The paths around the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center in Oak Brook were recently full of the excitement of 500 students and teachers reaching the culmination of their hard work with the “Bass in the Class” program this fall.
Through this award-winning program, teachers incorporate aquariums with live smallmouth bass into their classrooms for eight weeks. Students help care for young fish, which are ultimately released into a forest preserve. The “Bass in the Class” experience can be adapted for any grade level and offers lessons on life cycles, food chains, ecosystems, animal behavior, aquatic invasive species and water pollution.
At the return event at Fullersburg Woods on Nov. 7, students and teachers delivered more than 100 fish that they’d given a head start in life. They also participated in numerous educational activities presented by Forest Preserve District naturalists and partner organizations including the Shedd Aquarium, SCARCE, Lunkers Unlimited Bass Fishing Club and the DuPage Rivers Fly Tyers.
The “Bass in the Class” program will begin again in spring, when training sessions will offer teachers an overview of the program and insight on how to meet their educational objectives. To learn more about the program, contact Keriann Dubina at Fullersburg Woods at kdubina@dupageforest.org.
The Forest Preserve District’s five education centers offer dozens of opportunities for classroom projects, field trips and more. For more information, visit dupageforest.org and click on “Things to Do” and “Teachers and Scouts” to view the comprehensive guide.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County owns and manages 25,000 acres of prairies, woodlands, and wetlands. Each year its 60 forest preserves, 145 miles of trails, five education centers and scores of programs welcome over 4 million visitors. For information, call 630-933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also link to the District’s e-newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube pages.