Environmental Education at Deer Flat
Useful
links
Educational
Programs
Planning
a field trip to the refuge? Inviting refuge staff to present an environmental
education program in your classroom?
Choose from one of the following
prepared programs, or ask if we can develop a program tailored to fit
your needs. These programs are designed to help you meet
Idaho State Achievement Standards.
Download an Educational
Programs or Traveling Trunks flyer
or browse through available programs below.
Programs are also available
for Girl and Boy Scouts.
After selecting a program, contact us at 467-9278 to schedule
your program. We recommend that you make arrangements as early
as possible to insure that your visit will fit in the schedule.
Available
programs
Refuge
Orientation (30 minutes)
A brief orientation to Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge and the National
Wildlife Refuge System. Includes an 11 minute video. Can be modified
for use in grades K-12.  
Guided
Habitat Walk (45-60 minutes)
Discover wildlife and wildlife habitat during a guided walk along the
Nature Trail. The half-mile trail winds through a sagebrush grassland
and along a riparian forest and the lake's edge. A trail brochure is also
available for groups to guide themselves on the trail. Can be modified
for use in grades K-12.
Alien Invaders (Grades 5-10; 30-45 minutes)
Imagine having a root system that extends out 50 feet like a single sagebrush
might! Or eating only sagebrush in the winter like sage grouse do. Explore
plants’ and animals’ adaptations to the harsh, dry conditions
of southern Idaho, then learn about the threat of the “alien invader”
cheatgrass to the natural balance of the sagebrush ecosystem.
All
About Owls (Grades 3-8; 45-90 minutes)
Idaho is famous for its birds of prey. Explore the unique adaptations
of nocturnal birds of prey and dissect owl pellets to learn what they
eat. This trunk includes a mounted barn owl, displays to explain owl wings
and eyes, a great-horned owl skull, books and a video about owls, as well
as pellets for students to dissect. Also available to check out as a Traveling
Trunk!
Animal
Camouflage (Grades 2-10; 20-30 minutes)
From arctic hares to sand spiders to leafy sea dragons, learn how animals
hide and hunt by blending into their surroundings. Lesson is adaptable
for a variety of grades. Programs for older groups discuss the more technical
aspects of camouflage (e.g., chemical camouflage).
Animal
Olympics (Grades K-6; 30-60 minutes)
Animals can perform amazing feats of Olympic proportions! Can you jump
as high as a mule deer, hold your breath as long as a sperm whale, or
flap your “wings” as fast as a hummingbird? Kids compare their
skills to those of animals through this physically-active lesson.
Animal
Toolkits (30 minutes)
What bird has a beak like a pair of tweezers? What mammal has webbed feet
like swim flippers? Examine mounted specimens, skulls, and furs to learn
about refuge wildlife and their survival adaptations. Teachers can choose
from a list of possible topics and species. Can be modified for use in
grades K-12.
Bird
Beaks (Grades 4-10; 45-60 minutes)
Birds use their beaks as tools for many tasks. Conduct hands-on experiments
to explore why birds have different kinds of beaks. Includes eight experimental
beak kits, a variety of bird skulls, and a book about birds and their
beaks. Also available to check out as a Traveling
Trunk!
Ecosystems
Alive! (Grades 2-7; 30-45 minutes)
If you had a magic wand, would you get rid of mosquitoes? How about snakes?
Students learn about habitats, food webs, and ecosystems as they come
to understand why all wildlife – small and large, liked and disliked
– are important for a healthy ecosystem.
Fish! (Grades K-3; 20-30 minutes)
Introduction to the world of fish. What makes a fish a fish? What is the
difference between a fish and a mammal? Learn how fish survive, where
they prefer to live, what they eat, and how they catch their food. Also
find out about some native and exotic fish that live in 
southwest
Idaho. Also available to check out as a Traveling
Trunk!
    
Highways
in the Sky (Grades 1-8; 30-45 minutes)
What bird migrates 30,000 miles each year? How many McDonald’s hamburgers
would a person have to eat to store as much fat as a migrating shorebird?
Learn fascinating facts about wildlife migrations and the Pacific Flyway
– a highway in the sky for migrating birds over Southwest Idaho.
Jaws
& Levers (Grades 4-12; 30 minutes)
Simple machines are everywhere,
even in nature! Explore the physics of mammal jaws and the functions of
different classes of levers, as well as the biology of wolves and coyotes.
Includes different types of levers and tools, a coyote skull, display
panels, and a book about wolves. Also available to check out as a Traveling
Trunk!
Lessons
from the Lorax (Grades 1-4; 45 minutes)
Learn about conservation through literature. Discover the importance of
trees to people and wildlife through Dr Seuss’ “The Lorax.”
Students explore how human choices impact wildlife and how they can be
good land stewards by making responsible choices to help wildlife.
Refuge
in a Box (Grades K-12; 30 minutes)
Take a field trip to the refuge without getting on the bus! This trunk
has touchable skins, skulls, and sign (e.g., bird nests) from a wide variety
of Idaho wildlife. Includes a National Wildlife Refuge System video, descriptions
of the touchable items in the trunk, and activities and books about discovering,
conserving, and appreciating life on earth. Also available to check out
as a Traveling Trunk!
Scat
and Tracks (Grades 3-9; 30-50 minutes)
Budding biologists learn about animal sign while practicing critical thinking,
comparing, memorizing, and observing skills. This lesson challenges students
to use knowledge of an animal’s lifestyle and size to identify its
scat and tracks. Includes artificial scat and tracks to use in the activities,
as well as books about scat and tracks. Also available to check out as
a Traveling Trunk!
Touch
Trunk (Grades K-12; 15-30 minutes)
This hands-on investigatory activity is designed to introduce students
to nature and get them thinking about wildlife in their local environment.
The trunk includes animal pelts, skulls, snake skins, feathers, and more.
The trunk can be scheduled alone or in addition to another program.
Waterfowl
Conservation and the Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest (Grades K-12)
We visit your classroom with a 30-45 minute introduction to waterfowl
and wetland conservation. What a great way to begin a larger unit on waterfowl
conservation based on the Federal
Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program (curriculum
available online). This program uses art to engage students in learning
about waterfowl, culminating in a state-wide Jr. Duck Stamp Art Contest!
Every entrant receives a certificate.
Wetlands' Wonders (Grades
2-6; 30-45 minutes)
How is a wetland like a pillow? Like a bar of soap? Like a zoo? Students
identify metaphors for wetland functions and learn about the ecology of
local wetlands wildlife.
