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Environmental Education
Making the natural world come alive!
Springbrook Nature Center programs allow students to learn about the natural world in a hands-on, inquiry based, entertaining way. Our high quality classes are designed to fit into your classroom curriculum, scout requirement, or homeschool standards. All classes are 90 minutes long and include both indoor and outdoor components. Choose the class that fits best for you!
Scheduling
SNC provides both on-site (at the Nature Center) and off-site (at your school) programs. Programs are specific to ages and location.
We will need the following information to schedule your group: name, address, phone number, number of participants, program topic, arrival time, and special needs/requests.
If you have specific dates in mind, please call early at 763-572-3588.
Class Topics
Onsite program topics are listed below in three categories. Please take a look and see which class you think is right for you. If you have questions about specific content, our staff are ready to help you make the right choice!
Animal Signs
Students will use detective skills to find out about the secret lives of animals! Learn to recognize the signs that animals leave behind and what they tell us about the critters that left them.
Birds
Explore the world around you through the eyes of a bird. Discover bird adaptations, senses, the science of flight, bird identification with binoculars, and more!
Forest Ecology
Students will learn about parts of a tree, tree ID, forest structure, and how both flora and fauna work together to make an intriguing system.
Fungus
Check out some of the amazing fungi found in Springbrook’s forest. Unearth the special characteristics of fungi and what makes them different from plants. Discover the important jobs that fungi do for people and for nature.
Insects
Learn about insect adaptations, ID tricks, and the role of insects in the food chain. We will be collecting live samples as a part of this class.
Mammals
Do you really know enough about mammals? Students will use games, stories, songs, and scientific study to learn more about this group of our closest animal relatives.
Reptiles & Amphibians
This class should be called scaly and cool. Recognize the fascinating ways these creatures survive in Minnesota. This class is very hands-on and includes live animals.
Wetlands
There’s water and there’s land. Put them together, and you have a super cool ecosystem that’s tons of fun to explore. Critters found in the wetland will be seen larger than life on our video projection system. Students have the opportunity to look at wetland functions, animals of the wetland, wetland composition, water quality in the wetland, the possibilities are endless!
Orienteering (4th grade and older)
Using a compass is a great way to conquer your fear of getting lost in the wilderness. Learn about navigation and using a compass to explore and find your way off-trail at Springbrook. Discover the fun of competing on an orienteering course.
Outdoor Survival (4th grade and older)
Lost in the woods? Don’t stress, survive! In this class, you will learn what is most important in a survival situation. Students will participate in a hands-on simulation which allows them to learn how to set up and start a survival fire, and set up a survival shelter with their group of their survivalist peers.
Snowshoeing
Snowshoes have been used to make it easier to move around the snow covered woods for thousands of years. Isn’t’ it time you learned how to use them? Explore the history, types, and techniques useful for snowshoeing before heading out into the woods to explore what winter has in store.
** This class is weather dependent. A base layer of three inches of snow is required to use the snowshoes.
Group Teambuilding (4th grade and older)
Do you need to learn to work better with your team? Using games and group problem solving exercises, we will help you become a well oiled machine. Use trust, cooperation, and communication in this game-filled program.