Special Education Information for Belwin Outdoor Science

Sandy Painted Turtle on a Log

Welcome to the Belwin Outdoor Science Special Education Program

Painted Turtle covered in Duckweed laying against a log.

If you are a special education teacher new to St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS), or have not yet brought your students on a field trip to Belwin Outdoor Science (BOS), I encourage you to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity! All SPPS special education teachers can bring their students to BOS to have hands-on science and nature experiences. BOS is located in Afton, Minnesota, about 30 minutes east of St. Paul. The program is a result of a partnership between Saint Paul Public Schools and Belwin Conservancy, a non-profit dedicated to land protection and environmental education.

Students have over 225 acres of Oak savannah, prairie, wetlands, pine tree forests, and streams to explore! The special education program is led by a licensed special education teacher. Each year over 2,000 students and teachers take part in this program. We service early childhood special education programs, elementary, middle school, secondary, and transition-age programs.

Are you interested in participating in a Belwin field trip? Here is a list of our Course Descriptions.

Teacher on a nature trail talking to students on a hike

To register for a field trip after the scheduling window (first week in May) has closed, please email Belwin Outdoor Science Special Educator Christin Fleming at christina.fleming@spps.org.

Let's get outside learn from nature together!