Virtual Tours to Explore Nature: From Botanical Gardens to National Parks

Imagine exploring a coral reef teeming with life or scaling a mountain without leaving your couch. That's the magic of virtual field trips, which you can take on your own or with your family. Teaching children about the natural world and inspiring a love of the outdoors is especially important, as it can motivate them to do their part to help protect the planet, both now and when they're adults. Fortunately, many online resources can give people of any age an inspiring up-close look at nature's wonders at no cost.

Botanical and Flower Garden Tours

• Take a Virtual Tour of the U.S. Botanic Garden: See the outdoor gardens and the Conservatory in 360 degrees without leaving home.
• Explore the Gardens of Versailles: Explore these stunning gardens designed by André le Nôtre for King Louis XIV.
• Botanic Garden of Smith College: This garden is home to more than 7,000 types of plants, including non-native and native species.
• Kew Gardens Tropical Nursery: Peek into a world of more than 10,000 exotic plant varieties in London.
• Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens: Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, Central Park's architect, this botanical garden in western New York is the perfect virtual escape.
• Claude Monet's Giverny: Immerse yourself in the beautiful gardens that inspired Monet's art.

Online Nature Museum Exhibits

• National Museum of Natural History: This virtual tour offers you a chance to explore past and present exhibits
• AMNH Hall of North American Mammals: Enjoy the famous exhibits of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
• Hintze Hall: Join David Attenborough on this virtual tour in the main hall of London's Natural History Museum.
• National Museum of Ireland: Take a 3D virtual visit across all four floors of natural history exhibits.
• North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: Explore the ecosystems of North Carolina, from mountains to coast, with these virtual tours.
• National Museums Liverpool: Take a virtual tour of the dinosaur fossil exhibit and learn how these creatures changed over time and where they fit into Earth's history.

Tour the World's Biomes

• Frozen Biome Tour: Encounter penguins, narwhals, and more arctic creatures in their icy habitat.
• World Biome Tour: Here, you'll learn about the different types of biomes in the world and why they're worth seeing.
• NASA's Mission: Biomes: Explore Earth's biomes, then test your knowledge of their characteristics.
• The Five Major Types of Biomes: Biomes are often defined by their climate, wildlife, vegetation, and soil.
• Terrestrial Biomes: Factors like average rainfall and temperatures define different biomes.

Virtual Tours of National Parks

• Arches 360: Admire panoramic and 360-degree images of Arches National Park.
• Biscayne National Park: Explore part of the world's third-longest coral reef and the animals that live there in this video tour.
• Yosemite Falls: Stand at the foot of one of the world's tallest waterfalls virtually with this webcam.
• Statue of Liberty: Enjoy panoramic views of New York City and spot birds from Lady Liberty's crown.
• National Mall Cherry Blossoms: Witness the annual explosion of cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., or just admire the view from atop the Washington Monument.
• Virtual Yosemite: Explore iconic landmarks like Glacier Point with this interactive, 360-degree tour.

Wildlife and Aquarium Live Cams

• African River Wildlife: Witness elephants, giraffes, and other wildlife at a watering hole in Kenya.
• Dollywood Bald Eagle Cams: Keep an eye on the bald eagles in real time by watching the webcams at Eagle Mountain Sanctuary.
• Live Osprey Cam: This webcam shows native ospreys at a wildlife refuge in Maryland.
• New Jersey Wildlife Cam: Spot squirrels and deer on this live camera feed.
• Monterey Bay Jelly Cam: Watch the mesmerizing jellyfish of this California aquarium.
• Georgia Aquarium Livestream: This aquarium webcam lets you watch a variety of fascinating fish swimming by.

Additional Readings for Environmental Education

• Fernbank Science Center Bird Resource: Learn about birds on this site, from their anatomy to their behavior and beyond.
• Earth Science Projects for Students: This page contains interesting project ideas for all grade levels.
• Teaching Natural Science: This research paper is geared toward helping educators teach environmental science confidently.
• Corpse Flowers: One of the Rarest Plants in the World: As their native habitat shrinks, the number of corpse flowers remaining continues to dwindle.

This page was published by Chad Kremp