We are passionate about Nebraska’s natural resources!
Our dedicated education team teaches thousands of kids about environmental conservation topics yearly through classroom visits, events, and our online educational resources.
Programs offer free, fun, and interactive experiences perfect for schools, teachers, and youth groups across our District, that include:
And so much more.
Helping young minds understand the role of natural resources can spark a passion that grows into leadership, innovation, and action for a better environmental future.
Save the date! Nebraska High School competition focused on the environment. Friday, March 3rd.
Save the date! Nebraska High School competition focused on the environment. Friday, March 3rd.
Save the date! Nebraska High School competition focused on the environment. Friday, March 3rd.
Looking to enrich your classroom curriculum through engaging natural resources programs? You’ve come to the right place.
Our free presentations are designed to educate and inspire students through fun, interactive experiences. Some presentations are available year-round, while others are tailored to specific seasons or offered on a limited basis.
Please Note:
Our presentations book up to four months in advance, so it’s highly recommended that you submit your request as early as possible. Once your request is received, our education team will contact you to confirm a presentation date and time.
We strive to accommodate all program requests. In the unlikely event members of our education team are ill, we are unable to reschedule presentations.
Programs held outdoors are weather-dependent, as many of the animals are sensitive to extreme temperatures.
We educate over 25,000 people each year about our natural resources, promoting environmental stewardship throughout our District.
We partner with numerous conservation organizations to provide large-scale and interactive natural resources education events, including Water Works, World O! Water, and Envirothon. The events are informative and enjoyable for kids and adults alike. We hope to see you there!
Our mission is to expand opportunities for environmental education throughout our District. Recognizing that financial constraints can limit access, we offer grants and scholarships to educators, administrators, and public entities to provide financial assistance.
Our Outdoor Classroom Grant Program is designed to promote water, soil, wildlife, forest, and grassland conservation in preschools, schools, and public entities within our District.
Grants up to $1,000 are available for outdoor classroom and conservation learning areas each Papio NRD fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
Mini Classroom Environmental Grants are designed to promote environmental activities and projects in preschools, schools, and public entities within our District.
Grants up to $150 per teacher are available each Papio NRD fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
This scholarship provides educators within the District with the opportunity to attend a professional development conference, workshop, or class(es) on natural resources or environmental education.
Scholarships up to $400 per teacher are available each Papio NRD fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
Each spring, our education team provides thousands of trees and flower seed packets to classrooms across the District, offering students a hands-on planting experience. The trees are young seedlings and the flowers are a native variety.
Trees are available for educators to order in January and are available for pick up in mid-April, just in time for Arbor Day and Earth Day celebrations.
