Descriptions of Programs

Hikes take place along a trail of your choosing (such as Siler Bald, Whiteside Mountain-Devil’s Courthouse, etc.).  Students will explore mountain habitats and learn about regional plants and animals, ecology, and geological features.  Hikes may take several hours; please bring a sack lunch, water, rain gear, and wear appropriate shoes.   *Students should be in good physical condition.

This class focuses on shape and color of specific birds, marks used for identification in the field, bird songs, habitat and diets, and bird anatomy.  Additionally, it will cover the concepts of flight including lift, force, and aerodynamics.  Weather permitting, students will also learn techniques to attract birds for better viewing in the field.

Topics may include groups of plants, types of leaves, parts of trees, and photosynthesis.  We may also discuss pollination including the parts of flowers, seeds, and fruit; or what happens to trees in autumn.  Students may also be given an opportunity to identify various tree species.

Students are introduced to the use of a compass.  They will learn such concepts as direction and bearing, degrees in a circle and angles, and how one might use a compass to find their way.  This class is a good supplement to lessons in geography and geometry/math.

This workshop is helpful for students developing independent field research or science fair projects.  Participants will review the steps of the scientific method, and will work together to plan the protocols for a hypothetical research project involving stream salamanders.  Time may be spent in the field collecting data, followed by a detailed discussion of the pitfalls and potential sources of error when designing similar field experiments. 

Students will develop math skills measuring such things as diameter, height, and basal area of trees to determine the importance of different species to the forest community, and will use these values to evaluate the quality of the habitat for wildlife.  Alternate versions give students opportunities to survey levels of infestation by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid, or quantify lichen growth on trees as indicators of air quality.

This class provides students with an opportunity to explore the various layers of a forest (soil layer, shrub layer, and canopy) and the living things found in each.  Students will participate in various activities as they are led on an interpretive forest walk.  Topics include plant and animal species diversity, adaptations and niche, forest microhabitats, soils, decomposition and nutrient cycling, forest succession, and conservation.

This class features a series of fun team challenges that illustrate the importance of using effective social skills in group interactions.  Concepts include communication and active listening, teamwork, leadership, cooperation, and group decision making and problem solving.  Can be repeated with new discussion topics.

This class focuses on the difference between insects and other invertebrate groups, anatomy, and life cycles.  Students will collect examples of live insects using various field techniques.

Students will be introduced to the biological classification system, and the use of dichotomous keys in separating biological groups and identifying specimens based upon their characteristics.  Activities may include creating a key to the members of their classmates or insects, using keys to identify trees, or either a bird or reptile & amphibian “hide and seek” using keys to navigate the Station’s trails.

Students will learn what makes something a mammal, examples of different types of mammal groups, and examples of mammal tracks.  Students will have the opportunity to see and touch skins and skulls of various mammal species.  Concepts include predator/prey adaptations and diet.  Shorter programs on individual mammal groups are also available.

Students will play a variety of fun games that illustrate various ecological concepts such as food chains, predators and prey, habitat, and animal behavior.  Can be repeated with different games and topics.

This class encourages creativity, discovery, and appreciation for nature as students learn how to observe plants and animals in different ways.  While exploring nature, they may sketch images of things they find, describe behaviors of animals, make leaf and bark rubbings, or make a “sound map.”  Older students may learn ways of collecting data, or be encouraged to write short stories or poems.

Students will discover the diverse fauna of the Station’s Lindenwood Lake, or other local pond.  We will examine samples of pond mud for various live insects and other creatures and discuss their adaptations, and see how the species found can indicate water quality.  Older students may also perform chemical analyses of the water such pH and dissolved oxygen.

Students will do activities designed to simulate the effects of natural selection and mutation as agents of genetic change in moth populations over time.  Additional concepts include adaptations, speciation, biogeography, alleles, genotypes, phenotypes, and evolution.

This class features activities that teach such concepts as diet, food chains, predators, prey, and camouflage.  Students may examine skulls of carnivores and herbivores, discuss physical and behavioral adaptations, and learn how predators and prey use these adaptations in different ways.

This class focuses on differences between reptiles and amphibians, life histories, habitat, and anatomy.  Students will have the opportunity to see and touch examples of live animals to gain a greater understanding of these creatures and their needs, and to dispel common misconceptions.  Shorter programs on individual reptile and amphibian groups are also available.

** Short lessons available for older grades, without the story.

Students will be given a shorter (30 min) presentation on single nature topic, accompanied by a reading of a related storybook to reinforce the lesson’s concepts.  Some examples of subjects include beavers, frogs, bears, trees, turtles, insects, snakes, groundhogs, opossums, owls, bats, etc.  Can be offered repeatedly with different topics and stories.  View programs

Students will collect, measure, and identify salamanders, and analyze and/or graph data to examine how species use the stream habitat in different ways.  Topics include adaptations, habitat, communities, niche, competition, and predation.  An alternate version focuses on using salamanders as biological indicators of water quality.  Bring shoes appropriate for wading.  Can also be modified for the classroom using previously-collected data.

Students will learn what a watershed is, and how its condition affects the water downstream.  Activities demonstrate topics such as watershed delineation and function, components and movement of the water cycle, and different sources of water pollution.

Students will learn how animal populations are influenced by the availability of habitat resources.  Activities teach concepts such as the needs of wildlife, types of population growth, the role of predators, interdependency and connectedness, carrying capacity, limiting factors, conservation and endangered species.  Results may be graphed so that lessons are learned by observing what happens in various situations.

A wide variety of presentations, labs, or field-based workshops featuring data collection. View programs