By MIKE CORN

mcorn@dailynews.net

Military precision -- at least as far as is humanly possible when grade school students are involved -- was the order of the day Monday at Sternberg Museum of Natural History.

That's because 1,149 students passed through the hallowed halls of the museum to celebrate what had been billed as the 30th anniversary of the rediscovery of the endangered black-footed ferret.

It might have been more appropriate to consider it a day of celebration of life on the prairie, as a multitude of animals known to inhabit the region were on display. There was even a display about the benefits of fire on the prairie.

Another 250 people turned out Monday evening for an open house, and to hear the history of the ferret recovery program nationally and in Kansas.

Throughout the day, school buses would pull up to the front door, dropping off students from Hays and Ellis, as well as other communities.

Students first were treated to a short session offered by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, complete with the chance to pet a corn snake and a domesticated skunk.

From there, they were off to a number of other stops, featuring birds of prey, reptiles, insects and even a prairie dog that didn't mind being touched as Curtis Schmidt scratched its tummy.

"All of the animals in this room live in prairie dog burrows, prairie dog towns," Schmidt told Karen Smith's fourth-grade students from O'Loughlin Elementary School. "So these little guys are important for so many things."

Smith's students never strayed far from the chance to look -- or touch -- any of the animals on display. They marveled at the birds of prey display, complete with a kestrel, peregrine falcon and a golden eagle perched safely behind tables.

Smith said her students take part in ag day.

"This reinforces what they learned at the farm," she said.

Smith had only high praise for the event.

"I think it was very well-organized," she said. "They know their stuff. Very informative. The presenters all spoke to the children, which is kind of nice.

"They're going to be talking about this for quite a while."

And, she said, it's a great tool to help them prepare for state science assessment tests that will be coming in the spring.

Children were in much shorter supply during the evening, but between speakers, the adults scattered almost as fast as the students to scope out the displays tucked throughout the museum.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife biologist Dan Mulhern considered the event a success, and never had expected it to be so big.

"I had a lot of people come through here," he said. "A lot of exposure and a lot of people interested in it."