Outdoor Classroom Features SWOSU Faculty and Student-Led Activities

Dawn Bearden-Willett shows a shark jaw to the 4th graders, while Clara Lopez shows a hissing cockroach to the students.

Faculty and students from Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) helped lead science education activities during the 2026 Outdoor Classroom at Rader Park, where fourth-grade students from across the area participated in hands-on lessons focused on local ecosystems.

The Deer Creek Conservation District organized the Outdoor Classroom as a day of field-based learning centered on local ecosystems. SWOSU participants presented stations on native wildlife, fossils and aquatic invertebrates. Students examined specimens and learned about Oklahoma's natural resources.

Dr. Renan Bosque, Jonathan Almanza, Dawn Bearden-Willett, Clara Lopez, Erika Kline, Eric Mesta and Wake Frymire represented the SWOSU Natural History Museum. Their station introduced students to frogs, snakes, lizards, fossils and other organisms found in Oklahoma. Students learned about biodiversity and natural history through direct observation and discussion.

Eric Mesta and Wake Frymire present a collared lizard to fourth-grade students during the Outdoor Classroom at Rader Park. Jonathan Almanza shows a rattlesnake to the students.

Dr. Rickey Cothran, Grace Aghasedo, Austin Buchanan and Camile Crossland led a station on aquatic invertebrates collected from local water bodies, where students viewed specimens through dissecting and compound microscopes. Faculty and students explained the organisms' roles in freshwater ecosystems.

The event also gave SWOSU students opportunities to share scientific knowledge with younger learners through community outreach. The Outdoor Classroom continues to be an important outreach initiative, connecting young students with local ecosystems while providing SWOSU students valuable opportunities to share their knowledge and passion for science.

For more information about SWOSU Biological & Biomedical Sciences, visit https://www.swosu.edu/biological-sciences/index.php.

About Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) was founded in 1901 and offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate programs across three locations in Weatherford, Sayre, and Yukon. The university serves over 5,000 scholars and prides itself on affordability, small class sizes, and over 200 faculty and staff committed to helping students achieve their academic and personal goals.

For more information about Southwestern Oklahoma State University, visit https://www.swosu.edu.