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SCHOOL PROGRAMS
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This two-part program helps students experience and learn about local flora, fauna, and habitats. One week, a staff educator visits a teacher's classroom with activities that complement his/her curriculum and prepares students for their field trip. The next week, students visit Durango Nature Center for a morning-long nature walk that continues the work done in the classroom. Volunteer naturalists and DNS educators guide small groups through a variety of habitats, engaging them with scientific projects, hands-on activities, and stimulating discussions. This program takes place in April/May and September/October.
Our curriculum supports the Durango elementary schools' science objectives
and is correlated to Colorado state science standards. Topics by grade level:
- Preschool-kindergarten - Five Senses
Nature Discovery
- Grade 1 - Plants Are Producers
- Grade 2 - Insect Investigations or Animal Tales
- Grade 3 - Wondrous Wetlands
- Grade 4 - Ecosystem Energy
- Grade 5 - DOW Chub release program in Spring/Ancient Cultures of the SW in
the Fall
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Students in grade 3-8 spend a weekday morning in January or February on snowshoes learning about wildlife ecology, snow physics, and the scientific experiment. Students learn snowshoeing basics, measure snow characteristics, and realize that many animals survive and even thrive in winter. A week before their winter field trip, a DNS instructor will visit the classroom to provide an interactive program to prepare students for the field. |
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From November to March, a staff naturalist visits preschool
- 8th grade classrooms, providing 60 minutes of fun,
interactive, hands-on learning on one of the topics listed
below:
- Mammal Mania
- Winter Wildlife
- Snow Physics
- The Buzz on Bees
- Bird Basics
- All About Owls
- Fire: A Forest Friend
The classroom sessions from Children
Discovering Nature are also available as stand-alone
programs during winter months. |
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To schedule a school program or to learn more, contact
Sally Shuffield, Executive Director,
call 970-769-1800.
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