Potlatch Conservation Education Center at Cook's Lake
Visitor center. Credit: USFWS
The mission of the Potlatch Conservation Education Center (PCEC) is to provide experiential conservation education opportunities and appreciation of natural resources in a unique and internationally recognized bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem to improve the quality of life for people and to conserve natural resources.
White River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
Visitor center. Credit: USFWS
White River NWR is proud to present new environmental education programs for the 2009 school year.
The Wisdom of Wildlife (Grades 4-8; 45 minutes)
Wisdom of Wildlife focuses on the amazing relationships between plants, animals, and their different “niches” in the natural world. This fast paced, interactive program will inspire participants to see the amazing adaptations of the living things that surround us everyday. Come and learn about snakes that are fakes, bears with dry hairs, and trees with knees and the reasons for each of these!
Participants for this program will be incorporated into the talk as “living exhibits” as the Ranger delivers this entertaining and educational program. The program also includes live music at the end as the Ranger performs the White River NWR original song, “Amazing Adaptations.”
Scat and Tracks (Grades 3-8; 30-50 minutes)
Budding biologists learn about animal sign while practicing critical thinking, comparing, memorizing, and observation skills. This lesson challenges students to use knowledge of an animal’s lifestyle and size to identify its scat and tracks. In other words, if you want to know what animals eat, just take a look at what they secrete!! This program also includes a wrap up session in the form of music as participants perform the “White River Refuge Scat Song.”
Refuge-ology (Grades 4-8; 40 minutes)
How many McDonald’s hamburgers would a person have to eat to store as much fat as a migrating waterfowl? More importantly, how and where could you find that much food? How does primordial ooze produce life abundant? Learn fascinating facts about resident and migrating wildlife at White River NWR and the management required to maintain their vital habitat. This program concludes with original Refuge song, “Reasons for the Refuge.”
Picture Perfect (Grades 3-12; 2-4 hours)
Have you ever taken an outdoor photograph and said, “The picture doesn’t do it justice?” If you answered yes, sign up for the Refuge Outdoor Photography workshop. Participants will learn an introduction to digital photography and spend the day photographing and describing nature. Each participant will be provided a digital camera and apply photography concepts and nature exploration techniques in capturing their outdoor experience.
All programs are free, but space is limited so please call Matt Conner at 870-282-8249 to reserve your spot now!!
On-site interpretive programs for adult groups are available as well.
