To Schedule a Science Program, call 704-436-9048

Each indoor program has its own live animals, a slide show and unique hands-on artifacts with many rare treasures from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  We can tailor any program to fit your curriculum needs.   Discover Nature - Understand the Balance - Appreciate it Hands-on!

PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS - It's BIG science fun for little hands!

The following list of programs are suitable for preschools:  Animal Crackers, Reefs and Sharks, Insects, Reptiles, Bats and Sea Turtles (see listing below for general descriptions).  Special seasonal programs include Butterflies and Moths in the spring, Bat-O-Ween in the fall and Snow Babies in winter.

We recommend half hour programs for preschoolers with scheduling 2 programs as a minimum of the same program.  For a richer nature experience, consider regularly scheduled visits of different programs at a special rate.  

SCHOOLS, CAMPS, PARTIES & EVENT SCIENCE PROGRAMS

20 Animal Programs to Choose From!

1.  SEA TURTLES "Gentle Giants of  Sand and Sea"

Learn about the annual nesting ritual of this giant reptile of the dinosaur era.  Explore the triumphs and perils of this endangered animal as it meets challenges of the modern world. Observe endangered artifacts such as a Loggerhead skull, a Green sea turtle shell and a preserved Loggerhead hatchling.  Meet live animals that are the sea turtle's cousins and saltwater creatures sea turtles love to eat.

2.  SEA TURTLE NESTS  On The Move!

Discover what it is like to be a sea turtle biologist saving endangered sea turtle eggs on crowded beaches and moving them to hatcheries.  Learn about sea turtle tracks, nesting behavior and hazards on the beach.  See a video of eggs being moved to an observation nest and watch sea turtle hatchlings emerge from the egg.  Learn how to raise a hatchling to a sub-adult size, prepare for release and see scientists inserting tags on their flippers.  Have students re-enact nest relocation procedures in class.  Please inquire about a special class rate for 1 - 1/2 hour program (please allow the use of a VCR to show the video tape).

3.  BATS  "Munchkins of the Night Sky"

Misunderstood and maligned, these night flying insect terminators also help rainforests regenerate.  Discover the mysteries and unveil the myths about the world of bats and other cave creatures.  Listen to ultrasonic sounds that different bats make and learn to identify fruit bats from insect eating bats. Feel the texture of a simulated bat wing and find out why bats provide us with so much food.  Observe live cave creatures that share their home with bats and snakes that hunt bats for food.  Get out of the dark and into the light about bats!    "BAT-O-WEEN" Halloween Creature Feature Special have a bat program with extra creepy critters. See program #14 for more details listed below.

4.  WETLANDS  "Wet, Wild and Wonderful"

Brimming with fish, frogs and a host of feathered friends, wetlands and wildlife exist where moistness and muck is key.  Learn about wetland plants, hunting techniques of wading birds, alligator holes, alligator nests and hatchlings.  Hear the chirping sounds of different species of frogs.  See live fish, frogs, aquatic turtles, insects and plants.  From the Everglades to ponds, learn why this is one of nature's richest resources.

5.  REPTILES  "For Goodness SNAKES"

Fasten your seatbelts for a reptile ride!  Learn how these scaly adventurers from land to sea are found in most ecosystems.  Understand their survival techniques from alligators to slow poke turtles and elusive anoles.  Learn to identify harmless snakes in your own neighborhood and touch snake skin, iguana skin, alligator teeth, see reptile eggs and more. Meet and greet live reptile ambassadors such as turtles, snakes and lizards. 

6.  WORLD OF SNAKES  "Serpent Secrets"

Uncoil the secrets of the serpent world in this presentation that features snakes from around the world.  Discover the differences of venomous and non-venomous snakes and how to protect yourself.  See a preserved specimen of a venomous Copperhead that lives in the Piedmont.  Unravel a mock snake that is the world's largest snake measuring 33 feet in length.  See and feel live snakes from Africa, South America, Mexico and North America.  Guaranteed to make you ssssssmile!

7. INSECTS  "Nothing BUGS ME"

There are more insects in the world than any other creatures on earth!  Important as pollinators, decomposers and forming the base of food chains, they are masters of disguises, colonizers and food gatherers. Observe a model beehive, a collection of beetles, butterflies, flies, bees, moths and more.  Feel the bumps of a 10 inch Millipede from Africa and observe a hairy tarantula, cockroaches that hiss and a scorpion that can glow in the dark.  Don't get bugged ..... learn the bug basics.

8.  REEFS & SHARKS  "Underwater Gardens of Life"

Imagine a world where millions of miniature animals construct limestone cathedrals attracting a multitude of marine life from starfish to sharks.  Reefs are havens for sea cucumbers, sea urchins, lobsters, fish, sponges and more.  Learn the difference between hard and soft corals and see prehistoric shark teeth, feel shark skin and a real shark egg case.  Meet live reef animals such as hermit crabs, snails, starfish and the "doctor of the sea."  Dive down to a coral reef without getting wet and experience marine magic in this underwater garden of life.

9. TROPICAL RAINFORESTS "Paradise Out on a Limb"

Marvel how plants and animals of the rainforest relate from the treetops to the ground floor in this lush world where water rules.  Learn how wildlife survives in the trees, nutrients are recycled and how plants manage excess water without rotting. Discover bromeliads (air plants) that house wildlife.  Students can place animals on different layers of a simulated rainforest and determine how much sunlight reaches the ground floor.  Meet and greet live animals including a green iguana, an Emperor Scorpion, a rainforest snake and watch "Captain", a Blue and Gold Macaw CRRRAAACK open nuts.

10. NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE  "Carolina Creatures & Features"

Learn about the woods, waters and wildlife of our own state and why we can say there's no place finer than North Carolina.  Recognize tracks, venomous reptiles, carnivorous plants, endangered and common animals plus more from the coast to the mountains.   Observe an insect meal of a pitcher plant, touch deer skin, rabbit skin and observe bones from fox and snakes.  Meet and greet North Carolina's state reptile the Eastern box turtle and see other Carolina creatures such as a green tree frog and a native snake.

11.  BACKYARD WILDLIFE "Wildlife to View and You"

Learn the tips and techniques in attracting butterflies, birds and other creatures to your backyard or school grounds.  Find out what type of plants attract butterflies and hummingbirds.  What kind of structures attract toads, frogs, insects and reptiles.  Designed to help you start your own wildlife study site on your property.  Nurtured with a dose of pride and caring hands, this wildlife go-getter will provide years of enjoyment and exploration.

12.   ANIMAL CRACKERS "Introducing Animals to Toddlers & Preschoolers"

Animal Crackers introduces toddlers to the world of animals. Learn the basic differences of fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and insects. Senses are stimulated as they feel mammal fur from rabbit and deer, touch reptile scales from turtles and snakes, feel bird feathers, hear bat & frog sounds, see bones from alligators and prickly fish from the sea. Meet live reptiles, amphibians and insects.  It's a BIG TIME for small hands.

13.  SNAKES OF NORTH CAROLINA  "Carolina Snakes & You"

Do you know how to identify a venomous snake from a non-venomous snake? Learn about the snakes that live in NC and get tips on how to behave around them.  Where do you find them, what attracts them to your yard, what are common ones and uncommon snakes to see, how do you protect yourself? This program also discusses snake behaviors and general information everyone should know about snakes. View snake collecting equipment that herpetologists use.  See live non-venomous native snakes on exhibit and learn their patterns.

14.  BAT - O - WEEN     Special Fall Program

Get ready for a spooktacular time with a bat program that includes creepy crawlies such as furry tarantulas, a glowing scorpion, 10 inch giant millipedes, colorful snakes, fuzzy mice and roaches that Hissssssssssss. It's holiday fun for all and will make your Halloween event howl with excitement.

15.  BIRDS & BUTTERFLIES SPRINGFEST   Special Spring Program

Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, butterflies are emerging from their winter homes.  Celebrate the season and learn to recognize familiar birds and butterflies in your own backyard.  See bird nests, eggs, butterfly chrysalis and moth cocoons. 

16.  SNOW BABIES        Special Winter Program

Find out how animal's survive winter's wrath.  We'll discuss hibernation, migration, bats in torpor and other techniques animal's use to survive.  Kids pick stuffed animals and place them in our winter scene.  Do they live in a cave, a tree cavity, a burrow, in mud or do they fly south? Children touch temperate and tropical zone animals. 

16.  MULTIPLE ANIMAL PROGRAMS                  Ecology + Kids = EcoKids!

EcoKids are multiple programs scheduled to accommodate kids that really want to learn more about nature.  Lesson sheets and take home projects included.   Please inquire about flexible scheduling.  It's a young naturalist club.   

17. OWL PELLET DISSECTION                       Workshop with Take Home Items

Owl pellets are the undigested bones and fur that an owl cannot digest.  Each participant gets their own sterilized owl pellet to discover what is inside.  Is it a shrew, a mouse, a bird or a rat?  Kids hoot with pleasure as they hunt for teeth, a skull, ribs and more.  This is a great hands-on project for small groups.  Each participant gets to keep what they find.  *Please inquire about special rates and time.

18.  SHARK TOOTH FOSSIL DIG                     Workshop with Take Home Items

All shark lovers, treasure seekers, dirt diggers and paleontologists please apply!  Each participant gets their own fossilized shark dirt and digs to collect fossils including shark teeth, stingray mouth plates and coral fragments to take home.  For small groups.  *Please inquire about special rates and time.

19.   TRACKING IT!                                          Workshop with Take Home Items

Get woods wise with what animals leave behind - their tracks!  See animal tracks from beaver, bear, panther, fox, squirrel, deer, coyote, raccoon and more. Children decide which track they would like to make for take home.  For small groups.  *Please inquire about special rates and time.

20. SPECIAL EVENTS                                      EcoWild Exploration Stations

We can make your next event a memorable one with lots of live animals and hands-on artifacts for free flowing audiences.  Click on the SPECIAL EVENT link above for more information.

OTHER PROGRAM TOPICS INCLUDE:

Please inquire for further information on programs listed below
 

 

 

Special Events

Copyright © 2005 A WALK IN THE WOODS, LLC