Educational resources about our caves, springs, and underground water

KarstintheOzarks.org is a project of the Ozarks Resource Center.

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We have free educational resources about Ozark waters and geology for your classroom! Use these hands-on teaching methods and tools to help students understand watersheds, groundwater, water quality, water use, conservation, stewardship, karst topography, and how human actions and decisions affect water quality.

In April and July of 2023 we held workshops and field trips for teachers, during our "Hands-on Karst and Watershed Education in the Ozarks" program. Teachers who attended received:

•  A $300 stipend for attending;

•  Student-friendly water quality testing kits; and

•  11 School districts with participating teachers received a total of $20,000 in funding for student field trips to local Ozark karst features such as springs, streams, losing streams, sink holes, and caves.

Now you can access the same online resources and hands-on teaching tools in our Lesson Repository!

Adults, kids, homeschoolers, and anyone who wants to learn about karst in the Ozarks can use these free tools and resources.

Photo: Round Spring on the Current River. This is one of the locations where we took teachers during the Hands-on Karst and Watershed Education field trips. We encourage you to take a field trip here as well! Click here to learn more about Round Spring and Cave! 

Teachers of all subjects who wish to infuse either karst, watershed, water quality, and/or environmental awareness content into their disciplines are encouraged to view our Lesson Repository and our Stories and Videos.

In the Lesson Repository you can find place-based hands-on activities, online tools, assorted resources, and inquiry lessons that can be adjusted to various grade and subject levels.

During the teacher field trip portion of the two-day workshops we visited outstanding karst features in the Ozarks. Contact us for field trip ideas to take your students or children to some of the Ozarks’ great natural wonders.

Photo: Devils Well in Shannon County. This was one of the locations we took teachers to on one of the Hands-on Karst and Watershed Education field trips. We encourage you to take a field trip here as well!

We are working towards offering future teacher workshops

Check back here for information about possible future Hands-on Karst and Watershed Education workshops and field trips.
More about past Workshops

EnviroScape Watershed Educational Model Available for check out

Teachers in the seven-county area (Douglas, Howell, Shannon, Texas, Oregon, Ozark, and Wright) of south-central Missouri may be eligible to check out EnviroScape watershed education models to take to classrooms. These portable models help demonstrate water pollution and pollution prevention concepts to students.
Contact us about the Enviroscape model
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The Hands-on Karst and Watershed Education project is funded by grants from the US Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 and the South Central Solid Waste Management District.
OUR TEAM INCLUDES:

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The South Central Ozarks Council of Governments, or SCOCOG, is administering the grant project.
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The Ozarks Resource Center has a long history with karst education and fostering groundwater protection.
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Somewhereinthewoods Productions specializes in producing films that feature Ozark natural resources, especially karst topography.
MORE ABOUT OUR TEAM

Teacher In-classroom Support

Teachers, Karst in the Ozarks project staff may be available to conduct push-in programs from the Hands-on Karst and Watershed Education Workshops to your students. A menu of possible additional in-classroom support is available, as grant funds allow.

Contact project staff to assist in the planning and/or conducting of your student field trips whether on your school grounds, surrounding community, or to a karst destination.

Educational resources about our caves, springs, and underground water

KarstintheOzarks.org is a project of the Ozarks Resource Center, West Plains, Missouri.

More Information