Nature & Science Education Programs

(Schools, Scouts and other Youth and Adult Groups)

 

All ASGD Nature & Science Education Programs meet the new Colorado State Standards for Science.

To schedule your program:

303-973-9530 or education@denveraudubon.org

Scholarships available for eligible schools. School Scholarship Application 2013-2014 Please email/call for more information.

 

 

Field Trips to Audubon Center at Chatfield

  • 2-4 hours (varies by program)
  • 5 – 30 students per field trip
  • Chaperones are required for all field trips
  • $10/student for field trip only ($100 minimum)
  • $12/student for field trip plus a one-hour pre/post-visit program at your location ($120 minimum)

The Audubon Center is located at the southwest corner of Chatfield State Park. From C-470 and Wadsworth, take Wadsworth south about 4.4 miles. Turn left on Waterton Road. Immediately turn left into the first parking lot at the Audubon Center sign.

**Revised** Bird Banding: Scientists In Action
  • Kindergarten through adult
  • 5- 30 participants maximum
  • Program available  April 26 – June 1, 2014
  • Chaperones are required
  • 2 hr.  program

Most children – and adults – rarely have the opportunity to visit a research station and see wildlife up close. In this unique program, Downy Woodpecker in hand at RMBO bird banding research stationstudents visit the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory’s bird banding station at Chatfield and observe bird biologists (ornithologists) in action! They also learn about migration and briefly explore the riparian habitat where birds live.

Bird Banding Field Trip & Classroom Pre-visit Package: We introduce bird banding in your classroom in preparation for your field trip to the Audubon Center. Choose “Migration Madness” or “Migration Mapping” for your classroom pre-visit. Pre-visits must occur in March or April. $12/student plus trip fee for schools more than 10 miles from office address.

 

***NEW!!*** Beaver Habitat Investigation
  • 2nd grade – adults
  • 3-4 hrs.
  • Chaperones are required
  • Offered fall and spring only

Beavers are not only part of the ecosystem at our nature center, but they are also habitat creators!  Learn about the life cycle of beavers, where they live, and the adaptations that help them live in their aquatic environment.  Examine their fur, skull, and home up close.  Use scientific equipment to collect data about the conditions beaver habitats create and examine the ways in which their lives interconnect with and affect the South Platte Basin ecosystem.

 

 ***Revised!!*** Pond/River Exploration
  • 2nd grade – adults
  • 2-3 hrs.
  • Chaperones are required
  • Offered fall and spring only

Everything living and non-living in a pond and river is interconnected. Using nets and other scientific collection equipment, students sample the invertebrate and vertebrate wildlife found in the ponds and/or river at the Audubon Nature Center, while investigating food webs and the impacts of water quality on aquatic life.

 

90 Minute Field Trips
  • 1.5 hours
  • 5 – 30 students per class
  • Maximum of 3 programs per day
  • $6/student ($60 minimum)

Come to the Audubon Nature Center for a 90 minute program that includes a 60 minute classroom program and 30 minute hike examining the habitats of the Chatfield basin as it applies to your chosen topic. Choose any program from “Programs at Your Location”.

Burrowing owl photo by Jerry Raskin

 

Programs at Your Location

  • 1 hour/program
  • Offered any month except for May (school visits unavailable during Bird Banding season)
  • 5 – 30 students per class
  • Maximum of 4 programs per day
  • $5/student ($60 minimum)
  • Trip fee applicable for schools more than 10 miles from ASGD office. Call for details.

The following programs may also be scheduled at the Audubon Center as a 90 minute field trip with the above pricing.

The Name Game: How Do We Identify Birds?

Through a series of hands-on activities and games, students learn about classification and how to use field marks and other characteristics to identify birds. Then, using our collection of photos (all grades) or study skins (grades 6-12) and a field guide, the students practice their new skills.

 

Schoolyard Birding Expedition

You don’t have to travel far to find birds – they can be found right in your neighborhood and schoolyard. Using binoculars and field guides, students embark on a field trip on the school grounds or to a nearby park to locate birds, identify them, observe their behavior, and describe the habitat where they are found. Students then record their observations and discoveries in a field journal

 

A Bird’s Journey: Migration

Every spring, birds embark on a risky journey to their breeding grounds. Students discover how and why birds travel from southern regions to Colorado and back each spring and fall and learn about the importance of healthy habitats. Choose one: Migration Madness (grades K-5) where children play a game illustrating why birds migrate; or Migration Mapping (grades 4-12) where students use maps to examine the pathways and perils birds encounter on their trip.

 

Whoo’s for Dinner?

What does an owl eat? How do owls hunt so efficiently at night? As “Wildlife Scientists”, students make predictions and then examine the study skins of Great Horned Owls and dissect owl pellets to discover the answers to these questions and more. Students learn about an owl’s unique nocturnal adaptations and solve the mystery of “Who’s for Dinner?”  Add $2/owl pellet to the cost of the program.

For an additional fee:  Bring a live Great Horned Owl into your classroom for a close-up experiential lesson about owls! Please call or email for specific live owl details.

 

Our Feathered Neighbors 3-Part Series

Practice classification, observation, and use of scientific tools by observing and thinking about birds, their identification, habitats, and behaviors. Includes Name Game, Schoolyard Birding, and A Bird’s Journey migration activity of choice. $12/student for the three part series ($120 minimum). Additional trip fee for schools more than 10 miles from our office.

 

Naturalist in Residence 10-Part Series

Through a variety of in-class activities and schoolyard or local field trips, students explore nature via science, math, language arts, and social studies. Customize a program to fit your needs with Audubon Naturalists, or choose our nature writing and journaling residency with Mary Taylor Young, nature  and wildlife author. Price varies according to selected program.