The Prairie Wetlands Learning Center

Endangered Species Bulletin, Dec, 2004 by Teresa M. Jaskiewics

The Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, located near Fergus Falls, Minnesota, is a 325-acre (130-hectare) outdoor classroom operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is composed of native and restored prairie, more than two dozen wetlands, and an oak savanna, but it is also a residential environmental education facility. The visitor center has classrooms, an exhibit area, breakout lounges, kitchen, and dining hall. A renovated barn and surrounding lawn area provide additional teaching space. The Center offers a wide variety of educational programs to over 11,000 students each year.

One of the Center's more popular programs is on endangered species. The goals and objectives of the endangered species program are to enable students to distinguish between endangered, threatened, and "special concern" species; the current issues and the measures involved tot the protection of these species; information on what roles the Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Forest Service, and other government agencies serve; the function of partnerships with private non-profit groups and landowners; and ways individuals can help endangered species.

The first part of the program covers why animals become endangered ("HIPPO: Habitat loss, Introduced species, Pollution, Population growth, and Over-consumption"); what animals are endangered in Minnesota, United States, and the entire world; and who is involved in the recovery of these species. After discussing some endangered species and why animals become endangered, the educator hands out a puzzle piece to each student, and the students put together six separate puzzles. Each of the six puzzles is a logo for an agency or private group involved in the recovery of endangered species. On the back of the logo is a question to be answered by group discussion. The purpose of this activity is to show students that in order for endangered species to survive, many different groups and agencies have to work together.

In the second activity, the class sits in a circle on the floor, and the educator randomly hands out a few pictures of endangered species to students. Students pass a coffee can, covered with pictures of endangered species, around the circle. When the can gets to a student holding a picture, the student places it in the can and identifies the animal to the class. If the can is not dropped as it makes its way around the circle, all animals inside the can are saved. This shows how easy it can be to work together for a common cause. Then, the educator explains that it is not really always that easy, and to demonstrate the potential difficulty, students then have to take off their shoes and pass the can with their feet. If the can is dropped and an animal falls out, that animal is extinct. Students typically begin talking to each other, giving support and advice on how not to drop the can. The group discussion is always very lively, and is a good introduction to the next part of the program.

Next, students are put into small groups or pairs. To learn what individuals can do to help endangered species, each group receives a reference book on endangered species of the world. The students choose a random page number and research the species on that page. Normally, several students in the class will end up with lesser known species, and this provides an opportunity for the other students and sometimes even the educator to learn something new. The educator provides them with a list of questions to aid in the investigation. The students are then asked, "Why save these species?" After a brief discussion, they are asked to make a brochure that answers this question and then share the information with the rest of the class. The brochures are then placed on a big sheet of paper under the words, "Why Save These Species?" This display is taken back to the school and put up in the hallway outside the classroom, thus allowing everyone in the school to benefit from the students' research.

For more information on this and other programs, see the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center website at http:// midwest.fws.gov/pwlc.

Teresa M. Jaskiewicz, an environmental education specialist at the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, can be reached at teresa_jaskiewicz@fws.gov or by telephone at 218-736-0938.