** This event has been canceled**
"Things That Go Bump in the Night"
When the sun goes down and we're getting ready for bed, many of our seldom seen animal neighbors are just getting up. Why are so many animals nocturnal? Does being active at night have advantages over being active during the day? Does it bring disadvantages? If so, how have nocturnal animals evolved to mitigate the disadvantages? Join Luanne and Dan Weekes of Pollination Station as they discuss these and other questions to build a new appreciation of Maine's nocturnal wildlife. This family friendly powerpoint presentation will look at common nocturnal species including bats, owls, skunks, and a relative newcomer to Maine, the Virginia opossum, and will include a meet and greet with Willow, an Eastern Screech Owl, and plenty of time for Q&A.
A note to educators
There is immense value in getting students outside, even for short amounts of time, to explore the natural world. Research is continuing to show that taking kids outdoors benefits social-emotional learning and leads to greater focus when students return to the classroom. For many teachers, this may seem daunting for a plethora of reasons from short class blocks, behavioral concerns, ticks, access to trails, and the perceived difficulty of meeting learning goals in an unconventional setting. Teachers may also be new to learning about the ecology of their setting. This Naturalist Workshop Series is designed to help address the concerns and challenges of taking students outside and grow your comfort level facilitating class learning goals within and beyond the playground.
Each program will provide an opportunity to observe an educator teaching to a group of students. We will provide supplemental materials for teachers to bring back to school, content you can use with students, and time at the end to ask questions and brainstorm ways you can transfer the lesson to your school's unique setting.
We hope you will step outside with us and bring what you experience back to your schools!
