INTRODUCTION TO THE NATURAL WORLD
Preschool or Kindergarten
1 hour program
Fee: $2/student

Students will use their senses to classify and describe the animals and plants of our area.   A short talk inside and a walk outside.

L.OL.E.1, L.OL.01.13, L.OL.01.21

NATURE THROUGH THE SEASONS
Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Grades
1½ hour program
Fee: $2/student

Visit Sarett in the fall and learn how nature gets ready for winter.   Come in the spring and learn how plants and animals awaken for another season of growth.

L.OL.E.1, L.OL.01.13, L.OL.01.21, L.OL.03.32, L.OL.03.42, L.EV.03.12

ANIMAL CLASSIFICATION
1 st Grade
1½ hour program
Fee: $2/student

Visit Sarett to learn how to group animals together based on their adaptations to their environments.   Compare live animals and learn about body coverings and camouflage.

L.OL.E.1, L.OL.01.13, LOL.01.21

NATURAL COMMUNITIES OF SARETT
2 nd Grade
1½ hour program                  
Fee: $2/student

Explore four of the natural ecosystems of Sarett: dry meadow, dry forest, wet meadow and wet forest.   Find out about the animals and plants that live there.

L.OL.02.14

GREEN MACHINE
2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th Grades
1½ hour program                  
Fee: $2/student

Learn plant parts and their functions as well as what all plants need to survive.   Go on a walk to learn some of the trees, flowers and shrubs of our area.

L.OL.02.14, L.OL.02.22, L.OL.03.31, L.OL.03.41, L.EV.03.11, L.OL.04.15, L.EV.04.22

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
2nd Grade and above
1½ hour program              
Fee: $2/student

Compare and contrast the worlds of reptiles and amphibians. See live specimens, learn frog songs, and walk to a wetland to look for reptiles and amphibians.

L.OL.03.32, L.OL.03.42, L.EV.03.12, L.OL.04.16, L.EV.04.22, L.EV.05.11, L.EV.05.12

TRACKS AND SCAT
2nd Grade and above
1½ hour program                  
Fee: $2/student

Discover the wildlife around us with games and activities about the things animals leave behind.   A great November and December program.

L.OL.03.42

INSECTS
3rd Grade and above
September
1½ hour program                  
Fee: $2/student

Dragonflies, stink bugs, honeybees, click beetles and even mosquitoes have their place in the natural world.   Be introduced to the fascinating world of insects.   Use sweep nets for close looks.

L.OL.03.32, L.OL.03.42, L.EV.03.12, L.EV.04.22, L.EV.05.11, L.EV.05.12

GREEN MACHINE with WetlandsNEW!
3rd, 4th Grades
1½ hour program                  
Fee: $2/student

Learn the functions of plant parts and adaptations of wetland plants, including carnivorous bog plants.   On an exploration walk, compare bog plants with other wetland plants.

L.OL.03.31, L.EV.03.11, L.OL.04.15, L.EV.04.22

WETLAND PLANT STUDY  NEW!
3rd, 4th Grades
2 hour program                     
Fee: $3/student

Wetlands are unique ecosystems with ever changing water levels.   Students will learn about the importance of wetlands, carnivorous plants and bogs, and explore several of Sarett’s wetlands to identify the intriguing adaptations of the plants living there.

L.OL.03.41, L.EV.03.11, L.EV.04.22

FOREST TO FOREST   NEW!
3rd, 4th Grades
1½ hour program                  
Fee: $2/student

Sarett is situated with an upland forest and a bottomland forest.   Students will learn the similarities and differences between the two habitats including the organisms that inhabit the different layers. We will use our new Treetop Walkway to get a birds-eye view of the treetops.

L.OL.03.31, L.OL.03.41, L.EV.03.11, L.OL.04.15, L.OL.04.16, L.EV.04.22

HABITAT – WHAT ANIMALS NEED TO LIVE
3rd, 4th Grades
1½ hour program                  
Fee: $2/student

What does it take to make a good home for wildlife?   Where do animals live?   Become a nature detective and find animal homes in this program on habitat.

L.EV.03.11, L.OL.04.16

ROCK HOUNDS
3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Grades
1½ hour program                  
Fee: $2/student

Learn about the sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks that make up the earth’s surface.   Glaciers, moraines, and glacial till are all part of Michigan’s geologic history.   Rock and mineral samples to see and touch.   A great November and December program.

E.SE.03.14, E.ST.04.31, L.EV.05.13, E.SE.06.41, E.ST.06.31, E.ST.06.42

EXPLORING THE POND
4th, 5th, 6th Grades
1½ hours program
Fee: $2/student

Take a close look at a pond ecosystem.   Equipped with pond scoops, find out what creatures live in the pond, their unique adaptations and how they fit in the food web.

L.EC.04.11, L.EV.05.11, L.EV.05.12, L.OL.06.51, L.OL.06.52, L.EC.06.21

RIVER VALLEY STUDY
4th, 5th Grades
2 hour program
Fee: $2/student

Visit Sarett to explore the Paw Paw River Valley.   Learn how the valley has changed over time, and about the plants and animals and their adaptations.

L.OL.04.15, LOL.04.16, L.EV.04.22, L.EV.05.11, L.EV.05.12

DUNE STUDY
4th, 5th, 6th Grades
1½-2 hour program              
Fee: $3/student

Learn about our area’s unique resource at Grand Mere State Park.   Study dune formation, beach ecology and more.

L.OL.04.15, L.OL.04.16, L.EV.04.22, L.EV.05.11, L.EV.05.12, 6-G2.1.2

RIVER AND DUNE STUDY
4th, 5th, 6th Grades
9:30 am to 2:00 pm              
Fee: $4/student

Spend the morning at Sarett learning about the Paw Paw River Valley, the plants and animals and their adaptations.   Then travel to Grand Mere State Park to explore the sand dunes.   Compare and contrast the two environments.

L.OL.04.15, LOL.04.16, L.EV.04.22, L.EV.05.11, L.EV.05.12, 6-G2.1.2

GREEN MACHINE with Wetlands   NEW!
5th, 6th Grades
2 hour program                     
Fee: $3/student

Sarett encompasses different plant communities, among them wetlands and a demonstration bog with carnivorous plants.   Students will learn the techniques plants have developed to survive in these communities with an emphasis upon wetland plants.

L.EV.05.12, L.EC.06.11

WETLAND PLANT STUDY   NEW!
5th, 6th Grades
2 hour program
Fee: $3/student

Students will learn how wetlands influence the health of Michigan’s waterways.   A healthy wetland must have plants adapted to the ever changing water levels.   Students will identify these adaptations and compare Sarett’s wetland ecosystems, including the demonstration bog with carnivorous plants.

L.EV.05.12, L.EC.06.11

FOREST TO FOREST   NEW!
5th, 6th Grades
2 hour program
Fee: $3/student

Students will become biological surveyors of an upland forest site and a bottomland forest site.   Their data will allow them to describe the similarities and differences between the two habitats. We will explore the tree canopy from our new Treetop Walkway.

L.EV.05.11, L.EV.05.12, L.EC.06.11, L.EC.06.31

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AND WINTER ECOLOGY
5th, 6th Grades
January & February
2½ hour program Fee: $3/student
9:30 am to 2:00 pm Fee: $5/student

Learn winter ecology the easy way—on cross-country skis.

A.PE.05.01, A.AN.05.02

SNOWSHOES
Preschool and above
January & February
1½ hour program
Fee: $3/student

Snowshoeing is one of the oldest forms of winter transportation.   Learn winter ecology while snowshoeing.

A.PE.00.01, 1.1N.00.02, 1-G5.0.1, A.PE.01.01, A.AN.01.02, A.AN.01.03, A.PE.02.01, A.AN.02.02, A.AN.02.03, A.AN.03.02, A.PE.04.01, A.AN.04.02, A.PE.05.01, A.AN.05.02, A.PE.06.01

VOYAGEUR CANOES
3rd (For safety reasons, third graders MUST be accompanied by 6 adults who are able to paddle for each canoe booked.) 4th, 5th, 6th Grades
Fee:     $70/canoe at Grand Mere or Paw Paw Lake
            $98/canoe at Douglas
            $85/canoe at all other locations

Michigan’s natural resources shaped our cultural history.   During the 1700s, voyageurs traveled our waterways transporting furs.   Relive history and learn about our present day natural resources with a ride in 34-foot replica canoes.

3-H3.0.6, 3-G5.0.2

NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM
Kindergarten and up
November and early December only
1½ hour program
Fee:   $3/student

Learn cultural and historical aspects of local native Americans.   See artifacts, visit a wigwam, watch a bowdrill fire, play games and create a craft.

K-G5.0.1, 1-H2.06, 1G5.0.1, 3-H3.0.4, 3-H3.0.5, 3-H3.0.6, 5-UI.1.3, 6-W1.1.2, 6-W2.1.3

FEATHERED FRIENDS
All ages
1½  hour program
Fee: $2/student

Feathers, beak, feet, nests, eggs, food, migration, songs, camouflage, birds of prey – there is much to learn about birds!   Become a bird watcher!   A good December program.

L.OL.E.1, L.OL.01.13, L.OL.03.32, L.OL.03.42, L.EV.03.12, L.OL.04.16, L.EV.04.22, L.EV.05.11, L.EV.05.12

MAPLE SUGARING
All ages
March
1½ hour program
Fee: $2/student, additional charge to purchase maple sugar candy

For a short season every year the sweet sap of the maple tree can be collected and turned into the most delicious syrup.   Learn how the Native Americans and pioneers gathered this sweet treat.

K.G5.0.1, 1-H2.06, 1G5.0.1, L.OL.03.41, 3-H3.0.6, 3-G5.0.2

TRAVELING NATURALIST
All ages
30-45 minute program
$40 for 1 st program, $25/program thereafter plus mileage

For those who cannot come to the nature center, a naturalist can come to your school.   Presentation topics can be customized and can include live animals such as toads, frogs, snakes and turtles.