Grant Funded Programming
Creature Features for Retirement Residential Facilities
River Bend will bring 5-7 live animals to your location and tell you all about them! From reptiles to arachnids, we will discuss the animal’s behavior, habitat, anatomy, and importance in the world around us.
Submit your Creature Feature Reservation Request by filling out the form below.
- 1-hour presentation
- Participants receive a journal, magnifying collection bottle, and written information about the animals
- Geared for retirement residential facilities
- We travel to your location, or you can visit RBNC
- Currently grant funded by the George and Fay Young Foundation
Science Camp
Science camps are three-day camps that take place on the school campus or at River Bend. They are held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Each day there is a two-hour program and a particular theme. Themes include renewable energy, wildlife, and Earth, Moon, and Sun. All themes include hands-on projects, incorporation of STEAM, and model construction.
- 3:30-5:30 pm Tuesday – Thursday
- All ages, different programs for each grade
- We travel to your location, or you can visit RBNC
- Currently grant funded by the George and Fay Young Foundation
Submit your Science Camp Reservation Request by filling out the form below.
Eco-Kit Adventures for Educational Facilities
An Eco-Kit Adventure is a traveling environmental education program that RBNC brings directly to your classroom. It includes hands-on activities and one-on-one learning with an experienced field guide.
Themes include renewable energy, native plants and animals in our ecoregion, the plant/soil connection, conservation, climate and sustainability, gardening, and insects. All of these are presented with stewardship of the environment as the guiding principle.
Renewable Energy – Students distinguish between renewable and non-renewable energy sources. They consider the development of fossil fuels and their impact on the environment. Each student builds a model that incorporates renewable energy.
Native Animals of our Ecoregion – We will discuss the unique characteristics of our ecoregion – the Rolling Plains. Students will identify animals and plants in our ecoregion and their various adaptations to living in this area. They will design an animal suited to this ecoregion. Food chains will be explored through dissecting owl pellets. Some animals from River Bend will be presented.
Plant/Soil Connection– We will consider the integral relationship between plant roots and the soil. Students will use digital scopes to examine both soil and roots. They will learn about nitrogen-fixing bacteria. They will view the composition of different soils and particle sizes. Students will do percolation experiments. They will also plant host and nectar plants.
Conservation, Climate, and Sustainability– Students will explore the reasons for a changing climate. They will consider natural resources, such as water, plants, and trees on a global level to decide whether our current use of resources is sustainable. Students will consider adaptations needed in order to be sustainable. An engineering challenge will be presented in which students will design and test structures that minimize the effects of excessive heat.
Gardening 101 – We will emphasize the importance of gardening as a source of food for both people and animals. To successfully garden, students will learn the importance of fertile soil, and what natural components go into a rich soil. The importance of compost is emphasized. The biology of composting will be presented. Students will plant their own gardens.
All About Insects – Students will discover the characteristics of an insect. They will learn about the extreme importance of insects for our survival. Students learn that insects make up 80% of the animal population. We will also discuss their fascinating life cycles and the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis. Students will create a unique insect life cycle and construct their own butterfly feeder.
- 1-hour program
- All ages, different programs for each grade
- We travel to your location, or you can visit RBNC
- Currently grant funded by the George and Fay Young Foundation
Submit your Eco-Kit Reservation Request by filling out the form below.
Please arrive and depart on time. Confirmations of the date and time are sent prior to the field trip date. Please call the office, 767-0843, to let us know if buses are running late. Our field guide staff members report to duty based on the field trip schedule each day. We cannot lengthen the field trip if a group is late, our guide’s schedule may not allow them to stay any longer than the schedule indicated.
Want to know about other programs we offer? Give us a call 940-767-0843.
FAQ’s
What else should we know?
What is the field guide to student ratio?
Guides will be secured based on the number of students quoted. We provide one field guide per 8-12 students.
How many of us can visit?
Field Trips can be tailored to up to 80 students. STEAM and STEM programs can be tailored to up to 40 students. Each program has a minimum price (unless grant-funded). If you have a larger group, please call 940-767-0843 early to make special arrangements.
What is the fee?
2-hour field trips have a minimum price of $70 which covers 10 students*, additional students are $7 per student.
3- hour programs have a minimum price of $80 which covers 10 students*, additional students are $8 per student.
4- hour programs have a minimum price of $100 which covers 10 students*, additional students are $10 per student.
There is no fee for grant funded programs.
*Groups with less than 10 kids are still required to pay the minimum price for the program.
How do we schedule?
Continue scrolling for this program’s reservation form request. If you would like a different program, visit our program page, click on the program you want to reserve, and fill out the form on that page.