Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center

From 6:30 - 7:30 each evening, students can delve deeper into nature topics or history through stories, slide shows, or character presentations presented by the Eagle Bluff staff. Naturalist Programs are unlike day-classes; they are designed to help students wind-down after an exciting day, they may include other schools, and are presented to groups of up to 250 people. Due to staff availability, Eagle Bluff will choose programs for your group based on your student's ages. You may rank your Naturalist program preferences on your Scheduling Form, but our ability to accommodate requests may be limited.

Backwoods Buttercup / A humorous local character visits Eagle Bluff and shares knowledge of local natural history and animal adaptations. This program is designed to highlight general environmental concepts.

Invasive Species/ Exotic plants and animals are taking over where they don’t belong. Learn about the harm they cause and if anything can be done to stop them! Live animal program.

Legends in the Sky / The constellations we see in the night sky have fascinated people for thousands of years. Connections to Greek and Roman mythology as well as Native American stories and beliefs are presented through storytelling.

RaptorCARE / Eagle Bluff is responsible for the care and training of 4 Raptors and it takes a team of people and hours of practice to do so effectively. Learn the techniques used to train birds while observing them in action with one of our live Birds of Prey. Live animal program.

RaptorFORCE / Humans and Raptors have long history of working together. Falconry, cultural relationships, superstitions, and human disturbances are topics which will be explore during this program which will feature one of our Raptors. Live animal program.

RaptorPHYSICS / How does flight actually happen? We will explore the physics behind flight through by using science demonstrations. The culminating experience will be viewing one of Eagle Bluff's Birds of Prey to discuss flight adaptations specific to that species. Live animal program.

Reptiles / Often misunderstood, reptiles can evoke strong emotions. With the help of a live reptile, students will learn about Minnesota reptiles, conservation efforts, intriguing facts, and reptile’s amazing adaptations. Live animal program.

STARLAB / Eagle Bluff has our very own planetarium!Students will learn how our view of the constellations change with the seasons and some of the stories associated with constellations. Due to space limitations within the STARLAB, this program is only available to 60 students each night.

Spiders, Ticks, & Mosquitoes / We love the outdoors but hate these critters. What good are they anyway? Learn about their role in nature and the best ways to avoid bug bites, diseases, and more. Live animal program.

Timber Rattler / Bluff Rattler, Ol’ Velvet Tail, or Timber Rattlesnake; no matter what you call it, the Timber Rattler is one of the most unique and specialized animals in Southeastern Minnesota.Students will learn about Timber Rattlesnake adaptations, yearly cycle, behavior, and conservation management. Live animal program.

Unhuggables/ Some native Minnesota critters such as skunks, opossums, snakes, and raccoons are considered by many to be ugly, dangerous, or a nuisance. This program reveals the important role played by these "unhuggables" in our natural world. Live animal program.

Evening Activity Descriptions & Leader Materials

Updated for the 2019-2020 School Year

Evening Activities are led by your school staff or chaperones from 7:30-9:00pm. Please download your activity's lesson plan from below and ensure that the adults leading the activities have a copy of the lesson plans in advance. Your Eagle Bluff liaison will have your supplies available, set-up the classroom, and assist with directions and answer questions prior to the start of the evening activity. They are designed to be flexible and meet a variety of your needs.

Campfire / End the day gathered around a the campfire for songs, skits, stories, and star gazing. You can lead the campfire yourselves or have an Eagle Bluff staff member assist you.

› Quick Reference Guide

› Full Lesson Plan

› Teacher Packet

Eagle Bluff Olympics / Games like tug-of-war, thumb wrestling, cracker whistling, logic tests, charades, animal taboo, and tree I. D. give students the opportunity to analyze the nature of competition and how it affects our lives today while having fun.

› Quick Reference Guide

› Full Lesson Plan

Movie/ Finish the day by winding down with a movie. You can choose to bring your own or pick from our selection of nature-related movies such as Planet Earth, Blue Planet, Mysteries of the Driftless, Wall-E, etc.

Night Hike / Walk the woods in the dark and see mints “spark” in your mouth! Groups will explore the night through a series of multi-sensory activities such as silent sits, lifesaver lightning, owl hooting, scent jars and more! A route will be recommended and equipment for activities provided.

› Quick Reference Guide

› Full Lesson Plan

Owl Pellets / Dissect an owl pellet to find bones or anything else the owl has eaten! Student can use the bones to identify prey species and/or create their own bone artwork. ($3.00 charge per pellet, 1-2 students per pellet)

› Quick Reference Guide

› Full Lesson Plan

Project Teamwork / Students will work together in large and small groups completing tasks, building trust, communicating, and sharing ideas. This is a great activity for working on team building, respect, and problem solving.

› Quick Reference Guide

› Full Lesson Plan

S.T.E.A.M. Challenges / This activity features Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math activities which will have students working together in groups to accomplish fun challenges.

Yard Games / Play new and familiar games such as bocce ball, kubb, volleyball, and ladder golf in the fields around the Dorm. This activity is designed for students to have fun and promote healthy & active recreation choices that can last a lifetime.

› Quick Reference Guide

› Full Lesson Plan

Your Choice / Many schools create and present their own programs. Fill your evening time in any way you feel is appropriate. Square dancing, journaling, and knot tying are some examples.

Trip Journal Materials

TEACHER MANUAL / The Teacher Manual include tips for helping with journals as well as teacher’s keys for crossword puzzles and word finds. › Download Manual

STUDENT PAGES / Below are pages with an assortment of activities and reflections that provide a framework of reflection for your Eagle Bluff experience. Day Class, Naturalist, and Evening Activity pages can be inserted among these pages. Use as many or a few as you like. You may use the Generic Day Class form for your classes -OR- print out Specific Day Class pages written to the classes you are taking. You will need one page per night you are at Eagle Bluff.

General Pages

› My Feelings about Eagle Bluff

› En Route to Eagle Bluff

› Bus Games

› My Thoughts about Nature

› Welcome to Eagle Bluff

› The Four Respects

› The Dorm

› Word Find

› Crossword Puzzle

› My Last Day

› Thinking Back

› My EB Memories

› "New Me" Pledge

› Thank You's

› Cover Page

› Blank Page

Class-Specific Pages

› Advanced Orienteering

› Amphibians

› Animal Signs

› Archery

› Archery Engineers

› Beginning Orienteering

› Big Freeze

› Birds

› Cross-country Skiing

› Earth Exploration

› Energy's Potential

› Forest Ecology

› Fungus AmongUs

› GPS Pathfinders

› Group Challenges
› Ice Age

› Insects

› Karst Geology

› Oneota

› Pioneer Life

› Pond Life

› River Canoeing

› Rock Climbing

› Root River Hike

› Snowshoeing

› Stream Lab

› Trees and Keys

› TreeTops Ropes Course

› Wildlife Ecology

› Winter Pond Lab

› Winter Survival

Evening Activity Pages / Pages that correspond with the specific evening activities you are taking. You will need one page per night you are at Eagle Bluff.

› Art in Nature

› Campfire

› Dream Catchers

› Eagle Bluff Olympics

› Know Your Bluff Stuff

› LEGO Simple Machines

› Night Hike

› Owl Pellets

› Paper Making

› Project Teamwork

› Top Secret

› Yard Games

Naturalist Program Page

A journal page designed for use with any Naturalist Program (there are no program-specific pages.) You will need one page per night you are at Eagle Bluff. › Blank Page

Teaching WEB / Pre & Post-Visit Activities

Teaching W.E.B. (With Eagle Bluff)

"Weaving EB into your Classroom"

The Teaching WEB (Teaching With Eagle Bluff) is an effort to provide resources for teachers to integrate environmental education into their own classrooms and to bookend their residential ELC experience. Eagle Bluff provides specially designed pre/post-visit classroom activities that correlate to our classes.

PRE/POST ACTIVITIES

Advanced Orienteering - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Amphibians - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Animal Signs - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Archery - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Archery Engineers - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Beginning Orienteering - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Big Freeze - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Birds - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Cross Country Skiing - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Earth Exploration - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Energy's Potential - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Forest Ecology - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Fungus Among Us - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

GPS Pathfinders - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Group Challenges - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Ice Age - Under Construction

Insects - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Karst Geology - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Oneota - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Pioneer Life - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Pond Life - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

River Canoeing - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Rock Climbing - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Root River Hike - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Snowshoeing - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Stream/Winter Pond Lab - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Trees and Keys - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

TreeTops HighRopes - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Wildlife Ecology - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

Winter Pond Lab - See Stream Lab

Winter Survival - Pre-Visit Activity / Post-Visit Activity

FoodWISE - WASTE-themed activities

MN Academic Standards Matrix: Explore the Connections...

Our curriculum is written to state academic standards and focuses on building STEM, Humanities (history, culture, language arts) and Life Skills (communication, team building, outdoor recreation) knowledge and experience. Each class is hands-on and uses the outdoors as our classroom. Our instructors make each class unique and get to know each student by name!

28097 Goodview Drive, Lanesboro, MN 55949 | 507.467.2437