Nature Reach is an outreach program of Pittsburg State University's Biology Department and is part of the Department's Life Science Education Program. Nature Reach is supported by fees, grants, and donations.
Our mission is to help educate residents of the four state region about the natural history of this area, as well as local and global environmental issues.
To accomplish this, we provide outreach programs to surrounding schools and communities, and campus tours of our natural history collections.
We conduct teacher in-service workshops using nationally recognized materials from Project WILD, Project WILD Aquatic, Project Learning Tree, and Project WET, or we can customize a workshop for your group or site.
If you find an abandoned or injured raptor in this area, contact the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks at (620)231-3173. You can read about raptors at our raptor page.
What are Nature Reach programs like?
Nature Reach offers both on-campus
and off-campus programs. All of our outreach programs enhance the science
education of your students, however many of our programs can also be directly related to your state's science standards!
All programs are designed to be interactive. The presenter
engages the group in numerous questions in order to get them
thinking. We utilize many hands-on items, including live and
preserved specimens, to help illustrate key points of the topic.
Looking closely and touching is highly encouraged!
In order to keep the programs interactive, small
group sizes are best. Most programs can accommodate up to 30 participants
at a time. Program length varies depending on the age and attention
span of the audience, but most are approximately an hour long
Nature Reach On-Campus Programs
The Nature Reach On-Campus tours feature the natural history
collections. Each group is lead by a Nature Reach staff member
who is knowledgeable about the plants and animals in the collections
and who can provide an informative program using these collections.
Looking closely and touching is encouraged in the presentations,
which last about 50 minutes. The facilities allow a maximum of 40 students. On-campus programs and tours are being scheduled for
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday starting at 9:00 a.m.
We are also offering an on-campus auditorium Bird of
Prey program that can accommodate up to 100 students.
On-campus Nature Reach tours are $3.00 per student (attending adults are
free). Nature Reach programs can be scheduled in conjunction with the
Planetarium or Chemistry programs.
For scheduling On-Campus programs or tours, contact the
Nature Reach office or call (620)235-4727.
Use the play button to start a mini walk-through of Nature Reach. There is no
sound. [You may need
to click the movie once to activate the control.]
Nature Reach Off-Campus Programs
Nature Reach offers "off-campus" Outreach Programs. There are several programs from which to choose. The programs are described
further below.
To schedule the Nature Reach Off-Campus Programs (we come
to your school), use the Off-campus
Programs Schedule and Fee Page) or contact the Nature Reach office by e-mail or call (620)235-4727.
Menu of Off-Campus Outreach
Programs
Amazing Insects: Insects
probably affect humans more than any other group of animals.
Learn more about these intriguing animals, as we discuss their
anatomy, classification, behavior, and economic impact, using
many preserved specimens (and a few live ones as well!).
Animal Adaptations: Why
does a fawn have spots? Why do some bats hibernate? It’s
called adaptation! Using live and preserved specimens, the presenter
will explain why there are so many different colors, sizes, shapes,
and interesting behaviors in the animal world, and how these
adaptations help creatures to survive.
Food Chains: Every creature
needs energy to survive, but where does it come from? The presenter
will cover animal food habits by sharing numerous skulls and
teeth with the group. Carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores will
be discussed, along with how food chains can become contaminated
and the effects on various creatures.
Life Cycles/Structures: That tadpole is just going through a stage!All organisms
go through stages in their life.In this presentation,
we’ll discuss invertebrate and vertebrate life cycles and metamorphosis with
the aid of preserved and live specimens.Also, we’ll talk
about how the overall structure of organisms plays a huge role in their
success.
Nocturnal Creatures: This program focuses on those animals that are active at night. Using live
animals (owl, bat, snake, etc.), we will discuss the special adaptations
animals have to help them survive a nocturnal existence.
Raptors - The Birds of Prey: These powerful hunters of the sky have intrigued humans for many
years. Students will be amazed as they get a close look at a
live hawk, falcon, vulture, and owl, and learn about the importance
of these predators, and why many are now endangered. (Suitable
for larger groups.)
Rain Forest Adventure: The most diverse habitat on Earth is the tropical rain forest.
Learn about the plants, animals, and people of the rain forests,
why they are important globally, and what we can do about the
loss of this habitat.
Reptiles and Amphibians: Most people think that only warm, fuzzy animals are cute and
cuddly, but after this program, they’ll love the cold, slimy
or scaly crowd too! Using many live specimens, the presenter
will compare and contrast the amphibians and reptiles and discuss
their role in nature.
Snakes Alive! This program takes a close look at everybody's
favorite reptile, the snake. With the use of several live snakes, we will
learn how snakes eat, protect themselves, and why they are so important to our
environment. Love them or hate them, you will never forget this program!
State Symbols of Kansas: Animals and plants have been used by humans as symbols for many
centuries. Students will learn about their state tree, flower,
bird, mammal, reptile, insect, etc.
What Animal is That?: One of the important science process skills is classification.
In this presentation, students will learn the difference between
vertebrates and invertebrates, and see real examples of each.
We will also discuss the characteristics of the major vertebrate
groups using numerous specimens.
photo credit: skink, visitors, and Barred
Owl courtesy Raymond Hillegas.
Nature Reach offers both on-campus
and off-campus programs. All of our outreach programs enhance the science
education of your students, however many of our programs can also be