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The mission of
the PEBC
is
to be a vehicle for understanding
and appreciating the natural
wonders in our own backyards.
About Us |
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The Prairie Ecology Bus Center (PEBC) is based in the southwestern Minnesota town of Lakefield. It is the home of the Prairie Schooler Ecology Bus, a state-of-the-art school, mobile scientific laboratory, and classroom designed to educate school children and adults about the environmental and natural sciences. The Ecology Bus is the only one of its kind in North America and is modeled after a similar bus and program in Sweden. PEBC operates programs for pre-kindergarten through adult learners and offers classes and activities all year long. The PEBC staff work closely with teachers to ensure that all learning programs complement classroom curriculum and help students achieve Minnesota environmental education graduation standards. |
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The Ecology Bus can seat up to 32 students, taking them to outdoor learning sites and providing them with the tools they need to conduct scientific investigation. It carries insect sweep nets, water dip nets, rubber boots, binoculars, chemical test kits, soil corers, microscopes, a macroscope, snowshoes, a VCR and three onboard video monitors, a laptop computer, and other equipment. It runs on alternative soy diesel fuel and is handicapped-accessible to accommodate special needs learners.
PEBC programs offer distinct advantages over those at traditional fixed-site environmental learning centers. The Ecology Bus transports students to nearby outdoor learning areas. Once there, they spend the day exploring, observing, experimenting with, analyzing, and interpreting the area's ecology of the area. They leave with a clearer sense of the uniqueness and value of the area's natural resources. This assists students in gaining an awareness of their role as Earth's caretakers and in taking an interest in protecting their local environment.
PEBC also offers In-School Assemblies, Naturalist-in-Residence Programs, Educator Training Workshops, and numerous public programs. It is affiliated with other environmental education programs such Project Wet, Project Bluestem, and the Leopold Education Project.