Creature Feature

October 4 _cancelled & October 18, 2024 at 10:15 a.m.

Stories about animals speak to the minds and hearts of young children in a way nothing else can. Students ages 2 through 6 and their caregivers will learn simple science facts and build empathy toward animals through early childhood best practices such as movement, pretend play, and storytelling. Children will also get to meet (but not touch) a real Ambassador Animal who was a character in the puppet story!

The story of the day will be chosen based on which Ambassador Animal is ready to meet guests that day. Neither the story or the ambassador animal will be known until right before the program.

Some of our story themes include what foods different animals eat, which animals hatch from eggs and which don’t, and how animals’ move their bodies, etc.

Forests Near & Far

October 4 & October 18, 2024 at 11:15 a.m.

Our beautiful Pacific Northwest is characterized by forests—grand expanses of evergreens watered by our famous gentle rains and supporting a fascinating array of wildlife. But the world has lots of forests, both similar to and different from our own in many ways. Be ready to get up and move, because you might be asked to come up and be transformed into a part of the forest! At the end, everyone will get to meet an animal who hails from one of the world’s varied forest habitats.

Topics covered include:

• The layered structure common to all forests
• Major differences between Pacific Northwest forests and tropical rainforests
• How plants and animals work together to form a thriving ecosystem

Population Estimates Hands-on Activity

October 4 & October 18, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.

Come participate in a hands-on activity that explores how a zoo biologist  studies wild populations, how they might estimates numbers of individuals in a wild population of a species and why that’s one very important aspect in a recovery plan. In this activity you will get the chance to learn about techniques scientist use to learn about populations, engage in a simulation of a field study using mark/recapture techniques, practice the math behind the science, and connect with the world of conservation biology. For ages 11 - 18 years old, though designed specifically with high school curriculum in mind.

*Note: This hands-on activity can be completed individually, or you are welcome to participate with others in small groups of 2 to 4.

Topics covered include:

• What is a population
• Why the number of individuals may be important to know
• Ways to count or estimate numbers of individuals in a population   
• Practice the math behind the science of estimation
• How understanding numbers of individuals helps conservation scientists make decisions

Animal Adaptations Hands-on Activity

October 4 & October 18, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.

Come participate in a hands-on activity that explores animal adaptations! Animals have unique adaptations that help them fit into their environments and help them survive and thrive. In this activity you will learn a little bit about what an adaptation is scientifically, consider the role of adaptations in helping an animal survive in its environment and explore how to graph results from a simulation. For ages 11 - 18 years old, though designed specifically with middle school curriculum in mind.

*Note: This hands-on activity can be completed individually, or you are welcome to participate with others in small groups of 2 to 4

Topics covered include:

• What is an adaptation
• How plant/animal adaptations help them survive in their specific habitats
• The role habitats play in plant/animal adaptation
• What a simulation is and how to make conclusions from graphs
• How understanding adaptations help scientists conserve species