Community Education

The mission of the PEBC
is to be a vehicle for understanding and appreciating the natural
wonders in our own backyards.

Community Education

Winter 2013

The Prairie Ecology Bus Center offers a wide variety of classes for ages Pre-K, K-2, and 3-6 in SW Minnesota. The programs listed are options available for CE organizations wishing to bring in additional programs. Programs are available where PEBC staff will come to you to present classes in your communities. Community Education Programs vary by season and are available primarily in summer and winter months and change each season. Programs listed are also available to youth groups and organizations.

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Program Name	Pre-K	K-2	3-6	Program Description
Art of the Animal		P	P	If you're a crafty critter you're in the right place! This program is jam-packed with wildlife inspired projects and activities. You will make paper beasts using the ancient art of Origami, plus a whole zoo of other fun crafts and games. Don't miss it!
Awesome Acro-bats!	P	P	P	They're not very handsome. They live in dark places. They can get in our houses. Sounds creepy! But these same critters are very helpful to humans and they can do something that no other mammal can do - fly! While they might be a little creepy, these small animals are an important part of our environment. Minnesota is home to seven types of awesome bats. Join us to learn about these mysterious animals and, after playing bat games, dressing like a bat, making a bat craft and exploring bat specimens, you might just feel a little bit batty!
Cartoonists of the Wild (Class geared for Teens and Adults)				It's a funny world out there, however you look at it. Come and learn to see nature & people with a new - more humorous - eye. You will learn the history and styles of a variety of outdoors-oriented cartoonists along with basic cartooning techniques and will leave with a finished comic of your own creation.
Chipmunks & Squirrels	P			Underground, on the ground and in the trees--Nature's clowns surround us! Come learn about these cute and curious animals in a fur-filled program of fun activities.
Creature Comics			P	Does the world amuse you? Do you laugh at the antics of animals? Well, make a joke out of it! You will learn how to draw cartoon creatures and create your own comic strip in this comedic program based on the humor of the outdoors. If you love to draw, then this is the class for you! Join cartoonist and naturalist, Clay Steele, to explore your creativity and your funny bone in this all new art program!
CSI			P	Imagine that the phone rang and you went to answer it leaving your pop can on the counter. When you got back, there was a strange note left in place of the can. How can you solve the mystery of this crime scene? Join PEBC naturalist to think like a detective and learn super-sleuthing skills! Participants will learn how to lift fingerprints, analyze components of ink pens to see which one was used on the note and solve a mystery or two!
Geology Rocks		P	P	If you take all rocks for "granite," then this program is for you! Learn how rocks are formed, what kinds of rock formations we have in Minnesota and how to identify several rock types. Just how hard are rocks, anyway? Which is the hardest? Which ones can we break with our hands? You’ll discover the answer to these questions and many more through fun games and bizarre experiments! We’ll become geologists for the day as we test specimens to discover their secret identities!
Hunters of the Sky			P	Hawks, eagles and owls have long been a source of fascination for people. Learn about the different types of birds of prey that live in Minnesota and discover what makes them such superb hunters. You will experience the amazing lives of these creatures through mounted birds, their skulls, talons and feathers, and other hands-on activities. We might even get to see what they had for lunch!
Investigating the Night Sky			P	Do people really garden, hunt, or fish by the phases of the moon? Find out as we learn how the moon “phases” we see are caused by the moon moving around the earth. Have you ever wondered where stars come from? We aren’t talking about movie stars, either, but the stars in the sky. Here’s your chance to learn how they were born, what constellation they belong to and where to find them.
Investigating the Solar System			P	The Sun is the center of our Solar System, both literally—as all of the planets orbit around it, and figuratively—as its rays warm our planet and sustain life as we know it. It takes the Moon about 28 days to complete a full orbit. Earth’s little sibling, Mercury, is about one third the size of Earth. Through fun activities and experiments we will learn fascinating information about the mysterious thing we call - Our Solar System!
Legend of the Rainstick*			P	Discover native rainstick legends from many cultures and learn how, when and where they are used. You'll hear the magical Legend of the Rainstick story and learn how to create, decorate and play your very own tropical instrument. Many cultures use rainsticks to summon the rain as part of their ceremonies. We just like the cool rain sounds you can make with this fun instrument! You won't want to miss this chance to take the comforting sound of rain home with you to listen to the sound of rain trickling down from the tops of trees whenever you want! (Note: extra supply charge of $1.50/participant applies for rainstick materials.)
Life Under Your Feet	P			Let's head underground for this fun program! Through a fun storybook and hands-on activities, we'll learn all about the animals hiding under the surface. Don't miss this chance to touch real furs and make your own underground animal to bring home!
Log Cabin-Fever - Pioneer and Indian Games		P	P	Minnesota, 1880. The winter is long and cold on the prairie. Everyone is bored and restless. What to do, what to do… Video games! Nope – try again! Yay, TV! Not a chance – there's no electricity! Text a friend! Maybe with a pencil and paper… So what's a kid do for fun? Play games! Join a PEBC naturalist and learn fun activities and crafts that your great-great-great grandma and grandpa used to survive the boredom of the endless Minnesota winter. Log cabin not required. Program may be indoors or out depending on weather.
M.A.D. for Winter			P	The flying Vs start heading south. Mammals are changing their fur coats. Squirrels are scavenging and caching nuts. We know that winter and its blustery weather is not far behind. But not all animals fly south or get thick fur to survive our coldest season. Join a PEBC naturalist to learn about the remarkable preparations animals make for winter and the ingenious ways their bodies work to keep warm!
Micro Journey			P	Right under your nose is a world you’ve probably never seen. But it’s no match for the high-tech tools we have for you! Students will use microscopes to explore the invisible world through fun activities and experiments. What will you see? Only your imagination knows!
Monsters of Minnesota			P	Sheets of ice a mile thick cover much of the continent. Huge, strange animals roam the cold, windswept plains: Woolly mammoths, giant sloths twenty feet tall, bears as big as a car! Welcome to North America – 15,000 years ago. Learn about the freakiest, biggest, meanest creatures to ever roam Minnesota while playing games and making a craft in this fun-filled program.
Nighttime Hunters	P	P		Owls can be very mysterious animals! You would have a hard time seeing one if you walked in the woods during the day or night! They can see things we can’t. They can hear things we can’t. And they move so quietly, we may not know they are there even if they are close by! Owls are uniquely adapted to their role of nighttime hunters. Learn more about these secretive birds through activities, owl artifacts, hooting like owls and more! Don’t miss this class – it will be a “Hoot!”
Nighttime Hunters*			P	Owls can be very mysterious animals! They can do things we only dream of. Owls are uniquely adapted to their role of nighttime hunters. Even though they come out at night, we can still learn about them during the day. We’ll explore owl artifacts, learn their calls, play games, dress like an owl and even dissect owl “puke!” Actually, owls cough up pellets – not puke - and they’re filled with all sorts of cool bones, fur and feathers from the animals they have for lunch! Don’t miss this class – it will be a “Hoot!” (Note: program can be with or without owl pellets. Including owl pellets requires extra supply charge of $1.50/participant)
Now You See Me, Now You Don't!	P	P		Camouflage is how animals blend in with their environment. Animals can use it as a way to stay safe – but not all camouflage is the same! Mother Nature has really amazing ways to help animals hide, confuse predators, show their moods, change with the seasons, scare predators away and more! We’ll explore many ways that animals hide in nature through hands-on activities and artifacts that will help deepen your child’s comprehension of the natural world!
Pioneer Team Challenge (Suitable for up to grade 8 & requires minimum of 8 participants)			P	During the Pioneers’ journey west they encountered many obstacles including forging rivers, hunting, doing chores, dealing with weather and staying healthy. They learned really fast that if they were to survive, they had to work together as a team. Join us to try your hand at different team challenges to see if you would have survived being a Pioneer. We'll try get medicinal plants from a cliff edge; make sure everyone safely makes it across a flooded river; and other challenges that will help us develop team skills.
Scrambled Animals		P	P	Skin, skulls, scat and tracks! We’ve got pieces and parts of all sorts of Minnesota mammals and you’ll be able to help us put these animals back together again! We’ll figure out why different animals have different parts and how those parts help them to live in their specialized habitats. We’ll help you figure out the secrets to tracking animals so next time you’re outside, you can be a wildlife detective!

Space Adventurers		P	P	Who is the man on the moon? Why can't we see stars during the day? How do they fall out of the sky? Come on this space adventure and find out! We will journey to a nearby star, visit its strangest planet, a place they call "Earth," and enjoy the view from its surface. And as curious space explorers, we will have to try some of the fun activities of the odd Earthlings while we are there.
Ssssslithering Science of Snakes!		P	P	When you mention snakes to people, many may think of scary, slimy creatures. But snakes aren't slimy at all! Like most reptiles, they are covered with scales that keep them nice and dry. They also protect them and help them move! During this program you will learn to hear, see, eat, and breathe like a snake. We'll also debunk many of the myths surrounding these misunderstood animals as we explore little-known -- but super cool -- facts. Each participant will receive a booklet on MN snakes to take home. Families welcome!
Strange Creatures of Minnesota		P	P	When it comes to the strange and unusual, you don’t have to look far to find it! Minnesota has its own collection of odd and unusual creatures. Mother Nature has provided us with some very weird, very strange wild neighbors! We are home to North America’s only marsupial and also our only poisonous mammal! Not only that, we have our very own walking pincushions and animals whose teeth never stop growing! Find out which ones top the list as the weirdest critters and see if any of them live near you!
Super Senses	P	P	P	As humans, we rely a lot on our sense of sight when exploring nature. However, there is so much more out there than we realize when we use more than just our eyes! By exploring with our noses, ears and fingers, we will discover a whole new world in nature. This exploratory class will help build your preschoolers’ awareness of the natural world. Don’t miss this touchy-feely, sniffy-smelly, chirpy-croaky fun class filled with activities using your sensational senses!
The 3 Bears	P	P		Goldilocks wasn’t the only one to be curious about the three bears. We’re not talking about Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear either. We will look at the polar bear, the brown bear, and Minnesota’s own black bear. Find out what their “bear” necessities are and if they really are as mean as we make them out to be!
Weasels and Mink and Others That Stink!		P	P	In the animal world, there just happens to be one particular family that smells. Some of them downright stink! Weasels, mink, and even the skunks, belong to this special group of carnivores. You will learn more about these odorous critters through zany activities and games. Make sure you wear your deodorant!
Wild About Wolves		P	P	From Little Red Riding Hood to the Wolf Reintroduction in Yellowstone, wolves capture our imaginations. Wolves have awed and inspired us and can instill fear, even hatred, in others. Learn about the amazing lives of these creatures through games, activities and exploring wolf artifacts like a wolf pelt, skull, tracks and more. We're sure to have a "howling" good time!
Wonders of Snow			P	There is something magical when we wake up to that white stuff falling to the ground. We want to run out and make a snow angel or a snowman and catch those snowflakes on our tongue. Have you ever wondered how snow forms or what a snowflake looks like up close? Join us for a "cool" look into snow and even make your own snowflake to take home!
The lower elementary programs are designed for children having completed grades K-2. The upper elementary programs are designed for children having completed grades 3-6. Please do not register students outside the recommended age/grade ranges for the programs! K - 2 & 3 - 6 programs are 2-2.5 hours in length. Pre-K programs are 1.5-2 hours in length. It is recommended that a parent/caregiver accompany each pre-school child during the program.
Program rates: $90 plus $0.555/mile mileage for locations within 60 miles of Lakefield (non-bus programs). Program rate is $100 plus mileage for programs 60-100 miles from Lakefield. These are non-Ecology Bus programs. Ecology Bus programs are listed on our website. Programs with an extra ( * ) behind the title may have an extra charge apply for supply costs for activities. Simultaneous or consecutive programs on same day will only have one mileage rate applied. Simultaneous programs not always available. (Please note, mileage rate subject to change, up or down, in response to current fuel costs at time of program.)

Snowshowing programs are also available. Pricing for this program is different than for the programs listed above if PEBC provides the snowshoes. Rate is an additional $100 and PEBC can provide up to 28 pairs of snowshoes for participants to use. If you have your own snowshoes to provide for participants and would like to have one of our staff come out and meet folks at a park to lead a winter tracking snowshoes program, then the regular program rate will apply.

The Snowshoeing program is offered both with the Ecology Bus and without. If you would like to have the Ecology Bus come out and take participants to a local park to conduct the program, a different rate applies.

Ecology Bus programs are also available for outdoor field trip classes. Separate fee applies for Bus programs. Programs run 2.5-3 hours each and Bus can hold up to 32 passengers. If you have questions on these programs, need more information or would like to register, please contact Chrystal at the PEBC office for further information at 507.662.5064 or by e-mail at: ecologybus@ecologybus.org

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Prairie Ecology Bus Center ecologybus@ecologybus.org