wildlife education Programs

Learn about the natural history, specific characteristics, mortality factors, and conservation status of barn owls. This program includes a live barn owl. We give participants a diagram for a nest box plan to aid in the conservation of barn owls.

Celebrate your birthday “On the Wild Side” with Operation Wildlife. This is a seasonal program only; restrictions apply. This program includes three live birds of prey and a program to fit the age group. We recommend our program for children 3 to 10 years of age and has a time limit of 45 minutes. We will send a “Wish List” ahead of time to send with your invitations. Each child may bring one or more wish list items as “gifts” to help support OWL with its many needs. If requested, we can also send brochures in advance.

An informative wildlife education program covering the truth about bats, including how they use echo location and their environmental benefits. We use a bat skeleton and pictures of Kansas bats to illustrate discussions. Programs will include a live big brown and/or hoary bat when available and with the right weather conditions. This wildlife education program is available as two 30-minute presentations or one 50-minute presentation. Limit of 30 children per presentation.

An informative program with hands-on learning experiences. During this program, you’ll learn about hive members’ roles and how instrumental they are to the pollination of food and how honey is made. This program is only available on Tuesdays in the late morning or early afternoon during the months of April through October. A live animal of our choice that assists with pollination will be included

This is a classroom program, and we provide the pellets. Students dissect real owl pellets and use a bone chart to identify the bones they find encased in the pellet. The host educator is responsible for providing latex gloves for all children involved in dissection of the pellets. OWL will provide a small container for participants to take home the bones they find. Program includes a small live owl of our choice and owl pellets. Limit of 30 children per presentation.

Owl pellets can be purchased separately for teachers who want to do their own program in class. They are $2.25 each, plus $10.50 shipping and handling per order. Each pellet is sterilized and wrapped individually in aluminum foil. We also include some bone charts that can be photocopied for individual use.

If you are interested in ordering pellets to use in your own classroom lessons, print the OWL pellet order form and mail it to Operation WildLife.

Owl Pellets Form

An informative program covering the many pollinators affecting our food production and environment, including bees, bats, insects, and birds. During the program, we’ll discuss ideas for providing needed resources to attract and support pollinators (plants, water, shelter). When available, we’ll include live animals with the program. Limit of 30 children per presentation.

OWL brings mammal pelts, skulls, and casts of paw prints to the classroom. Students are given clues to help them identify the pelts. We’ll also observe and discuss how the teeth in the skulls give us clues to what the animals eat. Students may gently touch the pelts to look for details and special clues to help them identify the animal. The paw casts and prints are identified and matched to the mammals discussed. We also discuss adaptation, camouflage, and similarities between animals. This program includes a live barn owl and a barn owl skull. Limit of 30 children per presentation.

An investigative wildlife education program using props, x-rays, photographs, and bird calls to encourage participants to help solve three mysteries. This program includes three live birds—each of which is the answer to one mystery. We will present facts to help participants find the answers to the following questions:

• “What kind of bird is this?”
• “What is this bird’s injury?”
• “Could this bird survive if released?”

Limit of 65 children per presentation.

For this program, we set birds up on perches. Our director selects three to five birds (can be a mix of owls, hawks, falcons). Maximum time allotted is six hours. Custom exhibits may run on consecutive days for multi-day events. Bird handlers answer questions and give mini-presentations about the birds throughout the display.

This wildlife education program includes a combination of four or five live hawks and falcons. The audience members will learn the hunting habits and adaptive characteristics of the birds shown.

This program includes a mixture of hawks, falcons, and owls from the Dayshift and Nightshift programs for a total of five or six raptors. The audience members will learn about the hunting habits and adaptive characteristics of the birds presented.

This is an informative program that teaches the natural history of wild baby animals with the message “Don’t Touch That Baby.” The goal of this educational wildlife program is to provide participants with information on each of the animals displayed and to encourage leaving them in their natural environment. We also provide information on how to determine if the animal really needs our help. During the program, we present taxidermy mounts of baby animals commonly found in yards, gardens, and parks in the spring (raccoons, squirrels, cottontails, opossums, deer, beaver, and skunks). It also includes a live great horned or barn owl in this program, since mammals form a large part of their diets.

This educational wildlife program covers the story of the injuries, unique physical characteristics, and nesting habits of eagles. Experienced bird handlers will share fun facts and use props to help participants visualize the wingspan, amazing eyesight, and the impressive size of the eagle. Participants may find themselves assisting with demonstrations of wingspan, nest size, and the weight of the eagles—so bring your muscles!

An informative program that teaches the natural history of different species of falcons, from the smallest in North America to the comeback of the once endangered peregrine. The audience will learn about the hunting habits and adaptive characteristics of the birds presented.

Research has shown that birds are “hard wired” to imprint on the adult caregivers around them from a very young age. They see what is feeding and caring for them and identify with that image. If it is a bird—no problem. If it is a human, the bird does not learn to hunt and behave like a bird—and that’s a BIG problem. This educational program includes live birds that were imprinted when humans attempted to rescue and raise them without knowledge of long-term consequences and legal implications. The program will include four or five birds.

This program includes a combination of four different birds, which can include a broad-winged hawk, merlin falcon, peregrine falcon,  Swainson’s hawk, or other birds that migrate. The program covers the story of their injury, physical characteristics, migration routes, fun facts, and more!

A combination of four or five owls, which can include a great horned owl, barred owl, barn owl, or screech owl. Students learn the hunting habits and adaptive characteristics of the birds shown.

Covers information about Operation WildLife. May or may not include a small live bird. Literature and/or handouts given or possible activity.

This wildlife education program explains and demonstrates the comparisons of adaptive survival characteristics of hawks and owls (coloration, eyes, feet, body coverings, etc.). The snake is not only a predator, but also prey. The program includes a live hawk, owl, and snake, as well as preserved specimens of wings and talons of owls and hawks. Audience members cannot touch the snake and wings. The talons are replicas, so with adult supervision participants may touch them.