OWLS AND COWS TOUR |
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A fun, interactive outreach program on native prairie and riparian stewardship Proudly presented by the Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan, the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre, and the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority. |
| The Owls and Cows Tour brings together the Prairie Conservation Action Plan's (PCAP) Cows, Fish, Cattle Dogs and Kids Game Show and the Saskatchewan Burrowing Owl Interpretive Centre's Owls On Tour Program. This fun, interactive program teaches grade 3 to 6 students about riparian areas and native prairie, using the endangered Burrowing Owl as a flagship species for native prairie conservation. |
BACKGROUND |
| PCAP and SBOIC joined forces in the spring of 2001 and piloted the Owls and Cows Tour to 8 schools in the Kindersley area. By March 2006 the Owls and Cows Tour visited a total of 348 schools (21,650 students). Rave reviews have been received from teachers about the Tours' effectiveness in promoting environmental stewardship to youth audiences. |
PROGRAM FORMAT |
| The Owls and Cows Tour requires approximately 2 hours. The program is delivered mornings and afternoons and is usually bracketed around a recess break. Students play the Cows, Fish, Cattle Dogs and Kids Game Show before recess and return after recess to participate in the Owls On Tour Program. Owls on Tour consists of songs and skits and features imprinted owls from the SBOIC. In 2006, Learn About Loggerhead Shrikes, a slideshow on the threatened Loggerhead Shrike, was added to the program. Group sizes of ~75 to 125 students work best as audience participation are key elements of these programs. |
DELIVERY IN SASKATCHEWAN |
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The Owls and Cows Tour is coordinated by the PCAP and is delivered by SBOIC and SWA.
We economize on costs by targeting areas for program delivery and visiting as many schools as possible in a given area. Schools with small enrolments travel to other small schools in nearby communities in order to receive the Tour. We provide a detailed checklist for hosting schools, so that everything will be in place by the time we arrive. We often visit 10 schools in a given week, so we often deliver morning and afternoon presentations to nearby schools in different communities. Little preparation is necessary and teachers are encouraged to simply enjoy the show and learn along with their students. |
EVALUATIONS |
| We are very interested in what teachers have to say about our stewardship education programs. We encourage teachers to complete our evaluation form so we can continue to improve our program and track progress. Teacher evaluations from the 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006 tours were outstanding! |
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS! |
| We are able to offer the Owls and Cows Tour to schools FREE OF CHARGE thanks to the generous donations of our sponsors. |
FOR MORE INFORMATION |
| Please contact: |
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Prairie Conservation Action Plan Box 4752, REGINA SK S4P 3Y4 ph: (306) 352-0472 fax (306) 569-8799 e-mail: pcap@sasktel.net |