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Audubon Rockies and Natrona County Upcoming Events

Audubon Rockies, the regional office of The National Audubon Society, would like to invite you to some very exciting, FREE events, and also to let you know about the many FREE educational resources that we can provide.

We would like to take this opportunity to say hello to those of you we have already met through our Audubon Center at Garden Creek, or by providing classroom presentations with our community naturalist program, and to introduce ourselves to those of you we hope to meet this spring. For over 15 years, we have been committed to providing the local schools with educational programs, special events, and to promote the solid conservation efforts of The National Audubon Society.

This spring we are hosting a few events that I think could be a wonderful opportunity for you to get PTSB, or others to get your students out of their traditional learning environments.

FEBRUARY: On February 26th, we will be hosting a teacher resource reception at our Audubon Center at Garden Creek. This free reception will be hosted by Audubon Rockies and the Casper Mountain Science School, and will have representatives from Game and Fish, NRCS, and other educational resources in Natrona County. You will get a chance to meet the folks who are willing to give presentations in your classroom and who have local knowledge of the flora and fauna. Snacks and Drinks will be provided. This informal reception will be a place to network with other teachers, and local officials in order to further science education in Natrona County.

MARCH: In March, we will be hosting a FLYING WILD workshop along with a MAPS Bird Banding Training for teachers of Natrona County FREEOF CHARGE! This 7 hour workshop will get you .5 PTSB credits, and you will get the opportunity to band live birds, participate in water quality testing, and become trained in the FLYING WILD curriculum. Through activities involving real scientific research, language arts, social science and math experiences, coupled with FLYING WILD offers practical hands-on classroom and outdoor field investigation experiences connecting real-world experiences in bird biology, conservation and natural history. Project-based classroom applications, service learning and community involvement are encouraged through sections of the guide dedicated to the planning and implementation of birding festivals. This award winning curriculum generally costs over 50 dollars per participant, but because of a grant that Audubon Rockies received, we are offering it, along with PTSB credit for free!

MAY: On May 9th, we are looking for 5 or 6 elementary classrooms who would like to participate in our annual International Migratory Bird Day Activities at Edness Wilkins State Park. We will be partnering with the Game and Fish, NRCS, State Parks, and of course local Audubon Chapter Members to provide hands on, avian emphasized presentations. We hope to have some live raptors available, as well as plenty of local knowledge. If you are an elementary school teacher and would like to participate please contact Dusty Downey at ddowney@audubon.org

ONGOING: This spring Audubon will be launching its CRANE (Career Resource and Nature Education) program. Five to ten current sophomores and juniors will be chosen to participate in this year’s program where they will get the opportunity to participate in our MAPS Bird Banding Program, and to learn more about careers in natural resources. The students will get a stipend and will be an integral part of some local citizen science at our Audubon Center at Garden Creek. If you think you have students that might be interested in this program, please contact me. Audubon Rockies has a variety of ways to provide your class with local place based education. Our Nature Center on Garden Creek is a 400-acre wonderland of nature that hosts school groups and provides educational opportunities based around the outdoors. Our Community Naturalists can lead field trips, bring a standard aligned conservation program to your classroom on about any science related topic that you would like, or provide you with a teacher training to help you develop your own science teaching skills. We also provide teacher trunks, small nature centers in a box, free of charge!

If you are a teacher interested in any of the above opportunities, please contact Dusty Downey using the contact information below.

You can be confident that this will enhance the educational experience for each and every class of students that you teach. Your continued partnership with Audubon Rockies will help us build a community of conversationally minded students.

Dusty Downey
National Audubon Society
Audubon Rockies Senior Community Naturalist
ddowney@audubon.org
(307) 756-3941
(504) 453-4124

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PUT CANS TO WORK FOR YOUR SCHOOLS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

It’s time for schools to register to win at cancentral.com/roundup for the 3rd annual Great American Can Roundup School Challenge from America Recycles Day (Nov. 15) to Earth Day (April 22), 2013. Registration is required. At cancentral.com/roundup, you will find virtually everything to run a successful Roundup from a tool kit to posters even curriculum.

The Can Manufacturers Institute is awarding $1,000 to the school in each state and the District of Columbia recycling the most aluminum cans per student and an additional $5,000 to the champion per capita recycling school nationwide that is on top of value of the aluminum cans. New Hampshire is known as an environmental leader, yet not one school sent in a recycling receipt in the 2nd Annual School Challenge. Show your school’s green spirit and environmental leadership.

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Announcing EPA's student blog, the Eco Student

The blog is a place where you can read about what kids are doing to protect the environment. You will also read about contests and cool environmental sites. Comment on our posts and tell us about all the great things you are doing to help the environment. Teachers and parents visit the blog to find out about all the great things kids are doing for the environment and how you can help them become future environmentalists! From this blog you can check out our new student¹s site which includes resources for both students and teachers.

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Disney Educational Productions has EE DVDs

Disney Educational Productions has educational DVDs designed to help your students be more environmentally-aware. Each DVD comes with public performance rights, correlates to national standards, and contains downloadable teacher’s guides, activities, and additional resources.



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Sensible Steps to Healthier School Environments

We are pleased to launch the new "Sensible Steps to Healthier School Environments." This easy to use booklet focuses on affordable, sensible ways, to address some of the most common areas of environmental health concerns found in schools.

In this era of budget tightening and unfortunate education funding cuts, the booklet is designed to identify and address environmental health issues that school districts can readily address with minimal cost and effort. It is a resource for facilities personnel and school staff, providing:

• one-stop access to learn about a range of school environmental health issues;
• many low cost/no cost, affordable measures, programs and resources available to help prevent, reduce and resolve each of the highlighted environmental hazards;
• a voluntary Quick Assessment Checklist to identify those issues that school districts and schools can address with minimal cost and effort; and,
• waste reduction and energy efficiency actions that will help you conserve valuable financial resources.

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Univsersity of Utah, Environmental Humanities Education Center, Featured Workshops

The Environmental Humanities Education Center focuses the unique lens of the humanities to enliven and deepen environmental study, enhancing and expanding education for the protection of wildlife and wild lands. The Centennial Valley satellite campus provides innovative educational experiences that dynamically initiate visitors of all ages into the ecology, history, wildlife, and conservation value of the Centennial Valley.



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Goldenrod Research, 2012-2013 YouthTouch grant competition

Goldenrod Research, creator of the YouthTouch Technology Integration System for elementary students, is pleased to announce its 2012-2013 YouthTouch grant competition. The grant competition provides an exciting opportunity to integrate hands-on robotics and fluid power technology into elementary classrooms in an affordable way. Goldenrod will award 1:1 matching grants for use toward the purchase of YouthTouch. In exchange, the schools selected agree to serve as YouthTouch referral sites.

YouthTouch generates excitement in the classroom while comple- menting -not replacing- your existing curriculum. Each school selected will receive all the tools necessary to provide 3rd through 8th grade students with hands-on technology learning experiences designed to impart a firm comprehension of ratios, estimating, coordinates, graphing, plus over 100 other concepts integrating Math, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies through techn- ology. The comprehensive package includes equipment, accessories, instructional materials and staff development. YouthTouch activities are mapped to the US curriculum standards, and they emphasize critical thinking, problem solving and teamwork. Best of all, kids love YouthTouch.



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Classroom Activities with the Berry Center

The UW Berry Biodviersity Conservation Center offers a variety of science-based projects and activities, both for those able to come to campus and those who prefer to stay in the classroom.

click the read more link down below to determine which best fits into your class's schedule and learning objectives!






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Learn how to build, maintain and grow your own school garden

School Gardening 101 is the best online course for introducing the practical knowledge necessary for building and sustaining a school gardening program.

The course is designed to:

Help you create a vision, theme, and design

Distinguish the best curriculum for classroom instruction

Assist you in developing a support network

Showcase the benefits of school gardening

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Motivate your students through filmmaking

Create classroom mini-documentaries - No media experience required!

The Take2 Youth Media Program takes advantage of today’s youthful fascination with technology in order to motivate active learning in environmental science, English, and media literacy. Working individually or collaborating in teams, students create short documentaries or public service announcements that are designed to inform, entertain, or advocate on issues illustrated by the footage provided. How-to videos, worksheets, PowerPoint presentations, and other activities lead students step-by step through the process of researching their topic, critically analyzing issues, and creating logical and persuasive arguments and compelling conclusions. Upon completion of their documentaries, students learn valuable leadership and public speaking skills by presenting their projects to classmates or to the general public. The curriculum is flexible and can be completed in as little as 5-7 classroom periods or (including optional activities) over the course of several months. Assessment rubrics and other teacher support materials are provided.

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Classroom Action Guide asks What’s On Your Fork?

Does what you eat really have impact on our planet? Could mealtime choices actually help promote clean drinking water? What’s On Your Fork? is a new, free downloadable action guide and collection of supplementary educational tools from EarthEcho International designed to help educators and students explore the environmental and community impact of daily food choices. This new resource is part of EarthEcho’s Water Planet Challenge, a Web-based interactive program exploring a myriad of topics that engage and empower middle and high school-aged youth to design, create, and implement service-learning projects in their communities. Rich in academic connections, the What’s On Your Fork? step-by-step action guide includes stimulating content, student organizers for discussions and planning, and examples of youth taking action.

Visit the Web site to learn more about NEA Foundation Water Planet Challenge educator grants and an upcoming What’s On Your Fork?Webinar hosted by Philippe Cousteau, Jr.

http://www.waterplanetchallenge.org/wpc/?LinkServID=4A995C35-E58C-8CDC-6CFAD4D591111B51

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Wetlands Restoration Publication

Wetland Restoration and Construction-A Technical Guide, by Thomas R. Biebighauser, is a new book designed to help individuals build attractive and functioning wetlands. Its contents are based on the authors’ experiences restoring over 1,400 wetlands in 18 states and two Canadian provinces. The reader will find practical, low cost, highly effective techniques for building wetlands that will require no maintenance. Of special interest to educators are the pages showing how wetlands can be built at schools to provide for environmental education, wildlife and fish habitat, cleaning run-off, and replacing groundwater.

Containing more than 650 color photographs and illustrations, the book is published by The Wetland Trust in partnership with the Upper Susquehanna Coalition, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC), and the Center for Wetlands and Stream Restoration. Visit the Web site to take advantage of the low introductory price of $15.50 per copy, which includes postage.

http://www.thewetlandtrust.org/wetlandrestorationbook.html

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M.S. in Ecological Teaching & Learning – Lesley University

The Master of Science in Ecological Teaching and Learning (ETL) is designed for educators from private and public schools, museums, nonprofit centers, environmental centers, government organizations, and other alternative teaching settings, who want to deepen their understanding of ecology, sustainability, living systems, and ecological education and to apply their learning to their professional contexts. Teachers from across the disciplines – not just science teachers – complete this program. ETL is an 18-month accelerated program that includes two Summer field experiences and distance learning in the Fall and Spring semesters. The first Summer field experience is in a beautiful wild place, and the second Summer field experience is in a dynamic urban setting.