“Elk Trunks”—tool kits containing lesson plans, activities, books, antlers, fur and skulls, among other things—resulted from a partnership between the Elk Foundation, Council for Environmental Education and Project WILD, which in 1993 began providing elk education materials to conservation educators teaching grades 5 through 8. More than a decade later, 130 trunks have been distributed to state wildlife management agencies, specific forests within the U.S. Forest Service, various national parks with elk herds, national wildlife refuges, partnering agencies/businesses (ex: Weyerhaeuser Visitor Center) and a few of our chapters. The trunks are often used in conjunction with Project WILD—WILD About Elk guide.
We recognize that hands-on educational experiences better draw youths’ attention and leave a more lasting impression. Elk trunks provide educators (or agencies, scout leaders, volunteers, etc.) with an effective combination of tactile and written tools designed to teach youth about elk, other wildlife, habitat conservation and hunting. In urban settings, elk trunks offer kids a chance to see and touch elk country, encouraging them to care about the natural world even if it isn’t part of their daily lives.