educational programs

Would you like to see an Eagle Owl up close??

Touch a Two-Toed Sloth?

Be close enough to hear an Alligator’s hiss?

We have a number of very special resident animals that we use in educational presentations. A typical program includes six to eight animals and lasts about an hour and a half. Group size, age and special requests may shorten or lengthen a given program. An experienced educator will discuss the natural history of each animal and answer questions about them. The interactive and hands-on nature of our educational programs limits a group’s size to no more than 20 participants.

Below is a list of the animals you can request for your program. Not all animals are available all of the time for various reasons.

The list of animals includes some notes to help you select animals for your particular group or educational goals.

Horses: We typically use a small pony or a giant draft horse for our overview of horse care. Petting, but not riding, will be allowed. We can use the indoor arena for this demonstration if the weather is an issue.

Goats: Guests will be allowed into the goat pen and be able to feed the goat(s). This is a weather dependant activity.

Two-toed Sloth: These are amazing animals from the South American rainforest. Most people will never have the chance to see a sloth this closely; touching will also be permitted for those interested.

Crows: You’ll have a chance to meet, and probably feed, these incredibly intelligent animals if the weather is reasonable. They are typically not on display from mid-December to about mid-March.

Eagle Owl: These impressive raptors are the largest species of owl; nearly the size of an eagle. They are also one of the species frequently seen delivering post in the Harry Potter movies.

Alligator: This reptile has great appeal with the youngsters. They’ll even get to touch him if they’d like (once he’s safely muzzled).

Alligator Snapping Turtle: This is definitely not one of the hands-on animals. In fact, the presenter will spend most of his time trying to avoid her jaws as the audience looks on from a safe distance.

Eastern Box Turtles, Wood Turtles and Blanding’s Turtles: These three turtles were once common in Michigan. They’re great for groups studying native and/or endangered species.

Sungazer: These are a very rare and interesting lizard from South Africa. They are only available from November through March.

Armadillo Lizards: Another interesting hand-on African lizard that children love to touch.

Jackson’s Chameleons: These are one of the most specialized reptiles on the planet. There are lots of interesting facts to talk about with these lizards.

Giant Toads: These will be available for presentations starting in the late fall of 2007.

Birds of Prey: We have a local falconer who will present a very educational program about birds of prey at Copper Leaf Crossing. This hour long program will include a falcon, a hawk and an owl. This is a rare opportunity for groups of up to twenty people.

We do charge a fee for programs to help cover the cost of animal care. This fee is based on the number and species of animals that are chosen. On average, the programs cost less per person than it does to see a movie at a theater. If you are interested in bringing a group or organization to our campus, please send us an e-mail through the contact area of this website. Select ‘tours’ in the subject area, and then describe your group, interests and your timeframe in the comment section. We will answer any questions and e-mail you a tour request form (the on-line tour request form should be available soon).

Thank you for your interest.

Please download the form below and fill out the following information to help us process your request for a tour of our animal complex. Return to Steve Marsh by fax to (734) 929-9343 or mail to:

Copper Leaf Crossing
4940 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103-9782