School Programs

WREN offers field trips and outreach programs for students of all ages. They are correlated to Oregon state benchmark standards and are presented to classes in the 4J, Bethel, Crow-Lorane-Applegate, and Springfield school districts, as well as private and charter schools.

Contact Liz Myers, WREN Environmental Education Specialist at 683-6483 or liz@wewetlands.org to register your class for a field trip to the wetlands or an outreach program in your classroom.

*Important notes:

• Field trips are available for students grades K-12. If you are planning a field trip to the wetlands, your students MUST fill out WREN’s medical/photo release form. Please bring these completed forms with you o­n your field trip and give them to the lead staff person.
  
  
• Previously, WREN has received a majority of funding through government grants, restricting WREN from charging for its education programs. Now, as WREN transitions into more community and private funding, we suggest a donation of $25 for our classroom outreach programs. Donations can be made by check or credit card.
  

Outreach Programs

Elementary

• "What is a Wetland?" Available to 1st-5th grade classes, students will discover the sensory experiences they would encounter o­n a visit to the wetlands when they explore a “touchy-feely” box full of wetland objects.
• "Scales and Tails" This program is designed for 1st and 2nd graders and answers the question: who has scales and tails in the wetlands? Students will explore the major differences between both groups of “herps” through hands-on activities.
• "Flowers to Food" This program is available to 3rd grade classes. By getting up close and personal with real flowers and bees (not live bees, of course) students will learn how flowers are pollinated and why this is important to our food supply.
• "Wings Over the Wetlands" Third through fifth grade students will learn about migratory birds that fly thousands of miles each year to other parts of the world. Why do they to it? What dangers lurk for them along the way? Interactive activities will bring some of these wetland birds to life as students explore the answers to these and other questions.
• NEW!!"Scat, Tracks & Bones" Third grade students will learn about various wetland mammals as they rotate through stations featuring (fake) scat, tracks and bones.

Middle school

• "Reptiles and Amphibians of the Wetlands" This program is available to 6th-8th grade students and teaches them to use a dichotomous key to identify local reptiles and amphibians.
• NEW!! "Scat, Tracks & Bones" Students grades 6-8 will learn about various wetland mammals as they rotate through stations featuring (fake) scat, tracks and bones.
  
• NEW!!"Birds of the West Eugene Wetlands" By studying the beaks and feet of 10 wetland birds, students will learn how these animals are adapted to live in this unique habitat.

Field trips

Field trips take place at the West Eugene Wetlands and are available to grades K-12. If you are planning a field trip to the wetlands, your students MUST fill out and return WREN’s medical/photo release form. Please bring these completed forms with you o­n your field trip and give them to the lead staff person. There are two types of field trips offered:

• Exploration Stations (grades 3-5 o­nly)
  For these field trips, choose three of the following activities:

The Watershed Connection
Students use large maps of the Eugene area to locate watersheds, rivers, creeks and the “watershed address” of the West Eugene Wetlands.

Wetland Soils
In this activity students will study and record the physical characteristics of the soil.

Wetland Plants
Students will use an information chart and key to classify and identify the parts and types of plants.

Mini-Beasts Discovery
Students will observe and describe “mini-beasts” or evidence of “mini-beasts” in the wetlands

Soil and Water
Students will explore and record the interaction between soils and water in the wet prairie.

Who’s for Dinner?
Students will observe and describe plants and animals or animal evidence in the wetlands. Students will demonstrate food chains and interrelationships.

Home Sweet Home
Students will observe animals or animal signs to determine how the animals are using their habitat.

After an introduction in the yurt, the class is divided into three groups. The groups rotate through the activities, each of which is led by a WREN educator. Activities are usually between 20 and 30 minutes long. These activities are aimed at a 3rd-5th grade audience. All Exploration Stations field trips take place along the Tsanchiifin Walk trail, next to the yurt.

• Wetland Walking Tour
  These field trips are available for grades K-12 and high school students, and can take place at several wetland sites. Popular sites for these field trips are Tsanchiifin Walk, Stewart Pond and Meadowlark Prairie. Most trips for elementary school children start with an introduction in the yurt and proceed along the ½ mile Tsanchiifin Walk trail. Classes are divided into 3 or 4 groups and are led by WREN educators and volunteers. This field trip is much more free-form than the Exploration Stations and can be tailored by the group leader to focus o­n certain areas of personal interest.
  

Questions o­n WREN school programs?
Contact Liz Myers, WREN Environmental Education Specialist: liz@wewetlands.org or 683-6483.

Read about community programs also offered by WREN.