Programs for Groups at
the Centennial Campus Center
for Wildlife Education

ONSITE PROGRAMS FOR
ORGANIZED GROUPS

To schedule a program for your group:

1. First, group leaders should read through the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below.
   
   
2. Second, skim through the programs that we offer; they are listed after the FAQs.
   
   
3. Third, contact Beth Gunn at beth.gunn@ncwildlife.org or (919) 707-0205 to find out what dates are open here at the Center.

FAQs about Scheduling Group Programs

How large of a group can I bring to the Center for a program?
Center educators lead hands-on activities in our indoor and outdoor classrooms for groups of 10-30 participants at one time. Teachers or group leaders are welcome to bring up to 60 students to the Center on their fieldtrip.  When we have 31-60 students, we ask the group leader to lead some of the students through our exhibit hall and/or show a Center video.  Then we switch so that all students participate in the hands-on program.

Is there a minimum number of participants that is required?
Yes, you must guarantee at least ten (10) participants to schedule a group program with us.

What times and days of the week do you offer programs?
Group programs are scheduled from Tuesday through Friday at each group’s convenience.  The Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. during the week. As staff is available, we can schedule evening or weekend programs for those groups who cannot visit us during regular business hours.   

How long do your programs last?
A typical environmental education program for grades four and up is two hours in length. Most of our programs, especially those for children and youth, are hands on and so require more time than a lecture or demonstration.  Depending on the weather and season, we also need time to explore the wetlands and greenway behind our building to observe local wildlife.  

What is the cost for a program?
All of our group programs are free of charge. 

How many chaperones do you require?
We require one adult chaperone per ten students in grades 4 through 12.  We require at least one adult chaperone per five children in the younger grades.   

How many programs can I schedule for my group this year?
Each public and charter school will be allowed a maximum of five slots in the fall (September through December) and five slots in the spring (January through May).  Other groups (private schools, scouts, home school groups, childcare centers, etc.) can schedule up to two programs with us for September through December. After January 1, these group leaders can contact us to schedule up to two more programs for their groups during the time period of February through May.  During the summer months (June through August), we limit all groups to just one programming slot.

How far in advance do you schedule group programs?
We begin scheduling fall programs (September through December) on July 1 for grades 4 and up, and on September 15 for preschool through grade 3.  Since some schools require teachers to schedule all field trips for the school year by the end of September, we allow teachers in public schools to schedule spring dates with us in the fall.  Other groups can schedule 2009 winter/spring programs with us beginning January 1, 2009.  We begin scheduling summer group programs for the months of June, July and August on March 1.

Do you have live animals on display? 
We do not have live animals on display at our education center. However, our wetland and rain gardens contain native plants to attract wildlife.  A variety of wildlife species—insects, birds, deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, turtles and snakes—can  be seen on our grounds or along the greenway behind our building.  In our programs, we use photographic images, taxidermy mounts, skins, skulls, tracks and signs as teaching tools.  Our exhibit hall features computer interactives, wildlife art, and video cameras that allow visitors to “spy on” the wildlife in our wetland.

Do you ever come out to a school or another site to do a program?
Our outreach education specialist goes to colleges, schools and other education centers to provide adult programming and educator workshops. At this time, we do not have outreach staff for children and youth programming.  Groups who cannot come to the Center can take advantage of our Distance Learning programs.  Call the Distance Learning Coordinator at (919) 707-0206 to learn more.

What about parking?
The Center provides free parking for groups attending our on-site programs.  Buses and vans can be parked in our main driveway in the pull-off next to the three flagpoles.  We mail parking passes to the groups coming by car so that drivers can park in a university parking lot at no charge.

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Program Offerings

Grades 4 through College

The programs listed below were designed to meet goals in the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Standard Course of Study with a focus on life science and technology.  Programs are adjusted for grade level and course requirements.

BOX TURTLE POPULATION STUDY—use radio telemetry to track wild box turtles and mark their locations with GPS.  Help us contribute to an ongoing turtle research project. Prerequisite: “Tracking Animals with Telemetry” or similar (Grade 6 and up)

CANINES OF THE CAROLINAS—how are foxes, coyotes and wolves similar and different?  Learn all about our wild canines, their life histories, behavior and status. (Grade 4 and up)

ENVIROTHON STUDY SESSION—set up a study session for your team or teams in Wildlife or Aquatics.  All the winning teams practice with us! (Grade 6 and up)

GEOCACHING FOR WILDLIFE—discover a variety of wildlife habitats found on Centennial Campus while using a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit.  (Grade 5 and up)

INSECT INSPECTIONS—discover how terrestrial insects interact with plants and soil.  Observe and discuss how behaviors and body structures help insects survive in a particular habitat. (Grade 4 and up)

INTRODUCTION TO GIS—try simple, fun exercises in our computer lab to begin learning the GIS program, ArcMap 9.2.  Wildlife scientists use GIS (Geographic Information Systems) routinely in their work.  (Grade 5 and up)

INVASIVE SPECIES—identify and map invasive species on Centennial Campus using various technologies.  Learn why invasives are a problem and how to prevent their spread.  (Grade 6 and up)

LIVING DOWNSTREAM—use a stream table to investigate erosion and other types of water pollution.  Design a model town that minimizes pollution to local waterways.  (Grade 5 and up)

MANAGING N.C. WILDLIFE—find solutions to wildlife management problems using critical thinking skills. Discover how biologists estimate populations of wild animals in the field. (Grade 6 and up)

PIEDMONT HABITATS—use skins, skulls, tracks and scat to discover the wildlife that lives in Piedmont natural communities. Find out how animals are adapted to these habitats. (Grade 4 and up)

REPTILES—welcome to the often misunderstood world of reptiles!  Learn how snakes, lizards, turtles and alligators play important roles in our environment. (Grade 4 and up)

STREAM INVESTIGATION—determine water quality in a local urban stream by collecting and identifying macroinvertebrates and using chemical tests. (Grade 6 and up)

TRACKING ANIMALS WITH TELEMETRY—learn how wildlife scientists use radio telemetry to track animals.  Practice with our equipment to find hidden wildlife with radio collars. (Grade 5 and up)

URBAN WILDLIFE—participate in a citizen science project to collect data on wildlife in urban or suburban environments. Explore urban wildlife issues and find resources to resolve them.  (Grade 6 and up)

WATERSHEDS—map, process, display and discuss a local watershed. Learn about point and nonpoint sources of pollution.  (Grade 6 and up)

WETLANDS—explore plants, animals and soils within the man-made wetlands on Centennial Campus.  Learn why wetlands are vitally important to fish, wildlife and humans.  (Grade 4 and up)

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Preschool through Grade 3

Programs for younger children include hands-on wildlife study with an outdoor component and a craft or game.

ANIMAL COMMUNICATION—learn how animals communicate through sound, smell and behavior.  How are humans like animals? 

DON’T EAT ME—explore how prey animals keep themselves from being eaten by predators through camouflage, warning coloration, behavior and more.  Design a critter of your own!

HOME SWEET HOME—investigate the needs of plants and animals and explore local habitats that support wildlife.

LIFE CYCLES—learn about the life cycles of frogs, butterflies, and other small animals that live in the wetland and rain gardens at the Center.

WHAT’S WILD?—classify animals as wild or domestic.  Learn how to take care of animals and how to behave around them. 

WILD CRITTERS—learn more about one group of North Carolina wildlife – their needs, life cycles and similarities/differences with other animals.  Choose one from this list: Amphibians, Birds, Butterflies, Fish, Insects, Lizards, Opossums, Spiders, Snakes, or Water Animals.

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Outdoor Skills

We also offer recreational programming that focuses on wildlife and wildlife habitats.  

DIGITAL NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY—practice basic photographic techniques for successful digital photography in the outdoors. Instruction will vary with age level. Grade 2 & up.

FISH AND FISHING SKILLS—learn more about N.C. freshwater fishes and the art of fishing. We can use the accessible fishing piers on Lake Raleigh for fishing instruction. All ages.

HUNTING HERITAGE— discover our hunting heritage and learn the basics of hunter safety and ethics.  We’ll use the LASER Shot simulator to practice hunting skills. Grade 4 & up.
 
NATURE JOURNALING—connect to nature through journaling and wildlife writing. Weather permitting, we will go outside to write and draw for much of this class. Grade 4 & up
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ORIENTEERING—learn how to use a map and compass to find your way through the woods.  Advanced classes can test their skills on our Wildlife Orienteering Trail. Grade 4 & up.
 
OUTDOOR SURVIVAL—learn and practice the steps of survival, shelter building, and fire starting.  Activities depend on age and abilities of group. All ages.

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Programs for Adult Groups

Presentations and hands-on programs can be developed for adult groups interested in wildlife study.  Examples include Animal Tracking, Backyard Habitats, Citizen Science Projects, Coexisting with Wildlife, Digital Nature Photography, Green Building Tour, Use of GPS and GIS, Nature Writing, and more.  Contact the Program Coordinator to discuss the possibilities.

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