Education
Turnbull
NWR has been a center for on-site environmental education for over
25 years. With the support of Friends of Turnbull, a non-profit
organization established in 1997, the refuge staff has been able
to increase environmental awareness within Spokane, Washington.
Thousands of area school children and public of all ages benefit
from the program annually. It is the intention of the environmental
education program to develop an educated and informed constituency,
pro-active in protecting and restoring natural ecosystems.The refuge
is currently offering a multi-faceted environmental education program
consisting of four major projects serving up to 8,000 students
each year. The following projects are offered during the winter
through fall, respectively: 1) Discover Wildlife Outreach Project
- providing age-specific, in-classroom thematic presentations to
students of broad socioeconomic backgrounds; 2) Spring Field Trips
- furnishing teacher workshops to familiarize educators with environmental
education materials and techniques and facilitating on-site environmental
education field activities for school groups visiting the refuge
3) Summer Interpretation - offering bird-watching and wildlife
observation walks, and other outdoor activities for a variety of
civic groups; 4) Fall Field Trips - extending the outdoor experience
into the autumn months by challenging students to appreciate their
natural world through the eyes of indigenous peoples.The refuge
has an environmental education classroom at the refuge headquarters
that is available to school groups and to the general public. Visitors
can view mounted birds and mammals and other natural history exhibits,
view wildlife videos or a video about the refuge. Groups wishing
to use the classroom or to schedule environmental education or
outreach activities should contact the refuge for a reservation.
Centennial
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