Outdoor Education

Bird Study Trunk
 

Bird Watching Trunk
This kit contains binoculars, field ID books, an electronic bird song identifier, replica bird eggs and other resources to get youth and adults started in bird watching.  The kit contains different size and types of binoculars so user can try out different styles of binoculars to determine which type is best suited to their needs.  Also included in the kit is the bird watching in North Dakota guide developed by Floramay Miller and Dean Aakre.

Camouflage Box
Camouflage clothing has become part of the American social fabric.  But in nature camouflage protects not only prey, but predators as well.  This trunk is designed to help 4-H leaders introduce youth to the history and importance of camouflage.  The hands on activities and games are designed for youth ages 6 thru 19.   

A few of the activities are:  

1. History of camouflage: discusses how and why humans have used camouflage and it’s many uses. 

2. The Thicket Game: (adapted from Project Wild) Youth will use this outdoor game to understand the importance of camouflage in predator and prey relationships. It is a version of Hide and Seek in which one student becomes a predator and the rest are prey.  

3. Hidden in Plain Sight: (adapted from Hands on Nature) This outdoor activity allows youth to experience how an object's shape, color, texture, and pattern determine how easily it can be seen against its background. 

4. Newspaper Camouflage: in an indoor activity that uses newspaper for exploring the concept of camouflage.  Youth cut out a shape (fish, bird, insect, or animal from a sheet of newspaper). The shape is then placed on a full sheet of newspaper and a question/answer sheet is used to discuss how shapes and backgrounds help hide or make the cutout stand out.   

Most activities can be completed in approximately ½ to 1 hour. Instructors are encouraged to choose activities best suited to time available, age, and skill level of participants.  Since there are more activities in the trunk that can be used at one club meeting, you may want to use the trunk more than once.

Deer Aging Trunk
This trunk is designed to help 4-H members learn how to age deer by using visual and jaws key identification points in a club.

Activities in trunk will teach:

• Live deer age evaluation
• Teeth wear to age harvested deer
• The key aiming points on a deer to harvest a deer quickly and humanly
• Hands on activities include:
• Picture exercise where youth match visual age to pictures of does and bucks
• Jaw Bone Exercise #1 where youth using teeth wear clues to age deer jaws
• Jaw Bone Exercise #2 where six stations with 4 jaw bones per station, each station has a  question that needs to be answered. Youth must match one of the jaw bones to answer the question.

Each activity in the box requires approximately 1/2 to 1 hour to complete. Instructors are encourage to choose activities best suited to time available, age, and skill level of participants. There are more activities in the trunk that can be used in one club meeting. You may want to use the trunk more than once.

Raptors (Hawks and Owls) Trunk
Learn more about hawks and owls. Explore the life of raptors by dissecting
"owl pellets" and identifying the remains of prey animals in an owl's diet.
The kit also includes skulls and other replica parts of hawks and owls and
resource books with information about these raptors.

Tackle Crafting Trunks

Each trunk is designed around the 4HCCS Sport Fishing Curriculum Helper Guide. Activities are designed to teach youth and adults about fish habits and preferences based on bait presentation methods.

1. In-line Spinners - this trunk is available to teach spinner making for walleye fishing. This kit makes in-line mepps type spinners.
2. *Lead Head Jigs - this truck is used to make jigs for all types of fish. Making your own lures is not only fun and easy; it will save you money and gives one a great since of accomplishment when catching a fish on a homemade lure.  This box will is designed to teach 4-Her’s how to make the lead head jig the most versatile of all fishing lures. The trunk contains everything needed to make and paint lead head jigs in a club setting. 
3. Plastic Baits - this trunk is used to teach how to make soft plastic baits like frogs, worms and grubs.
4. Spinner Baits - this trunk is used to create spinner baits designed for northern pike and bass fishing. Also used to teach skills in making lead head jigs which are used for a variety of fish species.

*NOTE FOR LEAD HEAD JIGS: To complete the activity requires approximately 1 to 2 hours. Instructors are encouraged to work with older 4-Her’s.  It is recommended to do this activity in an open area to reduce exposure to lead fumes. NOTE OF WARNING: there can be some minimal risk with this box since youth will be working with both hot lead (700-800 degrees F) and lead lures once made. Lead can be an extremely dangerous material. It’s known to cause birth defects and should be dealt with carefully.  Precautions should be taken to reduce long exposure to lead.

Underwater World (Macro Invertebrates) Trunk - (for use by science teachers and agents with a background in macro invertebrates and wetlands)
Through the process of investigation and discovery youth will learn to collect and analyze aquatic life found in a wetland type environment.

Upland Game Bird Identification Trunk
This trunk is designed to help 4-H leaders teach upland game bird identification in a club setting. Activities are designed for youth ages 6 thru 19.

Trunk contents are:

• lesson plan
• upland game bird wings and quiz sheet
• upland game bird identification resources
• educational resources emphasizing fun and learning
• discussion questions

To complete the activity requires approximately ½ to 1 hour. Instructors are encouraged to choose activities best suited to time available, age, and skill level of participants.

Waterfowl Call Trunk 
This trunk is designed to help 4-H learn when and how to use waterfowl calls in a club setting. Activities are designed for youth ages 6 thru 19. 

Activities in Trunk will teach:
1. Recognize and identify sounds of geese and ducks
2. Learn to discriminate the different characteristics of these sounds
3. Integrate these characteristics to correctly use call in different situations
4. Have fun while learning 

To complete the activity requires approximately ½ to 1 hour. Instructors are encouraged to choose activities best suited to time available, age, and skill level of participants.

Waterfowl Identification Trunk
This trunk is designed to help 4-H leaders teach waterfowl identification in a club setting. Activities are designed for youth ages 6 thru 19. 

Trunk contents are:

• Lesson plan
• Books and ID cards to review the different identification characteristics of waterfowl
• Match the wing to the bird activity
• ID the waterfowl in the photo activity, photo sheets feature waterfowl in different environments that require identification
• Video tape resource that explains the key identification characteristics of waterfowl
• Educational resources emphasizing fun and learning
• Discussion questions
• Other hands on activities

To complete one of the many activities in the box requires approximately ½  to 1 hour. Instructors are encouraged to choose activities best suited to time available, age, and skill level of  participants.  There are more activities in the trunk that can be used in one club meeting.  You may want to use the trunk more than once.

Whistling Dakota Style
Wood forms and instructions for making your own wooden whistles.

Wildlife Call Trunk
This trunk is designed to help 4-H leaders teach waterfowl identification in a club setting. Activities are designed for youth ages 6 thru 19.  The call box is designed as a hands on activity and consists of 4 separate parts. 

1. Predator Calling - this section includes a number of calls used in calling predators along with written and taped instructions on how to use the calls, and short written instructions on when and where to do predator calling. 
2. Big Game Animals - this section includes a number of calls used in calling big game animals along with when and where to call. 
3. Turkey Calling - this part includes a number of different types of turkey calls  along with written and taped instructions on how and when to use the calls.
4. History of Animal Calls - a short written session on who, when and why we used calls during hunting. 

To complete one of the many activities in the box requires approximately ½  to 1 hour. Instructors are encouraged to choose activities best suited to time available, age, and skill level of  participants.  There are more activities in the trunk that can be used at one club meeting.  You may want to use the trunk more than once.

Wildlife Tracks
Wildlife Track trunk allows youth and adults to experience wildlife in an exciting hands-on way in an urban, or rural setting in or out of doors. For many, the kit is the gateway to appreciation of the outdoor world and provides their only contact with a wild animal.

The kit contains rubber tracks, and rubber scat (feces) for common North Dakota animals such as beaver, skunk, bobcat, coyote, raccoon, mink, muskrat, and deer. There are other materials included in the box such as wildlife ID books and lesson plans. 

Activities in box will teach

• Identification of common North Dakota wildlife by using only it’s tracks
• Identification of common North Dakota wildlife by using only it’s scat (feces)

To complete the activity requires approximately ½ to 1 hour. Instructors are encouraged to choose activities best suited to time available, age, and skill level of participants.

Outdoor Skills Resources available from other sources
(developed through a grant from the North Dakota 4-H Foundation, available from the sources listed below)

Fly Fishing - Fly Tying Educational Trunk
Youth learn about fly fishing and fly tying. Trunk contains ten fly rods with reels, ten sets of fly tying equipment, an educational video and CD, and a three-ring binder with hands-on activities.

Request the trunk well in advance and specify the approximate number of youth to be involved in the activity so adequate supplies can be included. Users will be charged for the fly tying supplies used. The trunk is housed in the Benson County office. Contact Scott Knocke at 701-473-5363.

Outdoor Survival Skills Educational Trunk
This trunk is composed of an easy-to-use curriculum, objects to assist in teaching each topic area, additional resources (including books, pamphlets, etc.) and activity sheets for each topic. Topics covered are:

• Basic Survival Skills
• Outdoor Tips & Tricks
• Poisonous Plants
• First Aid
• Fire Building
• Outdoor Cooking
• Weather Awareness

The trunk is housed in the Burleigh County office. Contact Cathy Palczewski at 701-221-6865 to reserve the trunk in advance.

Outdoor Cooking

Dutch Oven Cooking Trunk- Kit contains several cast iron Dutch ovens, instructions and recipes for making everything from lasagna to caramel rolls in a Dutch oven over a camp fire or cook stove.

Maple Sugar Candy Trunk - Contains pans and molds for making delicious maple sugar candy from maple syrup. Also contains a book of delicious ways to use maple syrup.

Outdoor Cooking Trunk - Contains pots and pans, propane burners, propane, measuring cups and spoons, bowls, etc. Also contains a cookbook of trail and camping recipes.

Animal and Plant Science
All learning laboratory kits are designed for hands on learning.

Beef Learning Laboratory Kit                       
Contents Educators Resource Materials Set-This resource contains masters of the learning laboratory kit contents-situation/task statements, charts and diagrams, identification tags, and instructions.

Topics/Content