Naturalist in Residence Program
 

Merging Our Strengths

The Naturalist in Residence (NIR) program merges the strengths of River Bend Nature Center (RBNC) with your curriculum.  RBNC offers its experiential based teaching, trained staff, and natural environment.  You provide year long contact with the students and the ability to further extend curriculum into your classroom.  Strategically aligned, together, we make a difference for our students, our community, and the earth we all share.

RBNC provides hands-on, thematic, and experiential curriculum, full of learning adventure that directly correlates with in-class curriculum.  The NIR Program consists of three naturalist sessions.  Each year your students:

· Actively learn about the ecology of our 80 acre natural sanctuary during a student-centered field trip.

· Receive two classroom visits from an experienced naturalist/educator.

· Participate in activities that meet Wisconsin Model Academic Standards in science and environmental education.

We invite you to realize the potential NIR has to exceed the traditional nature field trip.  We will provide your students with a hands-on ecological field trip, followed by environmental learning delivered directly to your classroom.  We will also share our ideas for integrating environmental consciousness into subject areas beyond science – like reading, mathematics and art.   

 

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A field trip to River Bend Nature Center promises fun and adventure in the great outdoors. Whether you’re looking for some nature exploration or outdoor recreation, we have a program for you. Each program is designed around the seasons and is led by an experienced naturalist.

Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year, River Bend Naturalists created new field trips that better address Wisconsin Academic Standards and many of our new programs link directly to Racine Unified curriculum. Pre and post-visit materials will be available on our website for all the standards linked field trips (coming soon).

The grade levels listed for each field trip are those recommended by Racine Unified. You may, however, choose the field trip that best applies to your students.

Hands-on activities are an essential component of our field trips. Suggestions and ideas are always welcome.

To Schedule a Field Trip

• Field trips fill up quickly; you must call at least two weeks in advance.
• Contact RBNC at 262-639-0930, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Upon registration, we will send you a confirmation letter.
• Arranging transportation is the responsibility of the school or group.
• Students and adults must come dressed appropriately for the weather. Cancellations due to inclement weather are rare.
• Group size is limited to a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 65.
  

Curriculum Linked Field Trips
Kindergarten
Insect-igation Station
Students become “field entomologists” in this hands-on learning program. What makes an insect an insect? How are they unique compared to other animals? Students learn to identify an insect, to understand life stages, to find particular body parts, & to see how insects protect themselves through adaptations such as camouflage. Each child participates in collecting insects, observing them, and reporting their findings to their classmates. A great field experience!

Our Earth, Our Home
What is your ecological address? By observing and discussing the places where animals and plants live, students learn the concept of habitat. Students will explore the components of habitat, food, shelter, water and space – and find how each is important to the survival of living things.

Grade 1
The World of Living Things
Everything is connected. The interrelationships of living things are an ecological drama involving living and non-living things. Students explore the relationships of living things within the abiotic world: in soil, among large species and through a microscope in a drop of pond water. How do we humans fit into this interconnected world?

Caring for River Bend
Have you heard the wise old Native American Proverb “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”?  Clearly, developing environmentally conscientious behaviors now will ensure a healthy planet for future generations.  In this class, students will learn basic principles for conserving air, water and soil as well as strategies for reducing various types of waste and pollution.

Grade 2
Nature's Webs
RBNC is home to many plants and animals interacting with each other. Each differs in size, shape, texture and behavior. Students will learn that plants and animals can be grouped by similar characteristics (mammals have hair, birds have feathers) and their feeding preferences (producer, consumer, carnivore, etc.) Through hands-on activities students will better understand each living thing's place in nature, their relative abundance, and the notion that nature is sustained through food chains as the Nature Web.

Successful Succession
In this inquiry-based field trip, students become detectives and discover that River Bend is continually changing. Through scientific observations, students will determine the changes they see in the forest and whether these changes are positive or negative.

Grade 3
Exploring Ecosystems
River Bend has beautiful pond, forest, field and river ecosystems. These environments provide habitat to plants and animals. Students discover what makes each environment unique, and use science tools to investigate the plants and animals that live there. They will collect and record  information about the living and nonliving components of each ecosystem.

Cycles at River Bend
Plants and animals go through a life cycle—with some stages appearing deceptively unlike the adult. By investigating seeds and studying the various stages of animal development, students explore the interrelationships of plants and animals in their lifecycles.  Students will learn what plants and animals need to survive.

Grade 4
Water and Weather Wonders
The forces of nature are around us everyday.  Students will  discover how the water cycle makes the world go around. The will use hands-on scientific tools to learn about the weather that day and how it was formed, how the water cycle is an intricate part of our planet, different weather components such as precipitation, humidity, and air pressure. Students will collect weather related data and shrink to the size of a water drop to become part of the water cycle.

 
Soil Search
Students work in small groups to predict and analyze soil content using the scientific method. Hands-on discovery using microscope projections of soil organisms provides a glimpse into how some creatures help make soil. During their visit students learn about different soil types. They follow the path of a soil molecule as it travels through the outdoors. Next they discover the soil cycle in action.

Grade 5
From Rocks to Clay
Come explore the world of geology! Through experiments and activities, students can learn the basics of minerals, rocks, and the geological processes that are at work on the earth. What is the difference between a rock and a mineral? Identify the physical attributes of rocks including hardness, effervescence and magnetism. There is even a rock show!

Ecosystem Interactions
The Earth’s environment contains both biotic and abiotic components. This is the concept of an ecosystem. The species and the spaces they inhabit are very important to RBNC. Land, water and air are not merely resources as much as they are sources of life. Through hands-on discovery, students will develop an understanding of what an ecosystem is, and become directly involved in helping to restore and protect it.

Grade 6
Classifying Living Things
Classifying lets us unlock some of nature's most complex and fascinating secrets. Students become scientists and use classification to uncover the natural world's hidden patterns and meanings. Hands-on observation and other basic skills will be used in brand new ways to compare and contrast different natural life.

Geology of Wisconsin
Why is Wisconsin’s landscape so unique and how did it come to look the way it does today?  In this class, we’ll learn about the geological processes that have been acting on the Earth for eons. Through hands-on activities, our naturalist educators will introduce the concepts of plate tectonics, glaciation, the rock cycle, erosion and deposition.  Also, students will time-travel throughout Wisconsin’s history and experience what scientists call “geologic time.” 

 

Middle and High School Programs
Individualized programs for higher grades can be made by special arrangement. Contact the Program Director to discuss possibilities.

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Enrichment Programs
Our enrichment programs are not entirely linked with the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards, though the have one or two aspects which may be.

Sugarin' Off (Grades K-5 March only)
Follow the sugar from its creation in the leaves of maple trees, through collecting in the sugarbush, and finally a sample a taste of the finished product.

Canoeing or Kayaking (Grades 4-12)
The Root River beckons paddlers with its wildlife. River Bend provides the equipment for your trip. Group size is limited.

Winter Survival (Grades 4-12)
All species in the wild need to prepare for winter. Students construct shelters out of forest debris and use primitive fire-making skills to create a fire.

Snowshoeing (Grades K-adult)
Enjoy the outdoors in the winter months and get some exercise at the same time. Limited number of snowshoes per session.

Cross-Country Skiing (Grades 1-adult)
Basic ski instructions are followed by a short ski on our trails. Ski rentals are available at the Center, but there is a limited number.

Basic Compass (Grades 4-12)
Students learn parts of a compass, how it works, and use basic orienteering skills to maneuver through a marked course.

Global Positioning System - GPS (Grades 4-12)
Through using a GPS, students will learn what this new technology is, why it is important, and how to use it. A high-tech scavenger hunt called geocaching will be the highlight of the trip.

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