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
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 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.
Nature Reach Off-Campus Programs
Nature Reach offers "off-campus" Outreach Programs. There are several programs from which to choose, as described
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.
PSU Natural History Reserve and Raptor Tour (PSU Natural History Reserve, off campus site)
During this 50-60 minute tour your group will get a chance to see our famous raptors at home as well as meet our Bald Eagle, Aurora. We will talk about how these animals survive in the wild and their importance to the natural world. This tour will also include a brief introduction to strip mining, the history of the reserve itself, and wildlife common to the area
Menu of Outreach Presentation - Nature Reach travels to your classroom! Check out our menu of programs!
Where the Buffalo Roamed: Animals and plants have been used by humans as symbols for centuries. Students will learn about Kansas state symbols illustrated by live and preserved specimens. (If scheduling to coincide with Kansas Day, please submit requests early.)
Rain Forest Adventure: The most diverse habitat on Earth is the tropical rainforest. Find out why this habitat is important globally, and learn more about the people and animals that call it home.
Life Cycles/Structures: (Growing up, digging down, standing out, and blending in) Here we discuss the life cycles of insects and otheranimals including amphibians as well as how their colors, limbs, and skeleton allow them to hide, stand out, hop, skip or jump!
A Date with Dinosaurs: Interested in dinosaurs? This is the program for you.We will share fossils and geologic time lines to aid in the learning about life before our time!
Animals with Class: Animal classification is the emphasis here. This program will discuss the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates. Students will also learn the characteristics of the major vertebrate groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish).
Creatures of the Night: This program focuses on those animals that are active at night. Using live animals (owl, snake etc...) we will discuss the special adaptations these animals have to help them survive a nocturnal existence.
Amazin’ Animals: Why do some animals have spots? Why do some animals hunt at night? It's called adaptation! Using live and preserved specimens, we will explain how diversity in color, size, shape and behavior help creatures survive. Hiders, fliers, stinkers and bluffers Insects probably affect humans more than any other group of animals. Learn more about these interesting animals as we discuss their anatomy, classification and behavior using live and preserved specimens. (This program includes a powerpoint presentation)
Creepers, Slimers, and Things That Slither: You either hate them or you love them, but either way, reptiles and amphibians are very important to our world. With the aid of live specimens, we will compare and contrast amphibians and reptiles and discuss their role in nature.
Raptors, Birds of Prey: These powerful hunters of the sky have intrigued humans for years. Students will be amazed as they get a close look at these live predators, learn about their importance and learn why many are endangered. (Also available as an on-campus assembly program.)
The Web of Life: Where do living things get their energy to survive? Learn about animal food habits by looking at live specimens, skulls and teeth of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores, and explore how every living thing is dependent on food chains.
If you would like to see another presentation topic don’t hesitate to ask. We can usually accommodate special topics.
How Is Nature Reach Funded?
Nature Reach is only partially supported by PSU. Support also comes from program fees, grants, and especially generous donations.
The Nature Reach Endowment
Long-term endowment goal: $500,000.00
Thanks to some very generous supporters, 2007 was a great year for Nature Reach! We were able to establish an endowment with over $20,000.00!
What will an endowment do for Nature Reach?
Keep programs available to the Southeast Kansas area
Subsidize program costs for schools to keep programs affordable
Help provide appropriate food and shelter for animals
Help replace worn specimens and increase the collection for new programs
How can you help?
Generous gifts will help sustain Nature Reach for the future
Remember Nature Reach in your will
Join the “Friends of Nature Reach” or “Adopt-a-Raptor” program
To find out more about how to help, Click on this link to download a pdf copy of the 2008-2009 endowment brochure.
photo credits: Pittsburg State University Public Relations
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 
