Lichen Loop Virtual Hike at Heil Valley Ranch

Want to explore some of the field trip highlights at Heil Valley Ranch? This 28-minute video takes you through a variety of stops along the trail, covering subjects like wildlife, geology, water, plants, forest ecology and more. After each stop, “Pause Points” will pop up that give you an opportunity to pause the video, with suggestions for discussion or activities that you can do with your students. This video is designed for students in grades 2-6, but can be enjoyed by all.

The video can be presented in one session, or divided into several days or lessons, depending on your schedule.

Video Sections

01:11 Abert’s Squirrel/Ponderosa Pine Ecosystem
03:51 Mountain Lion Safety
04:55 Food on the Plains
07:07 Stromatolites/Geologic History
08:15 Life in Fallen Trees
09:46 Dinosaurs at Heil Valley Ranch
11:09 Fire’s Role in the Ecosystem
12:49 Wildlife Habitat
15:27 Water Resources
17:47 Conglomerate Rocks
19:22 Importance of Ponderosa Pine Trees
22:14 Mining and Kilns
24:29 Bulldog Rock
26:20 Cal-Wood Fire Update

Note: This video was made prior to the Cal-Wood Fire that burned through Heil Valley Ranch in October 2020. While it is not possible to visit the site in person right now, we hope this video brings some of the lessons to your students. In the future, when the property reopens, it will be a great opportunity to see how nature recovers following a wildfire. Be sure to watch the very end of the video where you can see impacts of the fire.

Background Documents

We also have a variety of background information and related activities that you can use to enhance your lessons. Feel free to use these as you see fit and let us know if we can provide further information or details for you.

• Habitat Scavenger Hunt
• Searching for Wildlife Clues
• Story in the Rocks
• Stromatolites

Other Resources

• Heil Valley Ranch
• Field Trip & Program Requests
• Nature Detectives Guide for the Lichen Loop (English)
• Nature Detectives Guide for the Lichen Loop (Spanish)