Virtual Field Trips

NEUROLOGY - WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY BRAIN? WITH UNMC NEUROLOGY RESIDENTS

Learn a little about UNMC campus, especially about the Neurology department. Then learn more about the brain as we explore epilepsy, strokes and concussions. Our brain is amazing but what happens when the brain just isn’t able to function correctly?

FUNDAMENTALS OF BEEF EMBRYO TRANSFER

Learn the veterinary, laboratory, and ranch management details of a successful beef embryo transfer operation. This field trip will show students the process from start to finish, including ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration, oocyte lab work and embryo transfer.

FROM OUR FAMILY FEEDYARD TO YOUR FAMILY TABLE

If you’ve seen one beef feedlot, you’ve seen them all, right? Covered pens, computerized feeding, and mico and macro machines allow the McLean Feedyard in Benedict to not only feed out fat cattle but also care and produce the highest quality beef for consumers all over the country making them a unique trip. Come tour their facilities as we learn more about the feeding out beef as well as the retail side of fresh cut beef.

USING SCIENCE TO ENHANCE THE FOOD INDUSTRY

Not everything produced in a garden or on a farm can be eaten before it spoils, so who works on trying to minimize damage to food and preserve its nutrients for everyday people? Food Scientists! This tour will look at the ways food scientists in the Food Processing Center take raw foods and make them into products you know and trust (and some of which you might even love)! The Food Processing Center uses chemistry, biology, engineering, and social sciences to create tasty, healthy, affordable, and safe food products.

A WALK THROUGH WARD LABS

Dr. Nick Ward, Hannah Dorn, and Tatum Pedersen will take you on a virtual tour of Ward Laboratories. You’ll see the journey that samples take through the lab and understand a bit more of how we generate the data that agriculturalists use to make decisions.

ALL ABOUT THE GENES: BEEF GENETICS AT US MARC

Current U.S. and worldwide animal production is the result of dramatic improvements in animal health and production efficiency achieved using genetic selection. The Meat Animal Research Center near Clay Center, NE is a world leader in beef genetic research. This tour will showcase different breeds they research and show some calves of those different breeds.

DISCOVER DIESEL - EXPLORE A CAREER AS A DIESEL TECHNICIAN

LandMark Implement, Inc. takes a look at what it is like to work in a shop while exploring the many skills and procedures a diesel tech must do each day. You will also get a chance to check out the degree program offered by LandMark.

DOGS, CATS, AND RABBITS, OH MY! - PET INDUSTRY WITH OXBOW ANIMAL HEALTH

Join Oxbow Animal Health to learn more about the Nebraska-based company’s story, their place in the pet food marketplace, and a deeper look into the Pet Industry. In this virtual field trip, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the company from its entrepreneurial roots to the global impact it has today. Oxbow’s Animal Nutritionist, Dr. Cayla Iske, and Oxbow’s Education Manager, Mikki Nienhueser, will also talk about the exciting and surprising opportunities and career paths in the pet industry.

TAXIDERMY: THE SCIENCE OF MOVING SKIN

Sculpting, skinning, and studying are just three parts of the process for changing horns, claws, and hides into world-class mounts with Todd Kranau of Masterpiece Taxidermy in Blue Hill. Join us to learn about how the science of taxidermy and the technology, engineering, math, and art used to create displays of past animals on present-day pedestals.

Nebraska Stories: The Taxidermist

Activity: Mood Board

NANO: SMALL SCIENCE CREATES BIG CHANGES

How do you work with things that are the size of one billionth of a meter? In the Voelte-Keegan Nanoscience Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln scientists study and create very tiny, nanometer-sized objects, using high tech equipment, that could change the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, medical treatments, computers, agriculture, and more. The possibilities are endless!

FRIED SHRIMP, SHRIMP KABOBS, COCONUT SHRIMP, NEBRASKA SHRIMP - WAIT, WHAT?

Did you know that you can raise shrimp without an ocean and in Nebraska? Join us to explore Rock Creek Aquaculture just outside of Diller, NE to learn about how shrimp are raised in such a unique place and how consumers can enjoy fresh seafood in Nebraska!

MOUNTAINS OF SWEETNESS - GROWING SUGAR IN NEBRASKA

Sugar beets were first introduced into western Nebraska in 1902 and have since grown to produce over 112 million pounds of sugar each year. During this session, we will investigate the process of how sugar is created and have a firsthand view of the technology farmers use to make it happen. Leading the discussion will be Kevin Hall, one of the biggest sugar beet farmers in Nebraska, and Branden Hessler an agronomist for Western Sugar.

EMBRYO FLUSHING - COLLECTING FOR HERD PROGRESS

Embryo flushing and transfer can help beef producers reach the maximum potential within their herd to meet consumer needs. During our trip, we will travel with Dr. Glen Engelland and Dr. Nate Baribault with Sun Valley Embryo Transfer company as they show us the many services they offer within large and small ruminant reproductive services.

HORSIN' AROUND IN KENTUCKY

Take a sneak peek behind the scenes of the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Kentucky with Dr. Jackie Snyder! See some of the day-to-day duties of an equine veterinarian while also checking out the nation’s top equine medical facilities.

BEYOND THE COMBINE: CROPS RESEARCH

If you are interested in agronomy but not interested in working with customers every day, explore what a career as a crops researcher has to offer. South Central Agricultural Laboratory (SCAL) takes us on a harvest adventure while finding out what happens behind the scenes of a crops based research project.

GROWING STEM WITH NEBRASKA AGRONOMISTS

Meet Nate and Maggie literally out in the field as agronomists who serve crop producers in rural Nebraska. Join Nate as he analyzes corn crops near Grand Island, and Maggie as she tests crop samples in western Nebraska. Explore the tools of the trade and science/math skills which prepared Nate and Maggie for their careers as crop consultants and agronomy specialists.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE LINCOLN CHILDREN'S ZOO

Join Nebraska 4-H as we go Behind the Scenes at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo! It takes a lot to run a Zoo. From feeding and caring for the animals, to educating the public, to making the Zoo grounds beautiful, there are more than just zookeepers that make the Lincoln Children’s Zoo one of the most visited attractions in our state. Learn about careers that you might not have known about, and also what it takes to become a Zookeeper in an AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) accredited facility. We can’t wait to show you the amazing people that work here and open your eyes to all of the possibilities you have to work in a zoo!

EXPLORING NEBRASKA'S FISHERY SYSTEMS

For many across Nebraska, summertime is spent at the lake boating, camping, and pulling in great big Walleye. This is all made possible by our Game and Parks association that manages the fishery systems across the state. Join us to learn about how Nebraska maintains diverse fish populations covering the topics of fish identification, spawning, careers, and so much more!

THE SCIENCE OF HORSE TRAINING

Horses are amazing, powerful animals, but what does it take to get them to the point where you can ride them? Join us as we visit a training facility to see what it takes to get a horse ready to ride or even ready to compete in horse shows and rodeos. We’ll also learn about what it takes to become a horse trainer.

Bighorn Sheep in Nebraska

Bighorn Sheep in Nebraska? Let’s explore these amazing creatures, uncover their adaptations for survival, and discover the research being conducted on these hard-headed mammals. Become a biologist for a day, as we discover these secretive critters.

WATER POWER

The power of water can be tremendous! Join us on our final school year Virtual Field Trip as Nebraska Extension Educator, Chuck Burr show us his river trailer. We’ll learn about different types of rivers, the erosion process, kinetic and potential energy, and how to harness the energy of moving water.

BIOFUELS TOUR

Featuring Flint Hills Resources out of Fairmont, Nebraska. Flint Hills Resources Fairmont Plant Manager, David Cotten, and members of his staff will present a session on ethanol plant operations. Students will learn how Flint Hills transforms farmers’ corn to create fuel and animal feed products for consumers in Nebraska and around the world.

MEAT SCIENCE

Diller Locker Company specializes in custom processing of beef, pork, bison, and deer among other wild game species. The processing facility is dedicated to “furthering processing” where they focus on Ready to Eat products such as jerky, snack sticks, bars, and other cured meats for customers all over the country.

WIND ENERGY

Wind energy is growing worldwide and wind turbines are big producers in the great plains. 72% of our electricity came from wind on April 2, 2020 a new record for the region. This virtual field trip will explore wind turbine design as it relates to the physics of wind. You may never look at a wind turbine the same again. I put a go pro on my hard hat and climbing a wind turbine just to show you what’s inside. I will give you some examples of how to build your own mini wind turbine at home.

US MARC RESEARCH

The United States Meat Animal Research Center, located west of Clay Center, Nebraska, is a hybrid organization with the USDA Agriculture Research Service and the University of Nebraska. USMARC’s mission is to conduct production relevant to large scale research that encompasses all aspects of livestock meat production. The experiments conducted on this 34,000-acre center start at conception and follow production all the way to consumption by the consumers. This includes, but is not limited to, nutrition, genetics, environmental impacts, animal health, meat quality and safety, and much more. If you are a consumer, the research done at USMARC has impacted your life in one way or another. On this tour, you will experience the intensive feeding trial, the lambing and calving areas, heifer development project and feedlot cattle trials.

CLONING PLANTS

SOLAR POWER

Horticulturists, commercial plant growers and avid gardeners often replicate plants using asexual plant propagation methods, meaning without seed! This is done because many of our plants have characteristics that we really like and the only way to guarantee an exact replica is to clone the “parent” plant. In this VIRTUAL TOUR and demonstration activity, you’ll gain insight as to what you need to replicate a plant and observe a few methods you can use to make your own plant clones!