CANR Student Senate hosts Small Animals Day
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EmailSmall Animals Day provides hands-on agricultural education for the public
On a rainy April morning, visitors filed into the Farm Bureau Pavilion to get up close and personal with an array of animals for Small Animals Day. Hosted annually by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) Student Senate, the event provides hands-on agricultural learning for both children and adults.
The CANR Student Senate consists of student leaders from registered student organizations within CANR. The CANR Student Senate conducts a variety of community-based volunteer activities and provides feedback to both the college and the university on various issues impacting students.
Small Animals Day is the group’s largest fundraiser. The eight-month preparation period begins at the start of each fall semester. Students solicit volunteers, coordinate booths and develop activities ranging from face-painting to mock cattle-roping.
View the full Small Animals Day photo gallery
Dr. Dorcia Chaison, CANR associate dean for undergraduate programs, has served as an advisor to the CANR Student Senate for over ten years. She aids in growing their skill sets as leaders. “Last year we had well over 120 student volunteers for Small Animals Day. Putting this event on is no small task, and I love seeing how hard the students work. It’s all worth it to see young participants light up as they hold a beetle the size of their palm, or milk a cow for the first time. It gives them an up-close look at agriculture.”
For many years, Small Animals Day was designed to shuttle roughly 1,000 visitors across various campus farms. But with health and biosafety concerns, the event was moved to the Farm Bureau Pavilion, bringing the farm animals to a centralized location. The MSU Board of Trustees recently approved planning for a major expansion at the Farm Bureau Pavilion. Two design concepts are under evaluation with progress tied to fundraising.
“An expanded Pavilion will be so valuable for growing experiential learning opportunities, for both students and the public,” said Chaison. “It will serve the need to merge academic learning with hands-on learning. Plus, it will bring additional opportunities to incorporate more experiences into Small Animals Day.”
Learn more about how you can support the expansion of the Michigan Farm Bureau Pavilion here.
