Programs

“Meeting Merlin was a magical experience for our students! It was so special for them to be able to observe an owl for that amount of time and Merlin absolutely sparked their interest in owls and other birds. Meeting an animal that had been injured and rescued also provided the students with a more concrete understanding of the work that happens at Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary. The educational trunks from Snowdon have been so helpful for our program. Our students and staff have enjoyed the ability to interact with the materials in the trunks, whether they are real feathers or bird feet or a mold of a bear track. The traveling trunks give us the opportunity to dive deeper into a subject and learn more about a specific animal than we would otherwise be able.”

“Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary is a wonderful partner of Ponderosa State Park! When Merlin comes for our interpretive programs- he regularly draws crowds of over 100 park visitors! Merlin has come for our summer evening programs and our World Migratory Bird Day- events that both park visitors and locals alike adore! Snowdon’s educational trunks have also been a part of these events enchanting and sparking curiosity in the minds of our visitors both young and old! We are so thankful to have this partner to enhance our educational programs at Ponderosa State Park and further engage and educate the public in our surrounding wildlife and natural resources!”

“An absolute highlight for both the PLCA 4 Kids After-School Program and Summer Camp is doing outreach education with Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary. Our students, who range in age from 5 to 14, are always captivated by Merlin the Great Horned Owl and the hands-on learning experiences provided by the team at Snowdon. We’ve used the education resources (pelts, skulls, books, DVDs, stuffed animals and more) in the traveling trunks for multi-day lessons to learn about local fauna. Snowdon has also led owl pellet dissections for our groups and created a scavenger hunt at the sanctuary for our students to gain a better understanding of what is happening there. Our community is so lucky to have such a wonderful organization in it!”

“Our students had a wonderfully immersive and engaging experience at Snowdon. Pulling knapweed from the property was both a great lesson in service , as well as a wonderful experiential learning opportunity regarding invasive species. Meeting Merlin the great-horned owl, the red-tailed hawk and a little baby squirrel were highlights for our students– It was amazing how quiet the students got when we were shown the baby squirrel! Our host and educator, Sierra, was exceptionally knowledgeable and very patient with the many questions from our students. Thanks, Snowdon!”

“Partnering with Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary brings learning alive to the first grade students of Barbara R. Morgan Elementary School. The wildlife trunks inspire awe as students notice, explore, question, and come to understanding around the structure and function of animal adaptations. The highlight for students (and parents) of exploring the Snowden campus through a scavenger hunt was intensified by the instructors who so knowledgably and kindly introduced us to Kai and, later, Merlin – raptors with harrowing stories but happy endings. And dissecting owl pellets shortly after meeting Merlin was nothing short of revelatory for 6 and 7 year olds with shouts of, “I found a skull!!” and “Here is a femur…”