Education

Education

River Pathways

Our River Pathways program is FINALLY here! Audubon Arizona, the Bureau of Land Management, the Phoenix Union High School District and Phoenix College have teamed up to provide high school students with a clear path to ecological understanding, stewardship, and careers in land and resource management. The River Pathways program introduces students to Arizona’s amazing riparian areas through hands-on classroom activities, a field trip to the Rio Salado Audubon Center and opportunities to take part in actual monitoring efforts being undertaken by the Bureau of Land Management on the Agua Fria National Monument. Interested students will also receive information about resource management career opportunities and will be counseled regarding the training and education necessary to pursue professions in environmental sciences. Most importantly, students from highly urbanized areas will be able to experience nature in a way that they otherwise may not have a chance to do. It is experiences like these that will allow these students to become the future stewards of the environment that our world so greatly needs. Contact Steve Prager for more info.

Science-based Field Trips

Teachers! Choose from the following curricula to create a unique experience that best fits your class’ needs. Material will be tailored appropriately for the age group (K-12) and length of the fieldtrip.

Our field trips focus on river habitats and the plants and animals they support. Your class will experience hands-on, observation-based activities and explorations along the banks of the Salt River.

Field trips typically last 1-3 hours and can accommodate up to 60 students. Field trips are offered Tuesday through Friday.

Water’s Changing Journey
With the wonderful combination of an instructor’s guidance and our interactive exhibits, students learn where water comes from and how they can conserve and protect it. Students experience water’s importance, especially in the desert, by exploring interactive displays and participating in pond-dipping and water quality surveys.

Pre-visit Teacher Guide
Post-visit Teacher Guide

Nature is for the Birds: Bird Watching and Bird Biology
Over 200 bird species have been seen near this stretch of the Rio Salado, providing an excellent opportunity to contrast the adaptations of species ranging from a Great Blue Heron to an Anna’s Hummingbird. Students will learn to use binoculars, practice identifying birds by sight and sound, and discover how bird conservation plays a major role in Audubon’s mission.

Paws for Thought: Sonoran Mammals The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration project has made possible the return of wild mammals to the area. Although difficult to spot, these secretive creatures leave signs of their presence. Students will look for these signs and will study selected pelts and skulls of native Sonoran Desert mammals, including the Ring-tailed Cat (AZ state mammal). Through hands-on activities and games, students learn that mammals are all around them and are easily affected by pollution and habitat destruction.

Pollinator Power Pollinators help give us food, clothing and an astonishing array of beautiful plants. Through observations of insects and birds along the banks of the Rio Salado, students learn the mechanisms of pollination and the importance of pollinators to humans. They then take home their knowledge (and a hummingbird feeder that they made) to help pollinators in their own backyards or at their school.

Pre-visit Teacher Guide
Post-visit Teacher Guide

For more information, or to schedule a field trip, contact Emily Morris via email, or call 602-468-6470 x125.

Alex Rubalcava counts birds on the Agua Fria National Monument

Audubon Arizona’s Teen Leaders in Conservation (TLC) in AZ

Interested in a career that helps the environment? Explore cool jobs in environmental sciences and resource management. Meet experts that will share what they do and how you can get training and experience necessary to enter environmentally-focused careers. Admission Free.

When: the third Wednesday of every month, 7:00 to 8: 00 pm
Where: the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center
3131 S. Central Ave. Phoenix 85040

Topics for 2011-2011 include: Wildlife Management; Social Insect Research; Herpetology; Native Fish Conservation; and Restoration, Reptiles, and Wildlife Photography. TLC volunteer opportunities also offered. Come to an evening session or contact Steve Prager for more info.

“Water’s Changing Journey” Exhibit Now Open!

Educators! Bring your students to the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center to experience “Water’s Changing Journey”. Thanks to a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Trust, your field trip is free of charge. Field trips last two hours and include both an introduction to Sonoran Riparian habitat ecology, and an overview of how this fragile ecosystem is altered by nonpoint source pollution. Students become empowered by learning that their daily activities CAN and DO make a positive difference in environmental health.

The “Water’s Changing Journey” experience is best suited to grades 4-6 but can be modified for any grade level. Students rave about our interesting and exciting hands-on activities. For more information or to schedule your trip, please contact Emily Morris at (602) 468-6470 X125 or email her at Emily Morris.

Audubon Arizona's "Science Takes Wing"

Thanks to a generous grant from Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Arizona Bird Conservation Initiative (ABCI), Audubon Arizona staff has been able to revamp the popular Science Takes Wing program. This program teaches common Arizona birds and is aligned to AZ state science standards for 6-8 grades. Two modules are currently available; the Central Arizona module focuses on common desert birds and the Northern Arizona module covers birds most likely to be seen in Arizona’s high country.

In addition to the Science Takes Wing lessons, Audubon Arizona offers binocular boxes to educators for free one week checkout. Boxes contain 22 binoculars, field guides, Science Takes Wing lessons, other teaching materials and the Science Takes Wing Bird Sounds PowerPoint CD (made with assistance from ASU’s “Ask a Biologist” Program).

To reserve a box, please contact the “Box Steward” in your area:

Flagstaff Box Steward:
Sapna Sopori, Willow Bend Environmental Ed Center, email, (928) 779-1745

Sierra Vista Box Steward:
Hank Huisking, Huachuca Audubon Society, email, (520) 458-8278

Pinetop-Lakeside Box Steward:
Mary Ellen Bittorf, White Mountain Audubon Society, email, (928) 201-8001

Phoenix Box Steward:
Brad Bostick, ASU Downtown-College of Teacher Preparation, email, 602-421-5025

South Phoenix Box Steward:
Cathy Wise, Rio Salado Audubon Center, email, (602) 468-6470

Download Science Takes Wing lessons here:

Science Takes Wing, Central Arizona Module
STW Bird Sounds PowerPoint Show, Central AZ

Science Takes Wing, Northern Arizona Module
STW Bird Sounds PowerPoint Show, Northern AZ

Arizona’s State Mammal, the Ringtail Cat

Bone Box Teacher Resources

Audubon Arizona is pleased to offer a “Bone Box” resource for free check-out. The Arizona Game and Fish Education Department assembled the boxes to facilitate lessons about Arizona’s mammals. The box contains laminated photographs, information cards, pelts and resin skulls of Arizona mammals including javelina, mountain lion, raccoon, beaver, ring-tail cat and more.

Educators can check out the box for one week intervals; you must both pick-up and drop off the box at the Nina Mason Pulliam Rio Salado Audubon Center. Our center is located at 3131 S. Central Ave Phoenix, 85040. The Bone Box is quite popular, so you must place a reservation in advance by contacting Cathy Wise at (602) 468-6470 or Cathy Wise. When you place your reservation, you will be instructed on when to pick-up and drop-off this resource. If our South Phoenix location is inconvenient, please contact Sharon Voiland at the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 623-236-7220 to learn about alternate locations.

Mystery Mammal
Younger students enjoy this interactive activity.

“River Keepers” After-school Program

Audubon Arizona, with generous funding from REI and JP Morgan Chase Bank, is pleased to offer an exciting hands-on nature experience on the banks of the Salt River called “River Keepers”. We provide this program free of charge to students at South Phoenix after-school care facilities such as the Boys and Girls Club and Valley Christian Center.

Students aged 8-12 learn about various topics including birds, native plants, water quality and conservation over the four-week program period. Sessions are offered in both spring and fall. Pre-service teachers are invited to apply for internship positions, please note that preference will be given to South Phoenix residents.

For more information, please contact Emily Morris via email.

Audubon At Home in Arizona

Make your yard a welcoming place for birds and a more balanced part of the natural community by incorporating the following tips:

• Eliminate (or reduce) pesticide use. Birds eat bugs! To learn more about sustainable pest control, click here.
• Conserve water by watering responsibly, planting to maximize rainfall harvest and using native plants that require less water. For National Audubon Society’s water-saving suggestions, click here.
• Protect water quality by disposing of pet wastes and other toxins properly. For more information on non-point source pollution, the leading cause of poor water quality in rivers, click here.
• Remove exotic plant pests. Did you know that some of our popular ornamental plants spread to wild areas and wreck havoc? Examples include fountain grass and tree of heaven. Learn more here.
• Plant natives! These plants require less care and offer cover and nutritional food for birds. Seek out a knowledgeable horticulturist for plant recommendations. There are native plants to fit just about any landscaping need. To view a list of Arizona plants with special value to desert wildlife, click here.

This list was compiled by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. All photos courtesy of the ASDM Sonoran Desert Digital Library. Specific photo credits: Yellow-rumped Warbler: Stephen Minter, Velvet Mesquite: Mark A. Dimmitt, Gulf Fritillary: Sarah Walls Wormsley.