Youth CampsChintimini is in the process of creating a new educational program for school groups, youths, and families. Last summer we held our first Wildlife Rangers Camp! It was a great success and we will continue the camps and family programs for the summer of 2008. The new Nature Connections Programs provides opportunities for all ages to connect with nature and the wildlife in our watershed, through interactive, place-based experiential learning.
Our current programs are described below. Through additional grant writing, partnerships, and volunteer training we will be developing a comprehensive wildlife education program at Chintimini, community natural areas and through local public, private and home schools. Please contact our Education Development Director, Connie Barnes.
Youth Camps
Wildlife Ranger Camps are held each summer for ages 9-16. Campers learn about: local wildlife & their habitats; rehabilitation and animal care; and how to prevent wildlife injuries or baby animals from being orphaned. Camps are grouped by age. Please look for more information Spring 2008 on dates and times.
Family Saturday Programs
On-site summer programs are held for families to participate in hands-on wildlife activities including: baby animals, medical care and raptor adaptations. Live animals may be viewed and facility tours are provided. All ages are welcome. Please look for more information Spring 2008 on dates and times.
Birds of Prey Live Presentations and Interactive Programs
Raptors: Hunters of the Sky
This
presentation includes a visit from two of our resident non-releasable raptor education birds. Program includes a colorful slide show about wildlife rehabilitation & raptor adaptations as part of an interactive discussion on their habitat and adaptations for flight, sight, hearing and hunting. After the presentation staff lead students through interactive rotation table activities based on the presented science concepts. Skulls, bones, pelts, feathers, talons, owl pellets, and other “props” are used and available to touch and feel to help students understand raptor adaptations. A discussion of how we can help local wildlife and their habitat, as well as ways to prevent animals from being injured or orphaned is included in the program summary.
Those Amazing Barn Owls
Our resident non-releasable Barn Owl makes a visit with this program. Included is a colorful slide show about barn owls and their amazing adaptations; where they live and their habitat loss; how many rodents they eat a day and why they are so beneficial to farmers; and what’s inside a barn owl pellet. Barn owls have incredible adaptations for nocturnal hunting, using their special eyesight and hearing senses, unique to owls. After the presentation, staff will lead students through hands-on activities including: owl pellet dissection and barn owl math. All owl pellet dissection materials provided, including pellets, tweezers, handouts and poster display. The barn owl math consists of a handout with simple calculations to determine how owls help farmers control rodent populations and save them money. A large poster showing rodent populations consumed annually by barn owls, helps students visualize the benefits of barn owls. A discussion of how we can help barn owls is included in the program summary.
Teacher Packets are available for each program with pre and post visit ready-made raptor and barn owl lesson plans. All activities are designed to align with the Life Sciences Common Curriculum Goals for Organisms, Heredity, Diversity and Inter-dependence. Chintimini can modify the curriculum to accommodate special needs and interests.
Fees are $75 for a one hour in-class program (25-30 students), and $150 for large groups or assemblies.
To schedule a program call our Education Office at 745-3029 or email Connie Barnes at with the following information:
Please call or email us if you have any questions about our education program. Look for more new and exciting wildlife education programs in the coming year!
Update , Chintimini Wildlife Rehabilitation Center