Want to get in a little knowledge while you’re on the Alabama coast? Everyone can have fun at any time of year while taking in the natural beauty and teaching the little ones.

The Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail has 25 miles of paths. You’ll find information along the way about the native plants and wildlife.

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge also offers a network of hiking trails, and is a habitat for a range of regional plants and animals. A visitor center is staffed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., so feel free to pop in with questions.

Gulf State Park’s Nature Center is a museum showcasing a variety of wildlife native to the Gulf Coast region. The Nature Center offers a list of fun and educational activities, many of them free. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the entrance fee is just $2 per vehicle to enter the campgrounds if you’re not a guest there.

If you still want to learn more about the wildlife of the Alabama coast, hop on board for one of the many eco-tours offered.

You don’t have to be in a classroom to learn. Sometimes the great outdoors is the best teacher.