HOMESCHOOL ECOLOGY AT MCCLOUD NATURE PARK
The Homeschool Ecology series is a hands-on , age-appropriate , interactive activities about ecology topics . This series is developed and taught by our Senior Park Naturalist who was homeschooled . The programs are designed to build on each other , but students may register for the lessons that interest them and fit their schedules .
Please contact Senior Park Naturalist Sarah Wolf at ( 765 ) 676-5437 or swolf @ hcparks . net for additional information .
The morning sessions are for ages 6-11 ($ 5 / student ); younger siblings under age 6 are free .
The afternoon sessions have separate sessions for ages 12-18 ($ 10 / older student ) AND younger siblings ages 6-11 ($ 5 / younger student ); younger siblings under age 6 are free .
Advance registration required by Tuesday before the program .
Homeschool Ecology : Ranger Tools Friday , September 23 • 10 am McCloud Nature Park
People who work in parks and forests use a variety of tools to do their jobs . Try your hand at using pocket microscopes , field guides , binoculars , apps , measuring tools , and more while identifying good habitat for certain wildlife species .
Homeschool Ecology : Park Professions Friday , September 23 • 1 pm McCloud Nature Park
Are you beginning to consider your future and which career you might be interested in ? What does it take to work in natural resources jobs ? Take an easy aptitude test to see which nature occupation might fit you best ! We ’ ll play several games while we focus on wildlife and habitat management .
Earthquake Engineers Friday , October 14 • 10 am
McCloud Nature Park
Engineers design houses and buildings to be safe . Engineers consider earthquakes when designing buildings . You get to be an engineer ! Will your miniature house stand tall during the small-scale earthquake simulation ?
Planning for “ The Big One ” Friday , October 14 • 1 pm McCloud Nature Park
Indiana doesn ’ t usually come to mind when thinking about large earthquakes , but we are near the New Madrid seismic zone , which over 200 years ago , rocked three large earthquakes that shook people in the Hoosier state . Build your own seismograph after discovering why earthquakes occur .
Homeschool Ecology : Wildlife Poop and Other Evidence Friday , November 18 10 am McCloud Nature Park
We don ’ t always see wildlife in the park but how do we know that they are here ? We look for signs that they leave behind , like SCAT ! That ’ s right , we are going to be talking about POOP ! Learn how to identify scat from different species of wildlife , spot animal tracks along the trails , and look for other wildlife signs . We ’ ll be making edible scat from candy too ! ( A non-edible option will be provided for participants with food allergies .)
Homeschool Ecology : Scat , Tracks , and Signs Friday , November 18 • 1 pm McCloud Nature Park
Explore a variety of wildlife signs while making a tracking pit , learning how to use an animal tracks dichotomous key , and of course , by making edible scat . ( A non-edible option will be provided for participants with food allergies .) Wildlife can tell us a lot by the signs they leave behind if we just use our powers of observation to notice .
18 • www . HendricksCountyParks . org