Staff stress the importance of never trying to make a pet out of a wild animal, like what was done with Jake and how much better it would be for him to be in his natural environment. Orienteering A great way to learn how to learn how to find your way in the outdoors. A newly designed course at the West Rock Nature Center will also allow participants to learn about map reading, use of compasses and GPS, trail nomenclature, as well as topographical maps. This popular program introduces children and youth to the fascinating world of owls. By using sterilized owl pellets, students reconstruct the owl's prey by piecing together the bones and studying the skulls.
Pellets consist of the hair and bones that owls regurgitate following a meal.
They contain valuable clues to what the owl was eating, and the habitat in which the owl was hunting. The program also teaches children about where owls live, how they see so well at night and how to tell if there are owls living nearby. Students will be fascinated by our museum grade specimen of the great horned owl, Bubo Virginianus. This program includes the use of a seining net, which allow participants of all ages to learn about pond ecology and the food chain at Edgewood Park s Duck Pond. The program is complemented with a tour of the ranger station, including displays of native and non-native inhabitants.