Florida Wildlife Programs for Children ages 8 - 99!

Come explore, learn, and grow with us!!

Writer/Facilitator ~ Nancy Murrah

Nature's Guardians Raptor Center of Tampa Bay 2002 Elk Spring Dr. Brandon, FL 33511 813-205-1851

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Wildlife Workshop Overview The Raptor Center's Wildlife Workshops are geared toward CORE learning requirements for children in grades 3-6, but they are enjoyed by kids from 8 – 99! Parents are encouraged to attend and participate - bring the whole family! The Center's Florida Wildlife Series tries to focus on both education and awareness of our environment and wildlife

Contents Wildlife Workshop Overview .................................................................................................................................................. 2

Barn Owls ................................................................................................................................................................................ 3

Beginning Birding .................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Florida Bald Eagles .................................................................................................................................................................. 4

There is Wildlife Among Us: Exploring Neighborhood Wildlife .............................................................................................. 6

Things that Slither Lizards, Snakes and Skinks - Reinier Munguia .......................................................................................... 5

Baby Owl Shower .................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Wildlife Corridors .................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Water, Water Everywhere - The Florida Aquifer ................................................................................................................... 4

Living with Alligators ............................................................................................................................................................... 5

Additional Programs we offer: ................................................................................................................................................ 6

Florida Ecosystems and Their Wildlife ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Butterflies and Bees ................................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Frogs and Turtles ...................................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Birds of Prey ............................................................................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Florida’s Treasure Box – Our Marine Wildlife .......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Gopher Tortoises and Their Burrows ....................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Batty about Bats ....................................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Creating your own Wildlife Protection Plan ............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

CORE Standards .................................................................................................................................................................. 7

About Your Facilitator ............................................................................................................................................................. 9

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Every lesson is organized into these components:

Discover - Learning portion of lesson - depending on the venue we will either use flip charts or power point

presentations to enhance the learning experience.

Explore - Hands on activities.

Analyze - What did we learn?

Act - What can you do to make a differenc e?

Barn Owls September 21, 2018 Bell Creek Nature

Preserve

At the end of the workshop you should know:

When and where barn owls nest.

The importance of the barn owl population as it relates to

rodents.

How barn owls breed.

How barn owls benefit from barn owl boxes.How you can help barn owls in the Tampa Bay area.

Each participant will receive a special coloring page and information about the barn owl as well as information

on how you can participant in a special Barn Owl project. During the program we will assemble a Barn Owl

box.

Beginning Birding - October 19, 2018 Lettuce Lake Conservation Park

At the end of the workshop you should know:

What the Florida State Bird is

Why birders use binoculars, zoom lenses and scopes

How to identify ten common local birds

The basic components of a Birding Field Guide and

why they are important

What the Florida Scrub Jay is and why it’s important

What E-bird is all about

How to keep a checklist using Tampa Audubon’s

Checklist and how to submit lists to FWC's

Birders Program.

Field opportunity – We will look around the yard (immediate outdoors of event) for birds and identify each of

them

Each participant will receive a Checklist of Florida’s Birds to use for your next birding trip.

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Florida Bald Eagles Nov. 16, 2018 Upper Tampa Bay

Park

At the end of the workshop you should know:

Where and when eagles nest

Eagles are migratory and where they go when they leave

Florida

How eagles construct and maintain their nest

What the first 12 weeks of life of a bald eagle is like

Environmental factors that affect eagles and all birds of prey

The basic history of the bald eagle

How to become an official eagle watcher

Each participant will receive a basic eagle fact sheet, A word search puzzle, dot-to-dot activity page, and a coloring

page.

Water, Water Everywhere - The Florida Aquifer - Dec. 21, 2018 Lithia Springs Conservation Park

At the end of the workshop you should know:

The importance of the Florida aquifer.

More about waterways in the area.

That there are a variety of different landforms on Earth's surface such as

coastlines, dunes, rivers, deltas, and lakes and relate these landforms as they

apply to Florida.

What a natural community is and why they are important.

Wildlife Corridors - Bell Creek Nature Preserve January 18, 2019

At the end of the workshop you should know:

That although Florida appears to be flat just a few inches in elevation changes

the habitat.

Florida has a variety of habitats including Dry Uplands such as sandhill and

scrub, seasonally moist lands such as flatwoods and seasonal or diurnal

ponds, wetlands such as bayheads, seepage slopes and bottomland hardwood

forests to our ever popular water bodies, our lakes, rivers, creeks and springs.

The variety of habitats our animals need

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What wildlife corridors are

Who the Florida Wildlife Corridor expedition team is an what their mission is.

Living with Alligators February 15, 2019 Edward Medard Conservation Park

At the end of the workshop you should know:

The difference between the American Alligator and the

American Crocodile

What food, they eat and what habitat both the alligator

and the crocodile occupy.

Why a hand-fed alligator becomes a nuisance and the

penalties associated with them.

Each participant will receive a Coloring Page, An

alligator paper craft you can do at home a maze to help

Ollie find his way home, a Word Search and a pamphlet

from FWC “How to Live with Alligators.”

Things that Slither March 26, 2019 Alderman's Conservation Park

Lizards, Snakes and Skinks - Reinier Munguia At the end of the workshop you should know:

The difference between Lizards and Skinks A Florida Anole (Lizard) from a Cuban Anole The difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes How to identify the four venomous snakes found in Central

Florida A variety of non-venomous snakes What you should do if you get bitten by a snake About native species of snakes that can be found almost

anywhere 2 non-native species of snakes found in Florida and understand why they are a problem The most common skinks found in Hillsborough County The difference between an Iguana and a Tegu Lizard and discuss how they are invading Florida

and why that’s a problem. Go on a nature walk to identify different habitats used by different lizards, snakes and skinks Each participant will receive a brochure on Venomous Snakes and will make a snake craft.

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Baby Owl Shower - April 19, 2019 EG Simmons Conservation Park

Come and join us in celebration of all the baby owls we rescue. This is a time for you to

collect supplies and bring them along.

There will be:

A station to see Eastern Screech Owls - Even though the owls that you see will be

small they are adult owls that were injured and brought into rehabilitation. Their injury

prevented them from being released back into the wild. They are here to represent all of the

owls that come into captivity that cannot live out normal lives, breeding and flying free. -

Photo Op!

A station to dissect owl pellets - Learn what owls eat by the pellets they cast.

A program so that you can develop an understanding of their important role in maintaining a natural

environment.

Mask making station - Make a variety of owl masks to take home with you.

Coloring Pages - Through coloring pages you will learn the different types of owls frequently found in

central Florida.

There is Wildlife Among Us: Exploring Nature after dark in our own Neighborhoods May 17, 2019 Mango-Seffner Library

At the end of the workshop you should know:

Animals that may be found in your yard; bats, fox, deer, raccoon, coyote, tortoise, squirrels, skunks, bear,

otter, panther, bobcat

The basic reasons why is wildlife is attracted to houses and properties

How to minimize contact with wildlife

Common diseases found in our local wildlife

What happens when a trapper is called

What to do if you find injured or sick wildlife

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CORE Standards

In general these standards apply. Not all standards apply to all programs.

» SC.K.L.14.2: Recognize that some books and other media portray animals and plants with characteristics and behaviors

they do not have in real life. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Organization and Development of Living Organisms

» SC.K.N.1.5: Recognize that learning can come from careful observation. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08 Belongs to: The Practice of Science

» SC.2.L.16.1: Observe and describe major stages in the life cycles of plants and animals, including beans and butterflies. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08 Belongs to: Heredity and Reproduction

» SC.2.L.17.2: Recognize and explain that living things are found all over Earth, but each is only able to live in habitats

that meet its basic needs. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Interdependence

» SC.3.L.15.1: Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, vertebrates

and invertebrates, those having live births and those which lay eggs) according to their physical characteristics and

behaviors. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms

» SC.3.L.17.1: Describe how animals and plants respond to changing seasons. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Interdependence

» SC.3.N.1.1: Raise questions about the natural world, investigate them individually and in teams through free

exploration and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations. Cognitive Complexity: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: The Practice of Science

» SC.4.L.16.2: Explain that although characteristics of plants and animals are inherited, some characteristics can be

affected by the environment. Cognitive Complexity: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Heredity and Reproduction

» SC.4.L.16.3: Recognize that animal behaviors may be shaped by heredity and learning. Cognitive Complexity: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Heredity and Reproduction

» SC.4.L.16.4: Compare and contrast the major stages in the life cycles of Florida plants and animals, such as those that

undergo incomplete and complete metamorphosis, and flowering and non-flowering seed-bearing plants. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Heredity and Reproduction

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» SC.4.N.1.1: Raise questions about the natural world, use appropriate reference materials that support understanding

to obtain information (identifying the source), conduct both individual and team investigations through free exploration

and systematic investigations, and generate appropriate explanations based on those explorations. Cognitive Complexity: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: The Practice of Science

» SC.5.L.15.1: Describe how, when the environment changes, differences between individuals allow some plants and

animals to survive and reproduce while others die or move to new locations.

Cognitive Complexity: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms

» SC.5.L.17.1: Compare and contrast adaptations displayed by animals and plants that enable them to survive in

different environments such as life cycles variations, animal behaviors and physical characteristics. Cognitive Complexity: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Interdependence

» SC.6.L.15.1: Analyze and describe how and why organisms are classified according to shared characteristics with

emphasis on the Linnaean system combined with the concept of Domains. Cognitive Complexity: Level 3: Strategic Thinking & Complex Reasoning l Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08

Belongs to: Diversity and Evolution of Living Organisms

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About Your Facilitator Nancy Murrah spent many years as the Director of Learning for the one of the largest insurance companies in America. Today she

dedicates her life to wildlife rehabilitation and to exploring, learning and growing others knowledge of wildlife and the importance of

conserving wild lands and clean water for animals and people alike. She is a facilitator for FWC for Project Wild, Project Aquatic Wild

and Flying Wild. She is currently a Federally and State Permitted Wildlife Rehabilitator and President of the Raptor Center of Tampa

Bay.

A native of Tampa Florida she has spent the great majority of her life outside learning about nature in Florida. She is a local writer of

children’s stories, facilitator, photographer and illustrator. Nancy has written stories for both education and entertainment. Her stories

include Tilly the Gopher Tortoise, The Eagles’ Forest, Paige Eagle Ambassador and Ollie the Alligator.

She serves as a citizen scientist as the Coordinator for EagleWatch for Audubon Florida for Hillsborough County, 1st Vice President of

Tampa Audubon, Volunteer for both JayWatch and ColonyWatch projects, as well as participating in the Christmas Bird Count,

Migratory Bird Count, Hawk Watch in the keys and The Great Backyard Bird Count. Nancy spends a large amount of time rescuing and

rehabilitating raptors and is working on building a Bird of Prey Rehabilitation Center in the Tampa Bay Area.

Nancy Murrah ~ 2002 Elk Spring Drive ~Brandon, FL 33511

Facilitator 813-205-1851