The Homeschool Naturalist program is offered as a series of eight different two-hour long visits to the Ogden Nature Center.  These programs will be offered once monthly from September to May (no program in December) on the last  Wednesday of each month.

Registration

 Pre-registration and payment is required prior to the first day of class. Space is limited. Please call 801-621-7595 to register for the Homeschool Naturalist program.

Cost and Payment   

The fee for the Ogden Nature Center Homeschool Naturalist program is $80 for non-members and $65 for members per child per school year.  A 15% discount will be given to families who enroll more than one child in the program

Student Age   

Students aged 6-12 may register for the program.  

Siblings 

Children who are not registered for the program should not be brought to class, including all siblings.  Please make arrangements for other children on the dates of your visits. 

Parents

You are welcome to attend any and all visits with your children and act as a chaperone.  If you choose to attend, we would like to stress the importance of your active participation.  Please be willing to help with all children, not just your own.  We also ask that you turn off all cell phones and other distractions for the duration of the visit. 

Weather

Our programs will be held even if weather is inclement. Please be sure your child is adequately prepared for weather conditions including rain, snow, sun, cold, and heat. 

West Nile Virus 

West Nile Virus has been reported in the Ogden Area this year.  As your child will be outdoors for a large portion of the visit, we recommend that you protect him/her with insect repellent containing DEET.  The Ogden Nature Center recently had a mosquito abatement treatment.  The chance of contracting the disease or of displaying any symptoms is fairly low, but it's always best to take precautions.  

Program times  

All programs will begin at 12:30 p.m. and end at 2:30 p.m.  Please be punctual, as your child may miss some vital information at the start if they are late, and may also cause a distraction for those who are on time. If you will not be attending a visit, be sure to pick your child up on time as well. Teachers often have other assignments right after your program and are not available to supervise children waiting for rides.

Expected Behavior

Please prepare your child by helping him or her to understand appropriate group learning behavior. Raising hands before shouting out questions or ideas, taking turns, staying with the group, and being respectful to class-mates and teachers will be essential for a productive learning experience.  Students may also be asked to stand in lines. 

Homeschool Naturalists 2012-2013 schedule

Theme: Green Adventures

September: (September 26th)

Getting There -Students will discuss different transportation methods and the resources required to utilize each method.

October: (October 31st )

Food for Thought - Students will explore different food choices and investigate where our class snacks come from.

November:  (November 28th)

Clean Air, Clean Water - Students will discuss how simple everyday choices can affect the quality of precious resources like air and water and how we can work together to keep them clean and healthy.

January: (January 30th )

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Students will put their creative skills to work as they improvise ideas for reusing and recycling everyday items and reducing the waste that we put into our landfills.

February: (February 27th)

Home Green Home - Students will learn about current innovative building designs that help lower energy consumption, use recycled materials, and make our footprint just a little smaller.

March: (March 27th)

Earth, Wind & Solar - Students will explore the world of alternative energy, observe the workings of our new solar array, and discuss the future of energy.

April: (April 24th)

Up, Up and Away - Students will look to the future as they explore current efforts underway to help protect and restore the earth and will develop an idea for a sustainability-related service project.

May: (May 29th)

Final Project - Students will work together to complete a service project of their choice and share their final written project with the class.