Echoes Of Nature has school programs that are specially designed with the Next Generation Science Standards and State Curriculum correlated into the presentations that include the Environmental Literacy standards for a classroom or auditorium. The instructor introduces your class to natural science topics through the use of live animals, high interest demonstrations and biofacts. Echoes Of Nature is your in-house field trip. Participation of students is encouraged during each program. For 2023-2024, we can present our programs in person with CDC guidelines, as well as virtual platforms. Please email or call to inquire about specifics.
If a special topic program is desired but not listed or not under your grade, please call and see if one can be designed to meet your needs. This may need to be done at least two weeks to two months in advance in order to fully design and prepare.
Information and Fees (2023-2024 School Year):
Length of Session: approximately 45 minutes (Sessions for younger participants can be at 30 minutes. Ask about options.)
Number of Students: 60 maximum (except for PreK-K at 45 Maximum) and Lab Style at 30 Maximum
Pricing In-Person: $195.00 for one program $175.00 per additional program- same day
$25 or $35 driving fee for areas beyond 20 mile radius (PG and AA counties are within radius)
Pricing Live Virtual: $140 per program
Pricing Pre-Recorded: $250 per program
Program List
Note, not all of the animals shown below are our ambassadors.
Animal Sounds and Movement- Pre-K
What animal sounds can you make? Can you move like these animals? Meet some live animals and try out their sounds and movements.
Animal Textures and Colors-Pre-K & K
Discover the amazing world of animal textures and colors. Be an animal detective and meet some live animals to figure out if the animals are rough or smooth. What colors are the animals? Do they have stripes or spots?
Ugh! A bug! (or is it Ooh, Cool!)- Pre-K & K
Discover the world of bugs. “Bugs” are everywhere. But what is a bug? Does it have 6 or 8 legs? Or more? Meet some “bugs” and use your detective skills to figure out if it is an insect or an arachnid.
North American Millipedes
These decomposers are critical to a healthy environment as they turn the "dead stuff" into nutrients for the soil.
Journey Into Winter Pre-K-Grade 2
Winter is here. Where are the animals? How do they survive the cold, foodless winters? Some migrated. Some are dozing. Some are true hibernators. Meet some animals and find out where they would be during winter.
Animals of Maryland- Grade K
Meet some native live animals that can be found in Maryland. Learn basic differences between animal body coverings. Observe and touch certain animals.
Bay BC’s- Grade K
Explore the rich variety of life that fills our Chesapeake Bay. On our journey meet some animals that might be found here. Learn simple ways to protect the Bay’s fragile environment.
Red-shouldered Hawk
These hawks are a little smaller than their Red-tailed cousins, but can also be found throughout the state potentially year round.
Growing Up- Grade 1
Follow the life cycle of animals. See how they change during their lives. Compare and contrast the young with the adults.
Dinosaurs- Grades 1&2 or 3&4
Discover up-to-date information about T-Rex, “Brontosaurus” and other dinosaur relatives. Touch “living fossils” and find out who might be a living descendent of these prehistoric creatures.
Got Habitat? - Grades 1&2
Maryland has a variety of habitats. Each habitat meets the basic needs of the animals and plants that live there. Meet some of our animal ambassadors and discover their requirements for food, shelter, water and space.
Wild Eastern Cottontail
Have you watched a wild rabbit in your neighborhood? Our ambassador rabbits help to teach about their wild cousins. Regardless, most will agree they are both cute.
Animal Adaptations- Grades 1&2
Discover the special adaptations of animals in their survival for life. What is some of the best “equipment” for the job of living on land, air or water?
Food Chain- Grade 2
Meet some living “links” in a food chain. Learn how each “link” depends upon the other surrounding animals and plants. “Build” a food chain and find out what happens if that food chain “breaks”.
Looking at Vertebrates- Grades 2&3 Lab Style
What is a vertebrate? Let’s find out. Explore hands-on biofacts and artifacts that give clues to each group of vertebrates. Find out special characteristics or adaptations that are beneficial for each group. Which is the most diverse group of vertebrates? Meet live representations for most of the vertebrate groups.
What’s Buggin’ You? Grades 2-3
Bugs, bugs everywhere. What are they good for? Compare, contrast and diagram insects and arachnids. Meet live representatives of these 2 groups.
Life in the Chesapeake Bay Area Grades 2-4 : LabStyle
Compare/contrast life in freshwater and saltwater/brackish water through hands on items, microscopes, guides and animals.
Pond Life-Grades 3-4 Lab Style
Can’t take the class to the pond? Have some of the pond and some of its inhabitants brought to your class! Meet some live macroscopic pond animals. Explore pond water/muck, find and identify interesting pond life.
Baby Common Snapping Turtle
This is a picture of our common snapping turtle when we first adopted him. See how big he has grown on the Ambassador Page.
Earthworm Lab - Grades 3-4 Lab Style
Make hypotheses of how and why an earthworm will react to certain stimuli. Observe earthworms moving and take measurements. What are the benefits of having earthworms in your yard?
Habitats of Maryland -Grades 3-4 Lab Style
Maryland has a variety of habitats. Each habitat meets the basic needs of the animals and plants that live there. Be habitat detectives and determine which habitat the animal ambassadors belong through clues to their requirements for food, shelter, water and space.
Winter Survivors- Grades 3-4
What tactics do animals use to survive winter? Explore migration, hibernation and adaptation techniques. Focus on hazards of winter survival.
Male Cardinal
These bird feeder visitors can provide a much needed splash of color to the winter scenery
Web of Life- Grades 3-4
Solve the puzzle to reveal the basic concepts of photosynthesis and food webs. Meet some of the “links” and discover how they fit in the web of life.
Animals In The Stars- Grades 3-4
Bring constellations to life through star stories and animals. Why do we have a history of star stories? How many constellations are there and what are asterisms?
Animal Adaptations II Grade 5
What adaptations do animals have to survive and thrive? What “equipment” do they need for the job of living on land, air or water? Which animals have structural or behavioral adaptations? Also the difference of those in captivity versus wild behavior. {Can focus on specific adaptations!}
Garden Spider
Spiders are not everyone's favorite, but they provide an essential service and are critical to the "Web of Life" as both predator and prey.
Frog Math - Grades 4-7 Lab Style
Great leaping amphibians! How far can a frog jump? Make "frogs" jump and then measure the distances. Get the measure of central tendency for each one. Compare size and distance of frogs and humans. Meet real live amphibians to help with the lab.
Snakes!- Grades 5-8
Meet the misunderstood, but fascinating animal- the snake. Learn about the natural history of snakes with a special look at local venomous and non-venomous species. Meet some non-venomous snakes to help with the class.
Skeletons Grades 5-8
Leg bone connected to the hip bone...All animal skeletons are the same, right? Find out. Compare and contrast our skeleton with different animals. Great for preview or review of class materials.
Mountain Lion
Animals & Their Biomes Grade 6
Studying biomes? Add live animals into the mix and help students learn about the biomes, the animals and how animals are adapted to live in certain places and not others.
Microscopic Pond Life Grades 6-8: Lab Style
You provide the microscopes. We provide the pond life. View and identify microscopic pond life. Hands on experience with microscope, living organisms and identification.
Additional Details: Pre-requisite: Basic knowledge to safely and correctly use a microscope. This lab is designed for your students to further their working knowledge of the microscope and add microscopic pond life to the mix. They will set up deep well slides with a drop of pond water. They will observe and draw the living organisms. They will then use the provided guides to identify the organisms. The instructor will go step by step for students to set up the slides and will help with identification, as well as point out interesting facts about many of the organisms. Questions and answers will be encouraged.
Careers with Animals
Once if you wanted a career with animals your choices were limited to veterinarian, farmer, or zookeeper. Now more options are opening up every day.
Careers with animals Grades 6-8: Labstyle
Interested in a career that deals with nature, natural history, biology, animals or science in general? Not sure of some of the routes that you could take? Discover some of the different options available, ask questions and meet some animal ambassadors.
Chemistry of Plants & Animals Grades 7-8: Lab Style
Use common plant juices and household chemicals to determine ACID/BASE/NEUTRAL. Share live animals and some of their chemical based protections.
Earth Crust Layers: Lab Style
Studying the layers of the Earth? Would you like a field trip that brings additional educational fun to your classroom? Your class will make an edible cross section on the Earth and its layers. How did early people explain earthquakes? Hear legends/folktales of why we have earthquakes.
Due to time and food being presented, there are no live animals in this program.