On Monday, April 22, 2024, Haskell’s USDA Extension Program hosted a destress event for students in Tommaney Library.
For part of the destress activities this week to help students relax during finals week, Haskell students Heidi Thomas and Quinn Norris proposed bringing nature to the students. Both Heidi and Quinn are interns at the Prairie Park Nature Center. They wanted to find a way to tie their degree, which was community health, and their internship with Prairie Park Nature Center—giving students the experience of relaxing as well as being able to see nature up close in between classes for the day. For this, Rachel Neff and Jasmine Newton of the Prairie Park Nature Center helped provide and supervise the handling of the animals. The animals brought a mix of pretty and majestic animals, including the Peregrine Falcon, Ornate Box Turtles, Curly Haired Tarantula, and the Bearded Dragon Lizard.
