Eno River Field Station

This program takes students ages 12-15 out of the classroom and deep into discovery of their environment. Field Station is held at the Confluence Natural Area on the West and East Forks of the Eno River, outside Hillsborough, NC. Every day the students interact with scientists, researchers, science teachers, and environmental experts who make discovery and learning fascinating and fun.

Our program focuses on experiential learning, with emphasis on developing interest and skills in environmental sciences, respect for each other and nature, and building self-confidence. We examine what lives and grows on the Eno, how the land and climate affect what lives here, and do authentic research into what is around us. Our week includes a canoe trip on the lower Eno to the junction with the Flat river and an optional overnight campout and exploration of nocturnal zoology.

Field Station is outdoors, hiking trails, wading creeks, exploring forest, paddling rivers. The Confluence Natural Area has a large pavilion, restrooms, parking, and trails.

Here is what we experienced in 2026: hummingbird banding, botany surveying, frogs of the night, bat capture and survey, aquatic macro-invertebrates, fish survey, reptile and amphibian capture and inventory, tree ring coring, geological mapping, nature journaling, insect survey, and astronomy. (Note that activities are subject to change and not all students will get to do all the activities. To experience the full range of activities, campers can come back multiple years).