Safety & Rules

Please see Covid 19 Awareness for updated information. 

Items to Wear

  • Comfortable clothes

  • Walking or hiking shoes (closed toe shoes - no sandals)

  • Hat

  • Sunscreen

Items to Bring

  • Water bottle (recommended if it is hot outside)

  • First Aid Kit (Teacher is responsible for this item and for administering any first aid.)

  • Insect Repellent (Optional - recommend Bull Frog Mosquito Coast repellent/sunscreen)

  • Binoculars (optional)

  • Field Guides (optional)

  • Camera (optional)

  • A Smile and Curiosity (required!!)

Lunches
The wetland now has its own building for student lunches. The clubhouse has seating for 52, A/C-Heated restrooms, microwave, bottled water, and other amenities. This building is also used for inclement weather. Groups may now come to the wetland during stormy weather and have hands-on labs inside.

Procedures for the Lunchroom and Restrooms

  • Hand sanitizer is available in various places around the room.

  • Feel free to use the microwave - just cover your food prior to use.

  • The water cooler is there for anyone who needs it. See Covid 19 Awareness

  • Teachers and adults may help themselves to drinks in the refrigerator and to coffee and tea.

  • Classes must clean up after themselves.

  • Tables and chairs must be wiped with a damp cloth.

  • Floors must be swept and all trash deposited in the trash can.

  • Teachers must inspect all the restrooms prior to leaving.

  • Students are expected to clean up and sweep the lunchroom when finished.

  • The lunchroom should be ready for the next school group when you leave.

Wetland Rules

  1. Stay out of the water.

  2. Stay on trails and do not wander into the high grass or brush.

  3. Do not climb on anything or stand on the pier/boardwalk railings.

  4. Do not wander from your group.

  5. Walk and do not run everywhere in the wetland.

  6. Take care of and return items loaned to you.

  7. Follow safe laboratory and field procedures.

  8. Food, soda, chewing gum and candy are not allowed outside the lunchroom

  9. Student purses or backpacks are not permitted in the Wetland.

Field & Laboratory Safety

There is an inherent danger is any "natural" setting. Be on the lookout and avoid snakes, spiders, wasps, and fire ants. To minimize the chance of injury to yourself or others, you need to do the following:

  1. Do not leave trails and enter any area of high grass or brush.

  2. Do not attempt to capture any animals known to sting or bite. This includes such insects and arachnids such as spiders, scorpions, bees, wasps, hornets, ants, and caterpillars.

  3. Do not attempt to capture or harass any mammals, birds, amphibians, or reptiles in the Wetland.

  4. Walk and do not run everywhere in the wetland including on the trails, pier, boardwalk, and inside the education center.

  5. Follow proper field and laboratory safety procedures.

Fees

The wetland education program is funded jointly by Victoria ISD and INVISTA. Victoria ISD students may come to the wetland free of charge.

Other school districts are welcome to request dates not reserved by VISD for a nominal fee to help defray the costs of hands-on consumable items used by the students during their trip. The fee is $2.50 per student with a minimum of either 20 students or $50 per group. If paying by check please make it payable to VISD. Payment will be collected on the day of the trip. Receipts will be sent from the district's accounting office.

Trip Cancellation Procedures

We are very proud that the INVISTA Wetland Environmental Science Education Encounter (WE SEE) program is in high demand by area schools. Many groups reserve their classes three months to a year in advance. Our educator, John Snyder, spends many hours preparing individual curriculum for each class so that each visit is unique, meets state science standards and requirements and most important meets each teacher and student expectations.

In the event that you need to cancel a trip to the Wetland PLEASE contact Mr. Snyder as soon as the decision is reached to cancel the trip. This will allow him to schedule or prepare for another class.  He can be reached at (361) 652-5451. If you cannot reach him, please leave a text message. 

Out of professional courtesy to Mr. Snyder and to others who could attend in your place, please call to cancel. A $50 trip cancellation fee will be charged to ALL "No-Show" schools and to schools that do not give at least 7 days notice of cancellation.

If the trip is cancelled due to inclement weather (extreme cold, high winds or thunderstorms) there will be days reserved to reschedule the trip. Normally, trips are not cancelled due to light drizzle unless it is predicted to continue throughout the day. The wetland drains very well and hard rain the evening before a trip should not affect participating in a daytime encounter.

In the event that Mr. Snyder is ill or needs to cancel a trip either you or your principal will be notified ASAP.

Occasionally, trips will need to be rescheduled due to scheduling conflicts with INVISTA operations. INVISTA uses the wetland weekly and tries to work around the education program, but sometimes this just is not possible. Please be understanding if this happens to you. All effort will be made to accommodate your class on another day.

Remember to preserve the plant and animal life. Leave nothing but footprints - take nothing but memories and pictures.