Vertebrate Museum To Offer Classes For Area Youth

The Sam Houston State Vertebrate Museum is offering natural history classes this summer for youth between the ages of 7 and 14. The week-long classes are being offered to introduce young students to local animals and their habitat.

Class activities will involve taking students to field sites near Huntsville, and providing a number of different ecosystems for exploration, such as Lake Raven, the Huntsville State Park, the Sam Houston National Forest and the SHSU Biological Field Station.

Students will gain experience in the outdoors, learn to identify vertebrate species and recognize the importance of conserving and appreciating local ecosystems. Most of all, students will have fun exploring and learning, according to natural history education program director William Lutterschmidt.

Two classes will be held, from June 9 to June 13 and June 16 through June 20, with different sections of the classes being held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. or a "nature at night" section from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. for each week.

The SHSU Vertebrate Museum will also hold two-day frog dissection classes, on June 23-24 and June 25-26. Both classes will hold sections at 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Registration for the classes is $55 per class, or $100 for two children who are registered for the same class, and will be open until the classes fill. Payments can be mailed to: William I. Lutterschmidt, Sam Houston State Vertebrate Museum, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, 77341-2116.

Only 120 students, or 12 in each class, can enroll in the program; therefore, enrollment will be on a first come basis.

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SHSU Media Contact: Jennifer Gauntt
May 30, 2003
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