Helping to preserve Saguaro cacti in the Arizona desert

During their spring adventure to the Grand Canyon, our students ventured into the Saguaro National Park with U.S. park rangers to compile a comprehensive inventory on the Giant Saguaro Cactus, which can grow up to 80 feet. Data collected by the students will be used to determine environmental impacts on the growth patterns of the cactus, an important part of the desert ecosystem. "The desert landscape was amazing; we couldn't believe the size of this huge Saguaro cacti!" posted Jessi.

Students become film editors during Discovery Channel visit

Talk about exclusive access! During their spring trip to Washington, D.C., our students went behind the scenes at the Discovery Channel, touring the network’s technical center and rubbing elbows with executive producers from “MythBusters” and “Frozen Planet.” The Discovery Student Adventures group even had an opportunity to edit their own promo video for a new TV series. “With assistance from a professional editing director, we made an excellent video set to music,” says Discovery Student Adventures program manager Chris Osborne. “It was surreal!”

Discovery students explore the National Aquarium

Jumpin’ jellyfish! Leapin’ Lizards! Diving Dolphins! On their recent journey to Washington, D.C., our students and teachers were immersed in sea life—660 species to be exact—at the famed National Aquarium in Baltimore. Housing more than 16,000 creatures, the aquarium exhibits a variety of species in their naturalistic habitats. They discovered animals such as stingrays, sharks, sea turtles, bullfrogs, phytoplankton, monkeys, sloths, iguanas, puffins and thousands more. Our group was even treated to overnight access at the aquarium, sleeping with the sea life!

Follow our spring travel blogs!

Sleeping with sharks near the nation’s capital. Mountain biking the magnificent Grand Canyon. Rescuing endangered sea turtles in Costa Rica. Our students and teachers are having the times of their lives exploring destinations on their spring journeys. Check out their adventures on our student blogs.

Look, up in the sky! It's a floating house!

When children watch cartoons, they love to pretend what it would be like to actually experience the adventure. Whether they wanted to be Bugs Bunny being chased by Elmer Fudd or Batman chasing after the Joker. Now group of scientists has made fiction a reality. Taking a cue from the Pixar movie UP! scientist built a custom home in order to see if they could make it fly. It worked. The 16' x 16' x 18' house only needed 300 balloons, each filled with an entire tank of helium, to take off. Each weather balloon measured eight feet tall. The house soared to an altitude of 10,000 feet over the desert east of Los Angeles.

We’re headed to the ultimate science symposium

What does Discovery Student Adventures have in common with thousands of dedicated science educators across the United States? A passion for excellence in science education. We’re on our way to San Francisco for the National Science Teachers Association conference March 10-13. The NSTA is a perfect match for Discovery because our educational journeys take students beyond the classroom to explore life science with field experts—from marine biologists to paleoanthropologists to archeologists. It’s the ultimate science experience!