Starflower Experiences offers a number of different experiences for school-age youngsters. All of our programming is age-specific and goal-oriented. We understand how kids learn and so our experiences are fun and interesting as well as motivating.

Our in-school presentations include:  Save the Trashasaurus  Here Comes the Water Patrol  Download a brochure about these presentations (as a pdf file) Our outdoor programs include:  Earthkeepers  Rangers of the Earth  Ecodefenders Our summer adventures include:  Earthkeepers  Earth Explorers  Nature's Way

1st - 3rd graders  30 minutes  helps students learn to make less trash

"Save the Trashasaurus" is a participatory puppet show for grades 1-3. The Trashasaurus is a dinosaur-like creature who is suffocating under all our trash. A rap song ("the Trashasaurus Chorus") teaches that some ways to help the Trashasaurus (and ourselves) are to "use up old things and don't waste new" and to "recycle stuff so it comes back new." After each presentation, the teachers are left with follow-up booklets for their students to be used as a tool to reinforce the points made in the presentations as well as encouraging students to make a commitment to make less trash. Each class also receives a large wall chart to help keep track of their promises and those youngsters who really keep them are rewarded. This presentation is designed to hook the interest of this particular age group and deal with the understandings that are appropriate for that level.

Second graders at St. Anne's School in Garden City all kept their promises to help the Trashasaurus

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 3rd - 4th graders
 30 minutes
 Helps students begin to use less water

This presentation will help students: 1) understand the water cycle, 2) realize that, here on Long Island, our water supply is underground, and 3) know why and how to use less water. Students will giggle when they walk into the room and laugh right through this presentation as they get to help the Water Patrol haunt someone's dreams. What follows is a lively scene as they travel through the water cycle, talk with water drops and think about ways to avoid wasting water. And we'll leave them with a challenge to start looking for ways to decrease their own water consumption and to share what they've learned with others.

Visit our new Water Patrol web page for kids!

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Rangers of the Earthtm

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  2nd - 3rd graders
  Full week for a small group
  Based at Manor Farm
  Focuses on understanding our plant and animal neighbors and how they interact

Youngsters who follow Nature's Way will begin their expedition each day at our headquarters at Manor Farm where they will be involved in games and challenges to better understand their natural neighbors. Then they'll set off along "Nature's Way" in the woodlands of the adjacent Berkeley Jackson County Park where they'll have the chance to practice and apply their new understandings as well as learn to appreciate the natural beauty of this area. Finally, participants will come to see how they can help the plants and animals that live together and depend on each other in natural communities.

Download a registration flyer here for this summer: Nature's Way Summer 2016

Summer 2013:

Needs Bingo

Exploring along 'Nature's Way'

Putting together plant part puzzles

Trying some earth colors along 'Nature's Way'

Working on animal family photo albums

Playing the game of life

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Ecodefenders starts in the classroom with pre-trip preparation that helps students find out where they get some of the things they need to live (such as air, water, food). We then meet the class at an outdoor site where they are introduced to a natural community in a sensory-awakening way and then become plants or animals looking for homes in a natural community. When the marsh "residents" find out that the marsh has become a field and they can no longer live there, all the kids go to "court" where Judge Mopner helps them figure out if any of the former marsh residents can meet their needs in the field or forest communities. Once back at school, their teachers work with ecodefender "patrols" to design and carry out projects that will help to defend their community (work on saving water, not polluting air...). The activities used, an Earthwalk and "Home Sweet Home" were designed by The Institute for Earth Education. . The Institute for Earth Education

Mrs. Peck takes a 'whiff' at Southaven County Park

The 'mayor' greets Mrs. Peck's class from Tangier Smith School

The jury listens to the evidence...

Judge Mopner helps a defendent

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 For Earthkeepers & Apprentice Earthkeepers
 For Earth Rangers & Earth Ranger trainees
 Exploring natural places and lifestyles

Only those youngsters who have or are participating in the Earthkeepers and Rangers of the Earth programs are invited to join in on these adventures. Earth Explorers takes place in July the week after our Earthkeepers summer session. This "camp" sesson includes exploring the woods near Manor Farm, takes a look at some lifestyle elements and visits other natural communities. The exploring adventures can help youngsters complete some of their individual tasks from the Earthkeepers program.

Sniggling at the Waterfront Center

In 2014, we went sniggling and seining at the Waterfront Center in Oyster Bay, followed the stream in Welwyn Preseve, learned about energy audits, visited an organic farm, and spent a rainy day learning about the alewives coming back to the Carll's River. The advanced group visited a couple small community gardens in Brooklyn, toured the Queens Botanic Garden's LEED building, and kayaked on the Carmens River. 2015 dates Earth Explorers: July 13-17 (and Advanced for those in 6th grade and above June 29-July 2)

we followed the stream in Welwyn Preserve

our older group toured the LEED building at the Queens Botanic Garden

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