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Dana Brown Overnight Center

 

Students sketching on boardwalkAre you looking for an immersive and transformative experience in nature for your students? Come to Shaw Nature Reserve’s environmental learning campus, the Dana Brown Overnight Center (DBOC)! DBOC programs provide schools with unique opportunities to extend classroom learning while fostering awe, wonder and curiosity for the natural world.

Class information:

  • All DBOC classes are hands-on, inquiry-based, and focus on students’ direct engagement with nature.
    Classes are grade-level appropriate and align with current Missouri State Standards.
  • Depending on grade level, group size, weather, and other factors, specific activities may vary for each class offering.
  • The DBOC requires a 10:1 student:chaperone ratio for all classes.

Pricing:

  • Class fees are $5/student with a $50 minimum.
  • Class fees are waived for one lead teacher as well as for one adult chaperone per ten students. Additional adults are charged the Shaw Nature Reserve's daily admission rate.
  • Full scholarships (including transportation) available for Title 1 and Title 1-Qualifying schools

Registration Information:

  • Groups may schedule their visit up to one year in advance. Availability is limited and programs are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. To register and/or for more information, contact Jessie Dockins, the DBOC school programs coordinator, at (314) 577-9539 or jdockins@mobot.org.
  • Day-use only classes may be scheduled Tuesday–Friday.

The following classes are available:

Focused Investigation: Aquatic Ecology

Focused Investigation:
Aquatic Ecology
Offered March–November
Capacity: 40 students
Length of class: 3 hours
Fee: $5 per student		   Students examining pond waterStudents will explore an aquatic ecosystem and investigate the unique communities living beneath the water’s surface. Like scientists, students will practice observing, asking questions, researching the organisms they discover, and sharing their findings with peers. This class includes a 30–60 minute walk to a pond, lake, stream, or river. Your DBOC school programs coordinator will work with you to determine which aquatic ecosystem is the best fit for your group.

Focused Investigation: Bird Ecology

Focused Investigation:
Bird Ecology
Offered Year-round
Capacity: 40 students
Length of class: 2 hours
Fee: $5 per student		   BirdFrom ID to behavior, students will explore birds from many perspectives in this popular class. Along a ½ mile bird walk, students will search for birds and the signs they leave behind while learning the basics of bird identification. Students will then dive into bird behavior, investigating the main types of bird calls and how to interpret them. Finally, students will apply their bird language skills by recording, analyzing, and interpreting the behavior of birds around the DBOC.

Focused Investigation: Invertebrate Ecology

Focused Investigation:
Insect Ecology
Offered March–November
Capacity: 40 students
Length of class: 2 hours
Fee: $5 per student		   ButterflyUsing scientific tools and methods, students will search for insects and other invertebrates in both forest and/or prairie ecosystems. Like scientists, students will practice observing, asking questions, and researching the organisms they discover. This class concludes with a “critter convention,” in which students share their discoveries, observations, and research with their peers.

Ecosystem Exploration: Forest Ecology

Ecosystem Exploration:
Forest Ecology
Offered Year-round
Capacity: 40 students
Length of class: 2 hours
Fee: $5 per student		   forestAs students explore Shaw Nature Reserve’s forests, they will deepen their understanding of this habitat and the communities existing within it. During a ½-mile hike, students will identify forest plants and animals, consider the importance and interdependence of biotic and abiotic factors, and work together to create forest ecosystem models. Finally, students will be challenged to use their models to predict how natural and human caused changes may affect the forest ecosystem.

Ecosystem Exploration: Wetland Ecology

Ecosystem Exploration:
Wetland Ecology
Offered Year-round
Capacity: 40 students
Length of class: 2 hours
Fee: $5 per student		   LilypadsStudents will explore Shaw Nature Reserve’s wetland to discover what makes wetlands unique as well as the many ecosystem services wetlands provide. Using evidence to make explanations, students will investigate the adaptations that help plants and animals survive in a wetland. Students will also use models to explore wetland processes as well as learn how the DBOC uses wetland biomimicry to benefit DBOC guests.

Ecosystem Exploration: Prairie Ecology

Ecosystem Exploration:
Prairie Ecology
Offered July–December
Capacity: 40 students
Length of class: 2 hours
Fee: $5 per student		   Prairie flowersExplore the ecosystem that once covered 40 percent of Missouri! As students hike through the tallgrass prairie, they will investigate the complex relationships between the plants and animals that live in this ecosystem. Students will also learn how Shaw Nature Reserve utilizes traditional ecological knowledge of fire to manage this ecosystem.

Ecosystem Exploration: Ecosystem Sampler

Ecosystem Exploration:
Ecosystem Sampler
Offered Year-round
Capacity: 40 students
Length of class: 2 hours
Fee: $5 per student		   As students explore the forest, wetland, and prairie, they will identify plants and animals, investigate habitats and adaptations, consider the importance and interdependence of biotic and abiotic factors, and learn about what makes these ecosystems unique.

Art in Nature

Art in Nature
Offered Year-round
Capacity: 40 students
Length of class: 90 minutes
Fee: $5 per student		   Girl stacking rocksInspired by Andy Goldsworthy, a renowned nature artist, this class encourages students to create art from the natural world. After viewing and discussing examples of nature art, students will use natural objects to create ephemeral art that represents their relationship with the natural world. Class concludes with a “gallery walk” of students’ artistic creations!!

Introduction to Compass

Introduction to Compass
Offered Year-round
Capacity: 25 students
Length of class: 90 minutes
Fee: $5 per student 		  TrailIn this popular class, students will learn about cardinal directions, how to orient using landmarks, and how to use a compass to navigate. After an indoor introduction, students will head outside to navigate Shaw Nature Reserve’s compass course while completing group challenges!

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Global Positioning System (GPS)
Offered Year-round
Capacity: 40 students
Length of class: 2 hours
Fee: $5 per student 		  School group on trailChallenge your students to a GPS scavenger hunt! After learning how to use GPS, students will put their skills to the test, navigating Shaw Nature Reserve while hunting for hidden GPS boxes. Working together, student groups will use clues found in the boxes to solve nature mysteries. A 5:1 student to chaperone ratio is recommended for this class.