnificent creatures found in water – from plankton to whales and everything in between!  You’ll also discover why oceans and rivers are important to your everyday life.

Grades:
 3-5
Cost:
$185
Where:

Albuquerque Aquarium
Time:
8:30am-4:00pm
Dates: Monday-Friday

 

 

 

 

Explore the Rio

Spend your day at the beach – Tingley Beach, that is!  Campers in this half-day class will explore nature in the heart of the city.  You’ll walk on the banks of the Rio Grande, search tree tops for prickly porcupines, and even practice hooting for owls!  Get the scoop on poop as you learn why scientists study animal scat, and find out what it means to be “green.”  Most time will be spent outdoors, but this class will also include a visit to the Aquarium to find out why the Rio Grande is Albuquerque’s liquid link to the sea.

Grades:
 3-5
Cost:
$100
Where:
 Class meets at the Aquarium and then travels to Tingley Beach.
Time:
8:30am-12:00noon
Dates: Monday-Friday / Half-Day

 


 

Eco-Explorers

Check out the world wide web of life in this half-day Zoo camp.  From the Arctic to the Amazon, you’ll explore amazing habitats to find out which animals call each place “home.”  What’s the connection between algae and a sloth?  How does hippo dung support an entire ecosystem?  What’s so important about frogs?  Join us for a global adventure to discover the answers to these questions and more!  You’ll also find out what you can do to help protect animals from around the world.

Grades:
 3-5
Cost:
$100
Where:
 Rio Grande Zoo
Time:
12:30-4:00pm
Dates: Monday-Friday / Half-Day

 

 

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Camps for Grades 6-8

 

Animal Behaviors

Why do gorillas live in groups?  How does a snow leopard find its food?  Find out the answers in this action-packed science camp.  You’ll research and observe animal behavior and learn how to interpret what you see.  You’ll find out how zookeepers use special techniques to enrich the lives of zoo animals. Then, you’ll have the chance to make items to be used in the animal enclosures!  Join the fun and watch as the animals enjoy your handiwork.

Grades:
 6-8
Cost:
$185
Where:
 Rio Grande Zoo
Time:
8:30am-4:00pm
Dates: Monday-Friday

 

 

 

 

Rio Adventures

Campers head out for a trek along the Rio Grande!  Become a biologist for the week as you investigate wildlife along the river.  Each day includes adventures such as following animal tracks or setting traps to catch the most ferocious bugs in the bosque.  You’ll hike each day and then spend time at the Aquarium and Garden to discover how the oceans and deserts depend on the Rio Grande and how real-life biologists are helping raise the endangered Silvery Minnow.  Learning about nature has never been this much fun!

Grades:
 6-8
Cost:
$185
Where:
 Albuquerque Aquarium, Rio Grande Botanic Garden and Tingley Beach
Time:
8:30am-4:00pm

 

 

 

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Camp for Grade 9

 

Wild Careers

Thinking of a career in wildlife?  Wondering how to take your love of nature and turn it into a job?  Working at a place like the BioPark can be exciting, but there’s more to a zoo job than animal training, more to an aquarium job than diving, and more to a garden job than planting.  Find out what a day in the life of the BioPark is like from the people who know it best.  Campers will learn first hand about the diversity of jobs, from feeding and cleaning to surgery and graphic design, necessary to operate a park which showcases all of nature.

Grades:
 9
Cost:
$185
Where:

Monday and Tuesday at the Zoo

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at the Aquarium/Botanic Garden/Tingley Beach
Time:
8:30am-4:00pm

 

 

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Evening Programs

 

Twilight Tours at the Zoo

Experience the sights and sounds of the Zoo at twilight!  After dinner at home, observe interesting animal behavior while taking a tour of the Zoo in a small group led by your personal guide.  (Please note that not all animals are out at night.)  Tours will occur rain or shine.  Meet at the front of the zoo.  Pre-registration is required. Call (505) 764-6214.

Ages:
 All
Cost:
$10 adults, $6 youth and seniors
Where:
 Rio Grande Zoo
Time:
6:30-8:30pm

Dates: Tuesdays

 

 

Night Walks at the Botanic Garden

Explore the Garden under the light of the moon!  Bring your family and explore the wonders of nightfall as you walk on a guided tour through the Garden in search of night-blooming plants, nocturnal animals and night pollinators. Pre-registration is required.  Call (505) 848-7180.

Ages:
 All
Cost:
$6 adults, $4 youth and seniors
Where:
 Rio Grande Botanic Garden
Time:
7:30-9:00pm

Dates: Tuesdays

 

 

Bosque Moonlight Hikes at Tingley Beach

Discover the wild night life of the bosque on this guided tour.  You’ll travel to the bosque wetlands to look for bats, hoot for owls and search for other nocturnal animals.  Bring your flashlight and your sense of adventures as we hike through the woods.  Tour begins at the Tingley Beach train station.  Pre-registration is required.  Call (505) 848-7180.

Ages:
 All
Cost:
$6 adults, $4 youth and seniors
Where:
 Tingley Beach
Time:
7:00-8:30pm

Dates: Tuesdays

 

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Aquarium Overnights

Sleep next to the sharks at the Albuquerque Aquarium! Learn about ocean species and their fascinating nighttime behavior. Participate in fun games and crafts, meet marine animals upclose in the aquarium’s touchpool and unwind during our marine movie marathon in the theater.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. Your payment is your reservation. To register or for more information, please call (505) 848-7180.

Ages:
 All
Cost:
$30 per person. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Where:
 Albuquerque Aquarium
Time:
Friday, 7:00 pm - Saturday 8:00 am

Upcoming Dates in 2010:

January 22/23  
February 26/27  
March 26/27  
April 23/24  
May 21/22  
August 20/21  
September 24/25  
October 22/23  
November 19/20  

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BioPark Beginnings

Child in AQ bubble

 

BioPark Beginnings gives children and accompanying adults the opportunity to explore the amazing world of animals and plants through the BioPark’s Rio Grande Zoo, Albuquerque Aquarium, and Rio Grande Botanic Garden. 

 

 

Ann Gallegos, BioPark Beginnings Instructor, brings over thirty years of experience in elementary and early childhood education to the program.  Her imaginative games, songs, and art projects are specially created for each plant and animal.  In class, Gallegos is a dynamic and enthusiastic teacher, who sparks the imagination and excites the senses of her young students.

 

Classes alternate weekly between the Aquarium, Botanic Garden and Zoo.  Registration for the full 12-week session is $150, and the price includes one child and one adult.  Up to two additional children may join each adult and are $75 each.  NM BioPark Society members receive a 10% discount. 

 

BioPark Beginnings classes take place each fall and spring for 10-12 weeks. Group size is limited and pre-registration is required. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. Your payment is your reservation.

 

If you have questions or if you would like to receive class information by mail, please call BioPark Education at (505) 848-7180.

 

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