ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION
Programs INFO:
1
2
3
Nature
Love
Natural Resources Topics
geared to your students.
Choose indoors or outdoors; your place or ours,
any NRD area.
Sponsored by the Papio
NRD; a 6-county District
which provides no-cost
environmental education.
Water Ed @
Chalco Hills
Please Share with
other Staff
Classroom
Grants
Papio-Missouri River NRD
8901 S 154 Street
Omaha, NE 68138 www.papionrd.org
Free
Trees &
Seeds
n
Summer
Camps
rs
2015
Environmental
Education
News
In-class
Programs
a
d
bor
For Eastern Nebraska
INSIDE:
Free Trees &
Seeds. Presentations.
Grants for Schools,
Scholarships and Classrooms. High School
ENVIROTHON Competition. Nature Nights.
Papio Missouri River
Natural Resources
District:
8901 S. 154 Street, 68138
at Chalco Hills Recreation
Area
www.papionrd.org
402.444.6222
Programming Contact:
Christine Jacobsen 402.315.1713
[email protected]
Trees & Seeds
Austen Hill 402.315.1777
[email protected]
FREE
Trees &
Seeds:
Discover Nightime
NATURE
NO COST • The Metro Omaha Resources For
Exploring Nature – M.O.R.E Nature – is looking for
schools to host family nature nights.
Set up a night at your site for students and
families to come together and experience nature
through activities by local experts. Contact
Christine Jacobsen at the NRD, 402.315.1713.
2014/15 CALENDAR
Dec.
Project Wild, Project Wet & Project
Learning Tree Educators Workshop. Dec. 2, 4, 9 @ Creighton U. $20. •
Envirothon Registrations mailed to schools.
Jan.
Order your free trees and seeds with Austen @ [email protected].
Feb.
Water Works Online Applications due for 5th Grade. • High School Envirothon Competition Feb. 24th; 10:30 AM or 4PM. • Time to register for NRD
summer camps.
Mar.
Apr.
May
June
July
Call to set up Spring/Fall Education programs.
Earth Day Omaha Celebration April 18 @ Elmwood Park. • Earth Day 4/22;
Arbor Day 4/24
May 5: Nat’l Teacher Appreciation Day. • 5th Grade Water Works May 5&6.
Summer Camps: Backyard Explorers, 6/1-5. Discovering Nature, 6/15-19.
Summer Camps: Boys Challenge Camp, 7/13-15. Girls in the Wild, 7/29-31
Order in January seedlings
and seed
packets for
your groups.
HIGH
SCHOOL
COMPETITION
1
2
3
4
TR EE S A ND S EED S : NO CO S T •
Every
year the Papio-Missouri River NRD gives away
thousands of trees and wildflower seed packets.
The trees are small seedlings and the flowers are a
wildflower mix. In late April, 2015, the trees and
seeds will be distributed in time to celebrate Arbor
Day and Earth Day festivities.
ENVIROTHON: An environmental competition for teams of 5 students. Schools
may have multiple teams.
TESTS: Knowledge on aquatics, forestry,
policy, range, soils, wildlife and current
environmental issues.
Tip: Set up a program with one of our NRD Educators
to teach your students how to plant and care for their
seedlings.
$200 GRANT: Awarded to all teams
who compete for use towards environmental
projects.
Or der in Januar y. Contac t A u sten
ahill @ p apionr d . or g
WHEN: February 24, 2015 at Chalco Hills
Rec Area. Chose 10:30 AM or 4 PM. Winning
team will proceed to state competition in
May.
Can you BEAT Omaha Concordia?
(2014 Winners!)
Water Works
25 YRS
5th GRD. Local Premier Field Trip
MAY 5 & 6, 2015 Schramm Park
Applications will be sent in early
January, and due online mid Feb.
Exclusively geared for 5th Grades.
Classes are randomly picked to
attend. More than 36,000 students
have heard a water conservation
message in the last 25 years.
5th
GRADE
Water Works
Field Days
focus is on
water fun and
conservation.
APPLY online in
FEBRUARY
www.
papionrd.org
Programs
Outdoor
Topics
SNAKES:
touch
them!
Chose from
these
topics, or
request your
own.
NO COST!
TOPICS
environmental
Lizard Lowdown: Discover
just what makes a lizard . . a
lizard! With the help of some
live critters, children will have
a hands-on opportunity to learn
all about these amazing reptiles.
Animal Tracks/Pelts/Skulls:
Explore the life history of various
Nebraska mammals. Through the
use of pelts, skulls, and tracks,
kids will get a better understanding of how these animals live.
Slithering Serpents: Did you
know: before snakes were
feared they were worshipped?
Learn why they are nothing to
be afraid of with the help of a
few Nebraska snakes.
Erosion, Surface Water and
Groundwater: Hands-on models
are used to help students better
understand where our water
comes from and focus on current
water issues.
Environmental History: Since
the first people crossed into
what is now Nebraska, humans
have relied on our state’s natural
resources to survive. Learn how
various cultures shape their
environment, and are shaped by
it in a topic that complements
Nebraska history.
Bird Nests: Discover the diversity of bird nest designs as well as
fun facts about the little feathered
engineer who made them.
Wetlands: Get down and dirty as
you investigate a wetland up close.
We use various equipment to teach
about animals, soils, and plants in
local wetlands.
Incredible Insects: Insects are a
mysterious and often misunderstood animal. With the aid of real
insects, we will explore the wonderful world of six-legged critters.
Animal Adaptations: Examine
first-hand common wetland animals and the adaptations that make
them at home in water.
OWLS: Taloned Teachers: Red,
an Eastern Screech Owl, and
Luna, a Great Horned Owl, are
excellent teachers on predator/
prey relationships, animal adaptations and owl pellets, providing
students and teachers alike an upclose view of wildlife that many
do not get a chance to see.
Tree Planting: Discover what a
tree needs to survive, as well as
how trees help us survive. Get your
own tree to take home and plant
(April/May).
Recycle Relay: Conservation,
natural resources, and recycling
are the topics-of-the-day! Learn
what makes something a natural
resource, decide what common
household waste is recyclable,
and end with a sustainable snack
activity.
Analyze Your River: Students
will collect, sort, classify, identify,
analyze, and evaluate a sample
of ordinary materials representing
aquatic macroinvertebrates right in
the classroom.
Expert
Staff
Geocaching: High-tech program combines electronics and the
outdoors using GPS devices to find hidden treasures at a park
(or at your school site.)
Wetlands/Macro Invertebrates: Investigate a wetland up
close. Learn about animals, soils, plants & larvae in wetlands.
3rd grade+
Nature Hikes: Take a guide-led nature trail hike through the
woods and prairie grasses to learn about our Eastern Nebraska
ecosystems.
Nature Playground Have fun with free play in the sand piles,
hollow logs and nature art. Play with nature, not just in it!
NEXT STEPS
1
Choose your subject from the list, or ask for a specialized topic. Our staff are experts on current topics.
2
Choose Indoors or outdoors; your place or ours (Chalco
Hills Recreation Area)
3
Call or Email your request; please give the NRD plenty
of notice. Times are year round, but on a limited basis.
OWLS: a
kids favorite
RESOURCES,
SCHOLARSHIPS
& GRANTS
tailored for eastern Nebraska
ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION
Water
studies
TOP things to know
NRD Staff will work with you at Chalco Hills or any of
the NRD Rec Areas for field trips, or staff can meet you at
your school or location for presentations.
CHALCO HILLS REC AREA is managed
by the Papio Natural Resources District. It’s in
Southwest Omaha and features Wehrspann Lake,
trails, an arboretum and play spots.
Youth need to be outdoors to truly experience
and learn about nature. A love of nature promotes
life-long environmental conservation. NRD Nature
Camps are a perfect opportunity for youth to get
outdoors in the summer.
NO CO S T • P r og rams
are f o r s t ude nt s ,
s c ou t s , club s ,
familie s and o t h e r
int e re s t e d g r oup s
in S ar p y , D oug las ,
Washing t on , Bur t ,
T hurs t on and Dak o ta
C ountie s .
NR D S t a f f can w o r k
w i t h y ou a t y our
plac e o r a t on e o f
t h e NRD Re c A re as .
A dvanc e N o tic e is o f
c ours e re quire d .
The NRD’s top focus is flood control
in the metro area; so water and local water
issues are always on our minds, as well as
wildlife, forestry and conservation.
Exploring
Nature
S chol ar s hip s : To appl y f o r a s ch olarship
f o r clas s e s o r t rain ing , v isi t t h e NRD
onlin e . T h e s e are
awar de d t hr oug h ou t
t h e y e ar .
Mini - Gr ant s : A ppl y
f o r a $ 5 0 g rant on lin e t o w o r k on s ome
f un e nv ir onme ntal
s cie nc e pr oj e ct s in
y our clas s r o om . V is i t w w w . p apionr d . o r g
and lo o k unde r t h e
ou tdo o r clas s r o oms
tab.
The NRD has natural resources experts on staff.
Headquartered in Sarpy County, the NRD works
within 6 counties in eastern NE. Some of our most
visible projects include flood control reservoirs such as
the one at Chalco Hills, as well as Papio Creek flood
control projects, levees and trails.
$200
The
NRD offers
a Library of
environmental
materials for
classroom
checkout.
$1,000
grants are
available
for outdoor
classrooms for
schools.
$1,000
Scholarships of
$200 are offered
for teachers taking
environmental
classes or
training.
Minigrants of
$50 are offered
for small
classroom
environmental
projects.
$50
information for all can be found
at www.papionrd.org
The Papio-Missouri River NRD and USDA are equal opportunity
employers.
Ou t door Cl a s s r ooms :
Grant s o f $ 1 , 0 0 0 are
available f o r ou tdo o r
clas s r o oms annuall y .
T h e s e clas s r o oms
can include bu t t e r f l y gar de ns , prair ie
g ras s planting s ,
p onds , vege table
gar de ns , ar b o re t um
t rails and s o many
o t h e r ide as .
P r oj e ct s sp ons o re d
b y t h e NRD can b e
f ound t hr oug h ou t
t h e Dis t r ict and are
us e d t o t e ach ma t h ,
s cie nc e and lag uage
ar t s c onc e pt s .
P lanning p ac k e t s are
available .
L ibr ar y : T h e Papio
NRD has made
ma t e r ials available
onlin e f o r ch e c k ou t .
We have a w e al t h
o f b o o k s and v ide o s
on na t ural re s our c e
t opic s including
s tar ting ou tdo o r
clas s r o oms . A ll i t ems
are available f o r fre e .
WWW. p apionr d . or g ;
k ids acti v i tie s tab .
Papio Natural Resources District 2014/15