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School and Group Programs

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This page has instructions designed for teachers and other youth group leaders who want to visit Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm with a group. Anyone can also request a copy of our program guide at (937) 890-7360.

How to Schedule Your Visit

Guided Field Experiences -- | Nature Explorations | Farmyard Adventures |Comparing Communities | Draft Horse Power | Ohio: Visions of the Past | Birds of Prey | Scales and Cold Blooded Tails | Feathers and Flight | Seasonal Guided Field Experiences -- | Maple Syrup | Candle Dipping | Udder Delight |Enchanted Forest | Self-Guided Visits -- |Geology Explorations | Nature Center Visit | Farm Visit | Special Programs -- | Audubon Adventurers | Classroom Visits | Special Focus on the Birds | Aullwood R.E.A.C.H.E.S.  -- Artist in Residence | In-school performances

Diversity Boxes - - Special Collections of Teaching Materials Which Are Loaned for Free to Teachers

Bibliography -- Aullwood Recommended Resources of Special Interest to Teachers

Aullwood was created in 1957 as a place for children to learn about natural history.

Mrs. John Aull, acquainted with the work of the National Audubon Society, donated 70 acres of land to Audubon for use in education. Aullwood was one of the first nature centers in the Midwest.

In 1962, a neighboring farm became Aullwood Children's Farm. The two facilities were joined in the late 1970s. Today, five miles of trails wind through 350 acres of prairie, meadow, mature woods, wetlands and organic farm fields.

Aullwood welcomes over 80,000 visitors each year. Guided programs, special events, visits by the general public and adult workshops all provide opportunities to fulfill Aullwood's mission of providing appreciation, understanding, and stewardship for the Earth.

Aullwood is part of the National Audubon Society, and is one of thirteen Audubon Centers the Society operates. In addition, there are over eighty sanctuaries which protect special habitats and rare species. Audubon has more than half a million members who are also members of over 500 local chapters.

The mission of the National Audubon Society has been the same since its inception at the beginning of this century, to protect and preserve the environment. Audubon's first big fight was to save plume birds from the hat and fashion industry. Today Audubon continues to work for the protection of birds, other wildlife and the habitats that support them.

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How to Schedule Your Visit

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Call our Center office (937) 890-7360 to schedule a visit. Call as early as you can. Aullwood field trips are very popular and many openings fill up quickly. You may call in July to schedule for the following year.

If you want your class to eat lunch at Aullwood, we have many places to picnic on the lawn, or on our porches and decks. During inclement weather, you may picnic in our buildings. You must bring trash bags to take the lunch waste back to your school. We do not have the capacity for the trash generated by up to 1,000 students each week.

Remember, Aullwood protects the environment we use to teach our special message. A crowded visit is not what you or we want. When you schedule a visit, you can only spend time at the site for which are scheduled. A well planned visit to the Farm or the Center may take several hours to complete. We can suggest activities for your group to provide a full and special day's visit at each end of our facility.

If your class would like to visit our Gift Shops, please let us know ahead of time so that we will have plenty of staff available to help you. To visit the Gift Shops, you should allow extra time after your Aullwood program to give your children adequate time.

The Gift Shops have dozens of items your students will enjoy; toy turtles, snakes and frogs, gemstone rings and necklaces, finger puppets, compasses, endangered animals items, and much more. Most items are between 50¢ and $5. The Center's Gift Shop has a great selection of environmental education and natural history resource books for teachers as well as many children's books.

Aullwood is not supported by taxes. Aullwood is a private non-profit organization. Our local support group, Friends of Aullwood, contributes a large part of our budget. Tuition, admission fees, special events, store sales and special grants provide the balance.

Remember that adults and children pay admission to Aullwood. If you or one of your students is a member of Friends of Aullwood, the self-guided visit fee is already covered for the member. Be sure members bring membership cards to receive free admission. Guided programs have an additional fee which members and non-members must pay.

Your membership in Friends of Aullwood, our local support group, may be the easiest way to support Aullwood. You can join Friends of Aullwood by calling (937) 890-7360 for a membership brochure or learn more on this web site. The following are just some of the benefits that members receive: Free general admission, reduced or free admission to events, store discounts, bimonthly newsletter, discounts on workshops.

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Guided Field Experiences

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At Aullwood, our staff and specially trained docents take groups on walks designed to build awareness, teach the basics of natural history, and encourage a sense of wonder about the natural world. If you want your group to have a guided experience with leaders from Aullwood, sign up for one of these programs. Guided programs costs vary with the program.  Contact Aullwood for price information.  Plant to have one adult for each group of 12 children.

pre-K through grade 2, 60 to 90 minutes

Objectives: To facilitate discovery, to build awareness of diversity, and to use all of the senses in a rich natural environment.

Walk the trails with a guide who will help young children explore the natural world. Your class will be encouraged to discover special places at Aullwood. Each student will experience plants and animals in close personal encounters. Every group will explore Aullwood's Discovery Room with a guide. Your tour begins and ends at the Center.

pre-K through grade 6, 60 to 90 minutes

Objectives: To foster an understanding of human dependence on farms, to allow close encounters with crops and animals and where appropriate to explore energy pathways at the farm.

There is nothing quite like a walk at the farm. Every turn brings something new. Your group will see beautiful gardens, farm animals and a century-old barn. By adjusting to the needs of each group, we spend time in activities as varied as holding a warm egg or discussing energy conservation. Aullwood is a certified organic farm. It has the diversity of a traditional Ohio family farm, and is home to horses, pigs, cows, chickens, rabbits, turkeys, goats, and sheep. Your tour begins and ends at the Farm.

grades 3 and up, 2.5 hours

Objectives: To see that communities are made up of producers, consumers and decomposers, and to encounter organisms in a variety of habitats.

Beginning at the Center, your group will search Aullwood's habitats for the organisms that fill special roles in all living systems. Groups explore several areas such as prairie, stream, woods, pond, or meadow. All groups finish at the Farm, where they explore the community that supports humans. We stress use of the senses, development of awareness, and close contact with natural objects. The tour begins at the Center and ends at the Farm.

pre-K and up, 90 minutes

Objectives: To explore the use of power on a farm, to observe the care and use of draft horses. Limited to 30 participants.

You will learn about work at the farm and watch our Belgian draft horses as they are harnessed and driven. Wagon rides are included if weather allows. This program costs $4 per person and is held at the Farm.

grades 3-7, 2 hours

Objectives: To learn about the ecosystems that have existed here.

Students are led through activities that teach Ohio's eco-history. Your imaginary journey visits the time of the settlers, Native Americans, the ice age, and the ancient oceans. The program is held at the Center.

K and up, 90 minutes

Objectives: To learn more about the special adaptations of hawks and owls, their ecosystem role, and the threats to their existence.

This program is an exciting study of hawks and owls. Groups discover birds of prey by viewing real specimens which illustrate adaptations. Students explore the role of predators in a healthy ecosystem and the threats to their well being. A visit with a live red-tailed hawk is a highlight of the program. For an additional $1.50 per pellet, students can dissect owl pellets. You are encouraged to end with a self-guided walk. This program takes place at the Center.

Dayton Public School Third Grade Classes, 90 minutes

Objectives: To learn more about the ways that science categorizes organisms by learning about the special characteristics of reptiles.

This program includes a group talk about special reptile characteristics with a close up reptile encounter. We provide a guided visit through the Discovery Room. Finally small groups walk the trails with Aullwood staff to see the sites that reptiles use. This program takes place at the Center.

Dayton Public School Third Grade Classes, 90 minutes

Objectives: To learn more about the ways that science categorizes organisms by learning about the special characteristics of birds.

This program includes a group talk about special avian characteristics with a close up red tailed hawk encounter. We provide a guided visit through the Discovery Room. Finally small groups walk the trails with Aullwood staff to see the sites that birds use. This program takes place at the Center.

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Seasonal Guided Field Experiences

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Some of our most popular program are only offered for limited times. These are often programs that fill up quickly. If one of these is right for your group, be sure to make your reservation early. The programs vary in costs.

K and up, 1.5 to 2 hours

Objective: To develop an understanding of green plants as the only source of food, to learn about the traditional art of syruping, and to explore the woods in winter.

A tour of the sugar bush to see buckets hanging on trees and a visit to the steamy sugar house are the highlights of this program. We also present a history of the use of maple sugar through the centuries. In addition, all students will hear the story of food production in green plants. Most importantly, every participant gets to taste the freshly made syrup and receives a sample bottle of syrup to take home. The program costs $3.75 per student, $4 per adult, and is held at the Farm.

pre-K and up, 1.5 to 2 hours

Objective: To make beeswax candles by hand dipping, to learn about bees and beekeeping, to study the history of lighting and energy use, to understand the concepts of renewable and non-renewable energy.

This program takes place in the Thomas Building at the Farm. Participants hand dip candles after learning about the cooperation between bees and beekeepers. Additionally, students can learn about the ways that people have extended the day with artificial lighting, from candles to electric lighting. $4 per student, $4 per adult (this fee includes one candle) Add $1 per additional candle. The program is held at the Farm.

pre-K and up, 60 to 90 minutes

Objectives: To observe the process of collecting milk, to see the farm ecosystem which support milk production, and to churn butter from cream

In this program, students may watch a goat being milked, and taste the butter that has been churned from cow's cream. The students trace the path of the sun's energy through the farm to the table. A $4 charge for adults and children is required for this program. The program is held at the Farm.

pre-K through grade 4, 90 minutes

Objective: To learn about the lives of various animals.

Meet animal characters who have exciting life stories to tell. The animals are friendly and concerned that the visitors to their special enchanted forest understand that they have important roles to play in their ecosystems. A $4 fee for adults and children is required for this program. The program is held at the Farm.

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Self-Guided Visits

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If your want to guide your own group, you can sign up for a self-guided or do-it-yourself program. We will provide some teaching materials before you come, a staff introduction to your visit, and for some programs we will provide trail activity supplies. Self-guided visits cost $2.50 per child and $4 per adult.

Objective: To explore the geology of the Stillwater valley.

Walk the geology trail and study the evidence left behind by ancient seas, continental glacier, and running water. Use Aullwood's Geology Guide to see how these forces shaped the land as we see it today. Finish your walk at the Stillwater River's fossil beds. The program begins at the Center. This can also be scheduled as a guided program.

Objective: To learn the basics of Ohio's ecology

Enjoy the exhibits and live animals in the Discovery Room at the Center. Then, hike the trails using our trail guide, activity sheets, and optional trail equipment. A pre-visit audio-visual package is available in slide or video format. The program begins at the Center.

Objective: To learn the basics of farm ecology

Discover Aullwood's organic farm and learn about the production of food. Your can tour the barn, see exhibits, visit the animals, walk to the croplands, and explore the herb and vegetable gardens. A printed guide book provides good information about organic farming, the origins of farm animals, and other agriculture information. A pre-visit audio-visual package is available in slide or video format. the tour is held at the Farm.

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Special Programs

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$8 per student

This is a program designed to give a whole school the chance to focus on the environment with three visits to Aullwood in one year. Aullwood staff will present a special introduction to Aullwood to your students and faculty during an assembly at your school. Each class is then scheduled to visit Aullwood three times during the year. Two of the visits are for Guided Programs and one visit is for a Self-guided Program.

A school that has participated in this program for six consecutive years has sixth graders who can explain energy transfer through ecosystems, predator prey balance, and human dependence on the farm ecosystem. We have been delighted to see this kind of in-depth information in grade school students.

pre-K and up, 60 minutes

Children remember happy times spent with Aullwood's animals. This program brings a small number of live animals to your classroom. Children also relish the chance to see and touch interesting materials such as animals pelts, skulls and bird study skins. The cost is $3 per student and 25¢ per mile for travel. Minimum charge for this program is $50.

grades 6 and up, 4 hours

This program was created in response to the current severe decline in numbers of migratory birds. The program takes a group of up to 80 students through a full day of special programs related to neotropical migrants and other birds. The visiting school is divided into four groups that participate in four classes. Each fifty- minute program addresses an important environmental topic. The program is held at the Center. The cost of the program is $5 per student

Classes: Identification and flight songs, habitats and ecology, adaptations, bird in hand (bird banding).

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End of Programs

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