From Great Blue Herons gracing our wetlands to Wolves enlivening our forests to the gentle giants of the oceans, interactive programs bring the natural world into your school!

In-School programs are interactive classes in which slides, animal artifacts, live mounts, simulations, and other tools educate students about the natural wonders of our region and the world. In-School programs may be Assemblies or Naturalist-in-Residence programs. NIR programs begin with an assembly follow by individual classroom workshops. They assembly programs are 60-70 minutes in length. Classroom workshops run 50 to 60 minutes.

For program fees, please contact the PEBC.

If you have recently had an In-School Program for your school or organization, please complete an on-line evaluation so we can better meet your needs! On-Line Evaluation

Assembly programs are 60-70 minute large group presentations. Optimum group size for assemblies is 100 (or fewer) students and not to exceed 150 students**.

** Please note: Whale program limited to maximum of 100 students. If we are asked to give any of the assemblies to a gathering of over 150 students and/or one with a large spread in age groups, we encourage the school to schedule a second assembly and divide the students into older and younger groups; otherwise the program will be targeted to the middle age group.

Have a PEBC Naturalist-In-Residence visit your school! Residency Programs begin with a regular Assembly Program and are followed by 50- to 60-minute naturalist presentations with individual classrooms (maximum 30 students each). Students are able to participate in hands-on activities to the learning of the assembly topic.

The 3-R Challenge
Grades 3-5

Each day, every Minnesota citizen creates over 4 pounds of trash. That's a lot of garbage! Learn the history of our trash, how garbage has changed since our grandparents were young, and why it's become a major problem facing people today. Through a fast-paced, interactive "race" in the residency program, you'll learn how to reduce the amount of our trash by following the 3 - R's. Find out what's actually in your trash and the ways in which your own community recycles. Take back new ideas to improve waste reduction in your own homes and schools. If you’d like to test your student’s knowledge on what happens to our trash, you can download the following photocopy Garbage Quiz.

Click here for Garbage Quiz

Wonders of Wolves
Grades K-8

From Little Red Riding Hood to the Wolf Reintroduction in Yellowstone, wolves capture our imaginations and inspire legends! Wolves have awed and inspired us and can instill fear, even hatred, in others. By learning about these adaptable creatures, we can dispell some of those scary myths and come to appreciate the amazing lives of these creatures using slides and wolf props (wolf pelt, skull, tracks) to teach your students about the wolves of Minnesota. Residency programs include activities that illustrate wolf adaptations of smell, sounds, body language and more!

** Note: Requires a large room or gymnasium at least 70 feet long. Limited to numbers of students which can fit into whale. Call the PEBC to discuss program options to accommodate larger groups.

Minnesota is rich in both wildlife and the cultural history tied to its wildlife. A variety of habitats span Minnesota's landscape ranging from prairies and agricultural lands to rivers, wetlands, lakes, to differenty types of forests. Each habitat contains an amazing diversity of critters, important for a healthy ecosystem. Learn about our wildlife heritage through slides, pelts, skulls, and other artifacts. Residency programs follow up on the unique adapations of several of Minnesota's more recognized animals and students learn basic identification techniques to help them become familiar with animal signs when they are out and about.