Nocturnal Adventures: Africa Predator Prowl Overnight At a glance Participants will learn about the role of predators in an African ecosystem and the challenges they face when coexisting with humans sharing the same landscape. TIME REQUIREMENT: OBJECTIVES: Program runs ~7pm-9am Africa Predator Prowl I (APP I) Participants will discover that predators GROUP SIZE AND GRADES: come in many shapes and sizes and play Africa Predator Prowl I (APP I) varying roles in their ecosystem th th o Up to 120 people, 4 -6 grades Participants will become familiar with basic Africa Predator Prowl II (APP II) food webs and how communities of th o Up to 120 people, 7 grade and up animals, plants and non-living things exist. Participants will understand how humans PREPARATION: are sharing their land with wildlife including Set out Who Killed My Goat supplies predators as well as the challenges and Set out Find Your Food supplies solutions that come with this coexistence Retrieve demo animals and review APP-specific Africa Predator Prowl II (APP II) information to share on each Students will take a look at how Set up AV equipment in rooms to play Thane’s ecosystems are naturally balanced, and Africa coexistence video at bedtime how conservation of predator/prey relationships plays a part. MATERIALS: Students will determine a predator’s role, APP keyset and how predators in Africa have been Radio & black bag impacted by changes in their environment. Schedule of events Students will explore various management strategies, modern challenges of wildlife Flashlight with red filter management, and species success stories Owl call (use link on NA staff website) from coexistence of predators and people. ANIMAL OPTIONS: PROGRAM THEME: African snakes Predators are highly adapted for their role in the Hedgehog/Tenrec food web and coexisting with them benefits every Turaco species, including humans, by maintaining healthy Cockroach and balanced ecosystems. Hornbill Barn Owl SUBTHEMES: Radiated Tortoise 1. Animals in an ecosystem belong to a specific Spiny-Tailed Lizard trophic level within a food web Scorpion 2. Many species of large predators are endangered HIKE LOCATIONS: 3. Predators come in many shapes and sizes Africa (+ Behind-the-Scenes) Wolf Woods Nocturnal Adventures: Africa Predator Prowl I & II Page 1 of 64 Background Information: Education Program Goals: Curriculum Overview: Create a sense of WONDER in all One of the most influential environmental participants writers in our lifetime, David Sobel, focuses on Capitalize on moments of wonder- changing the counterproductive trap of During up-close animal demos & in front teaching children about ecological problems of exhibit animals/behind the scenes and environmental abuse. He theorizes that opportunities. children may be overwhelmed by these Convey KNOWLEDGE to all participants problems and may develop something he terms This should be done by using “ecophobia” based on the so-called “doom and participatory teaching methods (e.g. gloom” and negativity that is included in asking questions/seeking answers). teachings about environmental conservation. Giving the group time to think and He suggests instead that conservation respond. This may create small education should be based on student ages moments of quiet which may feel a little and, as such, include appropriate topics and uncomfortable at first but will, in the activities that focus on getting children to bond end, help them grow as observers and with and love the earth and nature before independent, critical thinkers. That is asking them to save it. Because we live in the what we want!! digital age, there is an increase in information Empower/Enable our participants to ACT or availability, including that of loss, habitat become ACTIVE in conservation destruction, climate change, etc. Rather than This overnight will highlight coexistence focus our programming on this loss and between people and wildlife. devastation and regret and guilt for the role we Furthermore, it should show our humans have played in it, it is essential that we audience that they can positively affect express hope for what can be and has been global conservation through their done, and “celebrate what’s right around us” actions. (National Geographic photographer Dewitt Bring our audience “Close Enough to Care” Jones). In order to do that we need to as Create close, personal encounters and instructors and be the guiding lights and role experience with wildlife that foster models to our students, we must show that we connections between people and as people create hope for wildlife through our nature. actions. By illustrating what is possible and that we, as humans, are part of the solution, we Africa Predator Prowl Overview: have an opportunity to engage and empower Africa Predator Prowl I th th our visitors, students and educators with hope. This overnight is designed for 4 -6 graders Through this hope for species survival in the ages 9-12. When students think of predators, future, we show them how they can positively they most often picture the larger ones such as affect global conservation! Jane Goodall, says it lions, tigers, wolves, and bears! This program is best with her four reasons for hope: “Our designed to introduce them to the world of human intellect, resilience of nature, the predators—both large and small that live on energy and commitment of informed young the continent of Africa. Students will discover people who are empowered to act and the the amazing roles of these animals, the indomitable human spirit.” Let’s harness those strategies and adaptations that predators use reasons for hope with the way we present our to be successful, and how people and animals programs and leave our audiences empowered can learn to live together. Throughout the and inspired. evening, students will be taking a look at what Nocturnal Adventures: Africa Predator Prowl I & II Page 2 of 64 an animal’s role is in the food web and how it ecosystem, and determine why predators are a helps to sustain the balance of nature in a vital link. Students will also explore historic shared landscape with humans. human interaction with predators and why Objectives: many of these interactions are complicated and Students will discover that predators come have resulted in negative consequences for the in many shapes and sizes and play varying predatory species. As we develop a better roles in their ecosystem understanding of the relationships between Students will become familiar with basic species in an ecosystem we better understand food webs and how communities of the role that each component, predators animals, plants and non-living things exist. included, play in the maintenance of a healthy Students will understand how humans are ecosystem. This overnight will also explore sharing their land with wildlife including traditional approaches to conservation (e.g. predators as well as the challenges and national parks, nature preserves) which have solutions that come with this coexistence focused on separating people and wildlife as State Standards Addressed: well as more integrated approaches that have 4th Grade State Standards focused on coexistence within shared o Ohio: (LS) Topic = “Earth’s living history” ecosystems. The idea of conservation o Kentucky: (NGSS – 4-LS1-2) Topic = combining humans and wildlife in the same “Structure, Function, and Information places has shown promise in integrated Processing” landscapes throughout Africa. We will look at o Indiana: (LS) Topic = Adaptations and several successful models there. Fitness Objectives: 5th Grade State Standards Students will take a look at how o Ohio: (LS) Topic = “Interconnectedness ecosystems are naturally balanced, and within an Ecosystem” how conservation of predator/prey o Kentucky: (NGSS – 5-LS2-1) Topic = relationships plays a part. “Matter and Energy in Organisms and Students will determine a predator’s Ecosystems role, and how predators in Africa have o Indiana: (LS) Topic = Movement of been impacted by changes in their matter and trophic levels environment. 6th Grade State Standards Students will explore various o Ohio: (LS) Topic = “Cellular to management strategies, modern Multicellular” challenges of wildlife management, o Kentucky: and species success stories from . (NGSS – MS-ESS3-4) Topic = “Human coexistence of predators and people. Impacts” State Standards Addressed: . (NGSS – MS-LS2-2) Topic = 7th Grade State Standards “Interdependent Relationships in o Ohio: Ecosystems” . (LS) Topic = “Cycles of matter and o Indiana: (6-LS-3) Topic = Relationships flow of energy” between organisms . (ES) Topic = “Cycles and patterns of Earth and the moon” (climate Africa Predator Prowl II change) th This overnight is designed for 7 graders (age o Kentucky: 12) and older. In this program, we will examine . (NGSS – MS-ESS3-4) Topic = “Human the many niches held by animals in a healthy Impacts” Nocturnal Adventures: Africa Predator Prowl I & II Page 3 of 64 . (NGSS – MS-LS2-2) Topic = opportunistic, taking any prey encountered “Interdependent Relationships in during the course of daily activities. Ecosystems” o Indiana: No direct tie-in Predator Types & Prey: 8th Grade State Standards What is a predator? A predator is an animal o Ohio: (LS) Topic = “Species and that relies on capturing and eating other Reproduction” animals for food. When people think of o Kentucky: predators, they often visualize lions, African . (NGSS – MS-ESS3-4) Topic = “Human wild dogs and cheetahs killing an antelope. In Impacts” reality, literally millions of acts of predation . (NGSS – MS-LS2-2) Topic = occur every day, such as a white faced owl “Interdependent Relationships in nabbing an insect. Although the very term Ecosystems” predator brings to mind images of lions on the o Indiana: (8-LS-5) Topic = Factors savannahs of Africa or the great shark stalking affecting natural selection the coastal waters, predation is defined more 9th-12th Grade State Standards generally as the consumption of all or part of o Ohio: one living organism by another.