S.T.E.M. Bunnies

Please visit our main site:

www.STEMbunnies.com




We specialize in creating opportunities for fun, engaging, experiential learning wrapped in a very cute, cuddly package through bunny lessons, camps,  and fostering for up to 8 weeks.  

Our kid-led programs reinforces grade-appropriate concepts in Science * Technology * Engineering * Math.  
(Why does STEM education matter?)  
 


 Featured on WCCO/CBS News

Rabbit Owners of all ages and volunteers guide students/event guests to experience "hands-on, minds-on" learning together while observing, playing with and taking care of bunnies.  Dreamed up by a nine year old named Caleb, he has been recruiting lots of neighbors, scouts, friends from church and 4H to hop on board this new way to let other families experience the joy of learning with bunnies.  Now it's your chance to be part of the fun!

"BASKETS OF BUNNIES" for special events:
Our kids love sharing rabbits with others and teaching what they are learning.  We like to bring a variety of a rabbit breeds and ages, along with plenty of fun facts and activities.  This is a great option for schools, birthdays, community events, family reunions, and picnic.  Link
EXPERIENTIAL S.T.E.M. Classes/Camps
Bunny Boot Camp Intro (1-2 hours) This is a perfect first activity to introduce children to rabbits, whether or not you intend to foster or ever own a rabbit.  No experience necessary and a great review of the key points if you've raised a rabbit before.  Parents help guide their children through this very interactive class where everyone has hand-on learning opportunities. This class is required before fostering one of our purebred, pedigreed rabbits.  If you complete the application prior to camp, you might be able to schedule your foster bunny pick-up at the conclusion of the class.

Teacher Fun Day: We had a teacher only sessions and a "teacher & family" sessions June 12 to allow you to come play.  We will host another in August date to be announced.  While you're there, explore the possibility of having STEM Bunnies as classroom pets next year while using our curriculum.

Summer Camps
* S.T.E.M. Bunny Camp 1 (1.5 hours x 5 days)  Prerequisite: Bunny Boot Camp I
* Baskets of Bunnies Camp (1 hour) Perfect for preschool through grade 1
* Peace Bunny Camp (3 hours x 5 days) Peace Bunnies TM  helps kids to talk about creating a more welcoming, inclusive, safe and caring environment at school & home.


HOME INSTRUCTION & EXPLORATION
* Foster Bunny program with accompanying S.T.E.M. Bunnies curriculum
(Grade 1-2; Grade 3-4; Middle School; High School) based on Minnesota Science Standards. 
Our curriculum can be used for home school curriculum or after-school programs or simply for enrichment/reinforcement of grade level science and math standard. 
STEP 1: Contact us to receive the application to get the process started.
STEP 2: Enroll online in a Bunny Bootcamp (at least one parent/guardian who will be the primary rabbit caregiver must attend with a child, but the whole family is strongly encouraged to attend together to help keep the rabbits safe and healthy.
STEP 3: Complete Bunny Bootcamp and schedule when to pick up your rabbit and cage.


APPRENTICESHIP
Scheduled times with your mentor to work with our rabbits, to assist with educational classes and community events.  Along with other children in the program and their parents, come explore the life of a rabbit farmer.  Request an application via email.  We have two more openings for the summer 2014.  We have several field trips planned for July and August so come get trained to be part of those outings.


SHOWING RABBITS

For those who are interested in competition, showing rabbits may be a great fit!  There are many different categories and fun competitions through 4H, FFA, fairs and sanctioned events through the American Rabbit Breeders Association. The newest contest is racing a rabbit through an agility course for time -- racing against the clock.  You place the rabbit on a leash and try to get it over short bars, up a ramp and through tunnels. 

Get on our waiting list to lease one of our purebred pedigreed rabbits and you can compete in 4H events. By May 15 each year you must declare your intent to show the rabbit at your county fair.  Those who win and qualify through that round of competitions become eligible for the Minnesota State Fair.  We will assigning rabbits and the babies on a rolling admission basis once a family/child has completed Bunny Boot Camp and is approved.


For more information:
Contact STEMbunnies@gmail.com

Winter Prayers

Found a Wild Baby Bunny?

When you uncover a nest of wild bunnies or what seems to be an orphaned baby bunny...the best thing you can do it to leave them alone.  If it's in your yard, be a nice host and for the few weeks that they are in your yard, simply re-arrange how you use the yard.  Stay out of that corner.  Give them some privacy, give them a chance to grow and they will soon.  Then simply use some dirt to fill the slight depression that the mother dug in your yard for the nest.

HOW DO I KNOW IF A BABY IS ABANDONED/ORPHANED ?

Feeding Baby Bunnies

Post by FM Derana.

SPOILER ALERT: This six minute video shows a Momma Bunny digging to get back inside the home (warren) that she has built in the yard. The babies come out and feed and then she buries them back inside to help keep them safe. It takes less than 10 minutes for the babies to get all the nutrients and fluid they need for 24 hours. We call this the "express oil change" because the babies come out, lying on their backs like they are under a car to change the oil. ENJOY!

Popcorn bowl babies

Momma Bunny -- Ginger
Congrats to Daddy Bunny -- Westley.

This video is from about five hours after delivery.  Note that they eyes are closed and they don't have fur yet.  We are just guessing on the fur colors that will come out, but it looks like we'll have some white (pink today) and three black/brown, one tan and one tan with grey stripes.  We will know in a couple days...and then the white will open their eyes to show if they are albino (red eyes) or simply a white rabbit with normal eyes. We also won't know the genders for several weeks.  We typically identify each bunny alphabetically by writing a letter on the ear with a permanent marker for the first few weeks.  Then later we will choose a name that starts with that letter when we know the gender and they have some defining personality characteristics.  

We call this video "The popcorn bowl" -- and you'll see why as the babies make a lot of noise and pop all around the nest box just before they are fed.  This is the first litter that has been this lively!!

July 27 Babies

Today is delivery day! 

Katrina Peacebunny is giving herself a bath, sitting on her nest box filled with seven babies born at 10 AM.  The pink babies will get white fur and the grey will get black fur in a couple days.  Their eyes will open next week.  Momma Bunny is very healthy and now munching on fresh yummies from the yard and Daddy Bunny is out playing under our maple tree.

This is Jasmine who delivered eight babies at 10:15 AM, all of which will have black fur.  She is eating the sac that the babies have been in and licking the babies clean.  You can also probably see some of the babies getting milk from the Momma while she cleans the others...

Germanfest Baby Bunnies

"Whoever wants to understand much must play much."
                                                    ~ Gottfried Benn


Several of our rabbits attended the Saint Paul Minnesota's first Germanfest on Sunday June 22 where kids of all ages played with our rabbits and learned about science.  We had a poll to help us name two of our American rabbits in a litter that was born in May.  The buck (boy) is black and the doe (girl) is his albino sister who is a ruby-eyed-white just like the Momma Bunny.  Here were the four name pair choices that all had a LOT of votes but not quite enough:

Alvynn & Berdina
Amory & Belinda
Bogart & Angelika
Bernardo & Alisz

 Here are your winners enjoying a special visit to the berry patch...they are celebrating Germany's win in the World Cup.
 

                 ANSEL and BERTA