Program Areas

Wildlife by Design Classroom Presentations

The Wildlife by Design program is an opportunity for teachers to work with Texas Wildlife Association’s education staff to bring wildlife and natural resources conservation presentations into the classroom.  A member of Texas Wildlife Association’s Conservation Legacy team will come to the classroom with interactive wildlife-based lessons, activities and demonstrations.

All presentations are designed to be grade specific and customized to meet the necessary science TEKS standards and/or to correlate with a specific thematic unit.

- Each program is designed for a classroom length period of time, up to 60 minutes, and for a group of 20-45 students.

- Programs are designed for grades K-8.

- Each presentation date can include up to six (6) repeat programs.

- Each school is allowed to receive two (2) Wildlife by Design presentations per school year, so please communicate with your team and team lead/coordinator and let them know of your program reservation date.

- Program reservations are handled on a semester-by-semester basis and dates are scheduled first come, first served.

There are five (5) pre-designed programs from which a teacher can choose – Skins & Skulls, Birds of a Feather (formerly Let’s Talk Turkey), Where Is Our Water?,  Investigating Life Cycles, and Stewarding Soil.. 

 

These programs are being offered as a means of promoting critical thinking skills while encouraging today’s youth to connect with the natural world through our L.A.N.D.S. (Learning Across New Dimensions in Science) youth stewardship initiative.

 

 

 

For more information about Wildlife by Design:

Harris & Surrounding Counties:

  • Schools located in Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Liberty and Eastern Harris County ISDs (Channelview, Crosby, Deer Park, Galena Park, Goose Creek, Houston, Huffman, Sheldon, La Porte, and Pasadena) - Contact Jo Picken, jpicken@texas-wildlife.org, 254-749-4245
  • Schools located in Fort Bend, Montgomery, Waller, and Western Harris County ISDs (Aldine, Alief, Cypress-Fairbanks, Humble, Katy, Klein, Spring Branch, Spring, and Tomball) - Contact Adrienne Paquette, apaquette@texas-wildlife.org, 972-743-2956

Tarrant & Surrounding Counties:

  • Schools located in Collin, Dallas, Denton, and Tarrant Counties - Contact Gwen Eishen, geishen@texas-wildlife.org, 214-288-7043

South Texas Counties:

  • Schools located in Cameron, Hidalgo, Kenedy, Starr, and Willacy Counties - Contact Elisa Velador, evelador@texas-wildlife.org, 956-266-3583
  • Schools located in Brooks, Dimmit, Duval, Jim Hogg, La Salle, Webb, and Zapata Counties - Contact Masi Mejia, mmejia@EastFoundation.net, 956-312-0550

West Texas

  • Schools located in Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Culberson, Ector, Glasscock, Howard, Jeff Davis, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Presidio, Reagan, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward, Winkler - Contact Phil Salonek, psalonek@texas-wildlife.org, 262-909-0097

 

Program Descriptions

 

Birds of a Feather is an overview of the adaptations, characteristics, and basic needs of birds.  Students will be engaged in hands-on investigations to discover traits that make a bird a bird, focusing on birds native to Texas, from the wild turkey to birds of prey.  Activities include studying functions of bird anatomy, exploring real bird biofacts, and listening to the calls of native wild birds.

Investigating Life Cycles is an inquiry-based program that allows students to investigate and compare life cycle models and record their observations. Students will learn the characteristics that allow a plant or animal to grow into a mature adult and how each stage affects its habitat and other plant and animal populations. Students will learn the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis in insects, as well as exploring the varied life cycles and interdependence of other members of the animal and plant kingdoms.

Skins & Skulls is a prepared discussion of the identification and specialized adaptations of native Texas wildlife with animal skulls and skins.  Students will investigate the skulls of these animals and use field guides to identify their ‘mystery skulls’, all while learning about their animal’s habitat, food sources, and adaptations for survival.

Stewarding Soil is a series of hands-on activities that allows students to dig in and investigate!  Students will learn how soil is formed; the characteristics of sand, silt, and clay; how soil health affects living and nonliving things; and what products come from soil.  Throughout the program, students will gain a better understanding of why soil is so important to wildlife and people and how they can be stewards of this natural resource.

Where Is Our Water? is an interactive program that covers a variety of water units, from the water cycle and water usage, to pollution and infiltration into our aquifers.  During the presentation, activities and investigations will allow students to understand the impact that our use of water has on Texas aquifers, lakes, rivers, the land, humans, and wildlife.  The main message is conservation!

For more information about any of the Outreach Programs please contact Kassi Scheffer, kscheffer@texas-wildlife.org, 210-826-2904.

 

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