Interpreting Nature Series with George Heinrich

Interpreting Nature Series (adults, age 16 and up)

Improve and broaden your interpretive naturalist skills during this new series of engaging, hands-on workshops for naturalists, educators, land managers, park volunteers/docents, and other interested individuals.

Join wildlife biologist and environmental educator George L. Heinrich (Heinrich Ecological Services) during one or more of these fun and educational half-day programs scheduled to be held at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve (St. Petersburg, Florida).  The series (9:00 am-12:00 pm) includes:

Snakes of the Tampa Bay Region (16 February 2013)

Scatology: Discovering the Secrets of Scat (16 March 2013)

American Alligator: Ruler of the Wetlands (20 April 2013)

Gopher Tortoise: Icon of the Uplands (18 May 2013)

Registration fee is $40/workshop or $120/full series (four workshops); space is limited and registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis.  A PDF including detailed program information and registration form is available by contacting George at (727) 865-6255 or george@heinrichecologicalservices.com.

Calendar in the Sky Webinar

You are invited to join a free Calendar in the Sky webinar on Tuesday, August 28, 2012, at 11am PT/12pm MT/1pm CT/2pm ET. This is the third webinar in the series.

Title: Putting it into Practice: Resources and Activity Ideas for Programming about Maya Astronomy
Presenter: Amy Grochowski, Curator of Education at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, Albuquerque, NM
Date: Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Time: 11am PT/12pm MT/1pm CT/2pm ET
Duration: 90 minutes
Format: Online Webinar (60 min presentation with 30 min discussion period)
Registration: Please register for this webinar at https://cc.readytalk.com/r/yum9pbobbdqj.

Description:
Join museum curator Amy Grochowski as she showcases programming about Maya science and culture implemented at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology in Albuquerque, NM. She will describe activities offered in a museum setting and suggest how to build Calendar in the Sky topics into overall programming. Useful resources for developing programs will also be highlighted. Other Calendar in the Sky workshop participants will also present on activities they have tried in their informal education settings. We'll end the webinar by opening up the discussion to all participants to share their activities and resources around this topic.

Presenter Bio:
Amy Grochowski has been an informal science educator in museums and science centers for over 13 years. She is currently Curator of Education at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology in Albuquerque, NM where her recent work has focused on exhibitions and programs about Maya science, culture and art. Prior to working at the Maxwell Museum, she taught science and nature programs at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and the Detroit Science Center. Her background in museum education combined with degrees in the natural sciences has instilled in her a passion for teaching about the connection of people to the natural world.

Calendar in the Sky is a NASA-funded project led by UC Berkeley to engage the American public, particularly Latino audiences, in NASA science (space exploration, astronomy, planetary and Earth sciences, etc.) via the broad interest in Maya culture. We are conducting a series of webinars for educators on NASA science and Maya astronomy. Following the webinars, attendees will be given access to private discussion boards on the project website (www.calendarinthesky.org) where they can discuss the webinar topics and exchange ideas and resources for educational programming with colleagues. The webinars will be recorded and archived on the website.

Please pass this message on to any colleagues you think would be interested in attending.

ISS EarthKAM Summer 2012 Mission

International Space Station EarthKAM Summer 2012 Mission

Middle school educators are invited to join NASA for the International Space Station EarthKAM Summer 2012 Mission from July 10-14, 2012. Find out more about this exciting opportunity that allows students to take pictures of Earth from a digital camera aboard the International Space Station.

International Space Station EarthKAM is a NASA-sponsored project that provides stunning, high-quality photographs of Earth taken from the space shuttle and the space station. Since 1996, EarthKAM students have taken thousands of photographs of Earth by using the World Wide Web to direct a digital camera on select spaceflights and, currently, on the space station.

For more information about the project and to register for the upcoming mission, visit the EarthKAM home page www.EarthKAM.ucsd.edu.

If you have questions about the EarthKAM project, please email ek-help@earthkam.ucsd.edu.

"Tampa Bay: Living Legacy" Educator's Workshop

"Tampa Bay: Living Legacy" Educator's Workshop

August 2, 2012   

9 am to 4 pm

Weedon Island Preserve
Cultural and Natural History Center
1800 Weedon Drive N.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33702

Immerse your students in the natural and cultural history of Tampa Bay by attending this free one-day workshop featuring curriculum designed to accompany the documentary film "Tampa Bay: Living Legacy"  This film chronicles the transformation of Tampa Bay from one of the nation's most polluted waterways to one of its most heralded environmental success stories.

The curriculum is designed for grades 9-12.

Participating teachers will receive a $35 stipend.

The teaching guide offers six complete lesson plans that complement key chapters in the bay's natural and human history, highlighting important natural resources such as birds and seagrass habitats, and drawing on the memories and perspectives of the local "Bay Champions" who fought to save this centerpiece of our region.

Pre-registration is required; home school and informal educators are welcome.

Click here for more information and to register online 

The Common Language of Environmental Education

Post from George Heinrich:
Please see the flier announcing a program by my dear friend and international environmental educator Amalia Fernand (Nature Explorers International).  Amalia is currently visiting from her home base in Michigan and will be presenting "The Common Language of Environmental Education" on Tuesday, 24 April (7:00 pm) at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.  There will also be a children's workshop at 6:00 pm.  Please call BHNP at (727) 893-7326 to sign up for this program as space is limited.

Amalia is a role model for young girls and boys alike as to what one can accomplish with a dream, hard work and a college education.  Please visit her website at www.natureexplorersinternational.com to learn more about her work.  Be sure to watch the video located on the bottom right of the homepage.  I hope to see some of you on the evening of the 24th. 

Regards, George 

Save the Frogs Day event

Join us for the world's largest day of amphibian education and conservation action! This is the 2nd year for the FREE Tampa area event at Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center in Ruskin, FL.

Spend a few hours in a natural Florida setting learning how to help frogs and the environment! Enjoy educational frog games, activities, and be part of Florida's Largest (Human) Frog Chorus ever!

Visit www.ConserveItForward.com for more information and to pre-register (appreciated, not required).

 For directions, please visit www.CampBayou.org.

A $5 suggested donation per person which will equally benefit Save the Frogs!, America’s first and only public charity dedicated exclusively to amphibian conservation AND Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center, a nature preserve open to the general public with trails, nature center, fossil museum, native camp, picnic tables and events throughout the year.

Calendar in the Sky workshop

From Bryan Mendez of the UC Berkeley Center for Science Education, FYI…

You are invited to apply for the Calendar in the Sky workshop on April 30-May 1, 2012 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The application is at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9GBYCFP and the deadline to apply is April 6, 2012 (acceptance notifications will be made on April 9th).

Calendar in the Sky (www.calendarinthesky.org) is a NASA-funded project led by the UC Berkeley Center for Science Education at the Space Sciences Laboratory to engage the American public, particularly Latino audiences, in NASA science (space exploration, astronomy, planetary and Earth sciences, etc.) via the broad interest in Maya culture.

This project emphasizes the interplay of science and culture embodied by Maya calendars and addresses misconceptions about the Maya. It also uses NASA resources to inform the public about the astronomical basis of the Maya calendar system and dispels misconceptions about the year 2012.

We are providing free professional development trainings for educators in informal settings to:

1) increase their familiarity in Calendar in the Sky topics and resources,
2) learn about and share best practices in public programming for Latinos in informal settings,
3) get ideas for an informal education event or program around astronomy, Maya culture and the year 2012, and
4) create opportunities for networking between participants (especially with Latino community members), allowing for future interactions and/or collaborations.

These trainings are intended for educators from a broad range of venues: museums, science centers, community leaders, parks, astronomical societies, Latino cultural or community organizations, libraries, etc. During the workshop, participants will interact with experts in NASA science and Maya astronomy and culture.

This 2-day workshop will be held April 30-May 1, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the American Museum of Natural History. Lunch and snacks will be provided. The workshop is free of charge. Travel funding is not available and we will be giving preference to local applicants

Camp Bayou Spring Open House

Enjoy some great family-friendly outdoor activities and have some fun learning about the outdoor wonders of Florida at the

Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center
Spring Open House
Saturday, March 24, 2012
9am- 2pm
FREE

In addition to the everyday options for nature walks, geocaching, letterboxing, photo display, nature center, native plant nursery, browsing our historical exhibits in the Native People's Camp and Fishing Cabins, there will be special event activities:

The Crocheted Coral Reef Project has begun at Camp Bayou. Participants will use the unique qualities of crochet to learn how to create a simulated coral reef. Finished pieces will be added to the exhibit at the Florida Craftsman Gallery in St. Pete this summer. The exhibit is a satellite of the original crocheted reef that was the brainchild of mathematician Margaret Wertheim and her sister.

For the younger set, there will be several nature craft, game and activity tables set out on the lawn.

Eagle Audubon Society members, who are long time supporters, will be available in the Butterfly Habitat to talk about the plants and butterflies at Camp Bayou.

Learn about the state-wide private environmental education organization known as LEEF, League of Environmental Educators in Florida and hear about their upcoming conference.

During the lunch hour, the new non-profit that has formed to manage Camp Bayou programs will be introduced- Bayou Outdoor Learning and Discovery, Inc. It consists of the same volunteer staff that existed under the original non-profit, the Ruskin Community Development Foundation, Inc., but is moving in a more self- sufficient direction. Founding supporters who sign up during the Open House will receive a small, but special, token of appreciation.

Other scheduled activities include:
Themed guided walks: 9AM, 11AM, 1PM
River netting: 10AM
Cart tours: on the half hour starting at 9:30AM

These activities are part of a Get Outdoors Florida!, "Let's GO"- C&N, No Child Left Inside, Be Out There!-NWF, and Let's Move Outside inspired initiative.

Camp Bayou is neither a campground nor a summer camp. It was an RV park before the County's ELAP program purchased the land but it is now open for day use only, open to the general public. Through volunteers, donations, membership and grants, the Center offers pre-scheduled programs to schools, youth groups, adult groups and families plus it's open from Thursday- Saturday from 9am-2pm for passive recreational pursuits such as wildlife watching, nature photography and trail walks.

The Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center is managed by the newly created, non-profit Bayou Outdoor Learning and Discovery, Inc. (BOLD), in a public- private partnership with the non-profit Ruskin Community Development Foundation, Inc. (RCDF) and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. Camp Bayou is located 3 miles south of SR674 at the end of 24th St SE in Ruskin. More information is on the web at http://www.campbayou.org/ or call 813-641-8545.

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Pictured: Visitors ready for a tour during a past event

NSTA's teaching resource page

Looking for teaching resources? Check out a page called “Freebies for Science Teachers” on the National Science Teachers Association web site.

Updated periodically, this searchable (by keyword and type) “array of free resources for you and your classroom” frequently features online links to publications, CD-ROMs, DVDs, videos, kits, and other materials for Earth science education. For more, go to http://www.nsta.org/publications/freebies.aspx?lid=tnavhp.

Florida Friendly Family Festival

Family Festival Celebrates Florida-Friendly Landscapes

Grab the kids and granny and head to
Manatee County Fairgrounds,
1303 17th Street W.
Palmetto

Saturday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Environmental learning will be fun for kids of all ages. 
Activities planned:
Plant sale and Trash to Treasures sale
Live music and food
4-H Kids Eco-Activity Area
Exhibits, information and demonstrations on conservation and Florida Friendly landscaping

Admission is free! For more information, contact Michelle at (941) 722-4524; sponsored by the Manatee County Extension Service.

LEEF Conference 2012

 Good things come to those who wait. The 32nd Annual League of Environmental Educators in Florida Conference information and registration is on the website, http://leef-florida.org.

The Call for Exhibitors/Vendors as well as Presenters is also available.

We are excited to announce that Brian "Fox" Ellis is our Keynote Speaker for the weekend.

Please join us for am amazing Conference.

Tara Powers
Conference Chair

Fellowship Seeks Conservation Leaders

National Audubon Society and Toyota invite applicants to apply for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program. In 2012, up to 40 Fellows will be selected for this 12-month program. All Fellows will be required to conduct a Conservation Action Project that achieves measurable outcomes in one or more of the following areas: Habitat and Species Protection, Water Resources Protection,  Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Energy Efficiency. Each Fellow will receive a $10,000 grant to support their action project.

Applicants must have at least six years in conservation, environmental education, policy or environmental issues, and have a current affiliation with a conservation organization, business, university, or organization.

To learn about past Fellows and for an online application, go to togethergreen.org/fellows 

Deadline to apply is March 5, 2012.

Environmental Education Conference

Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful (KTBB) will host annual Environmental education Conference for Future “Eco-Advocates” -
“Live it, Love it, Preserve it, - Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful!”
Tuesday March 6, 2012, 8am -3pm
Over 300 students from Hillsborough County high schools and colleges are expected to attend this day of environmental learning. The purpose of this seminar is to enlighten our youth with the current ecological issues and opportunities as well as inspire them to take an active role in the environmental well being of our community.

The conference will be held at the
Tampa Convention Center,
333 S. Franklin Street Tampa, Fl 33602
Hosted by the City of Tampa

Agenda:
8:00- 8:30 Registration, breakfast,
8:30-9:15 Opening Remarks
9:20-10:00 1st Session
10:10-10:50 2nd Session
11:00-11:50 3rd Session
12:00-12:50 Lunch –Environmental Expo
12:50-1:35 Environmental Jeopardy Game
1:45-3:00 Call to Action & closing remarks

Questions? Contact
Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful (KTBB)
PO Box 2104
Tampa, FL 33601
(813) 221-8733 Phone
(813) 221-0222 Fax
(813) 598-8803 Cell
KeepTampaBayBeautiful.org
pdeplasco@keeptbb.org

Scrub Jay Fest

From Karen Fraley, Around the Bend tours:
Join us on Saturday for a fantastic family event!

Around the Bend Nature Tours has been assisting to coordinate kids activities - lot's of hands-on fun:
- Take a Hike with Around the Bend: Kids Trail Hikes at 10:15, 11:15, 2:15 & 3:15
- Make a Scrub Jay Mask with Manatee County Natural Resources
- Plant an Acorn and bring it home thanks to Florida Native Plant Society
- Make a Gopher Tortoise or a Scrub Jay with the Friends of Legacy Trail
- Dig for a cache of acorns with Sarasota County Natural Resources
- Make a pollinator home with the Suncoast Beekeepers
- Create a Scrub Habitat Mural with Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center

Florida Forest Service will have a Fire Truck display
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge will have a kids stamp activity

Join a panel discussion by Scrub Jay experts at Noon in the Nature Center
Play the Scrub Jay Game at 1:15 to discover how they really survive

Don't miss it - This Saturday February 4th 10am - 4pm at Oscar Scherer State Park!!!

Poster Contest

The Afterschool Alliance’s Lights On Afterschool poster contest is officially underway! Afterschool program participants are encouraged to submit artwork that celebrates afterschool programs and conveys the importance of keeping the lights on afterschool.

The winning poster design will be printed on 70,000 posters sent to Lights On Afterschool celebrations across the country, not to mention that the winning artist will be featured on the website, blog and Afterschool Storybook.

The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2012. Keep in mind that the winning artwork will be scanned to become a digital image, so avoid using textures or raised materials. Bright colors jump off the poster, so consider using materials that won’t smear or rub off. Markers, paint and pens often work better than crayons, watercolors or chalk. Or consider having youth try their hand at digital art! Click here for contest details and submission guidelines.

BirdSleuth Workshops in Lakeland

From Tabitha Biehl, Polk County:

I'd like to invite you to attend one of two BirdSleuth workshop opportunities in Florida next month, or to pass the word to others who might be interested. Thanks to sponsorships and grants, we are keeping the costs very low, but space is limited. Both workshops will be held at the Polk’s Nature Discovery Center at Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland , Florida . We look forward to introducing more Florida teachers to BirdSleuth, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s K-12 curriculum!

Ambassador Workshop
February 16-17

This workshop is specifically targeted to people who are interested in becoming BirdSleuth Ambassadors. It’s a fantastic opportunity for informal educators, science supervisors, lead teachers, and people involved in curriculum and teacher professional development to network, develop new skills, and receive great resources. We’ll cover our classroom program as well as resources for out-of school use (afterschool, homeschool, camps). This fun, hands-on workshop will prepare participants to be part of our growing team of Ambassadors, who share this innovative curriculum with teachers around the country. For more information,please see this page. (Cost $30 and includes two days of training, all meals, and a kit full of resources.)

Teacher Workshop
February 18

Would you like to teach your students through birds? Join Cornell Lab of Ornithology educators for this fun, hands-on Saturday workshop! You’ll receive and learn about theBirdSleuth Most Wanted Birds curriculum and discover how your students can become citizen scientists! Participating teachers receive breakfast and lunch, tours, and lectures, the BirdSleuth curricula, and a certificate of completion from Cornell Lab. This training and these resources will make it easy for you to use BirdSleuth in your classroom or program. For more information, please see this page. (Cost is $20 and includes meals, tours, training, and the fullMost Wanted Birds curriculum kit.)

We’d love to get a diverse group of participants together and recruit a strong cohort of Ambassadors, so I ask that you pass the word to educators who you think might be interested. Register or forward this announcement soon; space is quite limited.

Jennifer Fee, K-12 Programs Manager
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
jms327@cornell.edu
(607) 254-2403

Tabitha Biehl
Environmental Lands Stewardship Coordinator
Polk County Parks & Natural Resources Division
4177 Ben Durrance Rd
Bartow, Fl 33830
Environmental Lands Program: 863-534-7377
Polk's Nature Discovery Center
4399 Winter Lake Road
Lakeland, FL 33803
Polk's Nature Discovery Center : 863-668-4673
cell: 863-899-8157
fax: 863-668-4677

TogetherGreen announcement

From Melissa Hopkins, Program Manager, TogetherGreen (via Jenny Seitz):

Applications are now open for year five of theTogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program and Innovation Grants program. All application materials can be found by visiting www.togethergreen.org. The website is designed to make it easier to find information and interact through social media. For the Conservation Leadership (Fellows) and Innovation Grants (Grants) programs, please visit the website links below to get all the information you need and to access the online application. Each site includes background information about the programs, selection criteria, application guidelines, and answers to questions that you might have.

FELLOWS: www.togethergreen.org/fellows (DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: March 5, 2012)
GRANTS: www.togethergreen.org/grants (DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: April 2, 2012)

Please encourage the promising conservation leaders in your life to apply for a Fellowship. It’s a remarkable professional development opportunity and an incredible network to join. If you have any questions, please contact Flo Miller (fmiller@audubon.org) for Grants and Fellows information. You can also contact Melissa Hopkins (mhopkins@audubon.org).

Each year we receive an impressive batch of applications, and we’re certain that this year will be no different. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Thanks,
Flo Miller and Melissa Hopkins

Melissa Hopkins, Program Manager, TogetherGreen, Audubon
1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
202.600.7974 (p)
202.861.4290 (f)

Make a Date with other LEEFers

Calling all West- Central LEEFers!

Come out to hear Carrie Hamby (long-time LEEFer and great musician!)

Walter Belmont and Hepzibah Jones (AKA Carrie) will be playing blues:
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
7:00 pm
Kojaks Palmetto Ribhouse
1631 8th Ave. West, Palmetto, FL 34221  
941-729-8986

Train to Become a Certified Interpretive Guide

Training from the National Association for Interpretation (NAI), Fort Collins, CO. This national training program consists of 4 days of hands-on training is designed for educators of the public in the following settings or with the following roles:

· Parks and Nature Centers
· Museums and Education Centers
· Master Naturalists, Public Archaeologists and Youth Leaders

When: December 6-9, 2011 8 am to 5 pm daily.

Where: Guana, Tolomato, Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Environmental Education Center, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 - (904) 823-4500 

To Register: Contact Florida Public Archaeology Network at Flagler College http://flpublicarchaeology.org/nerc/programs.php - (904) 819-6498 A registration form is also available at NAI’s website: http://www.interpnet.com/certification/cert_calendar.shtml

Trainer: Peter Colverson, MA, CIG and CIT. Normandeau Associates, Gainesville.

For Questions: Contact Amber Grafft-Weiss with FPAN: (904) 819-6498 or aweiss@flagler.edu

A Symposium for Environmental Professionals

Management and Conservation of Diamondback Terrapins in Tampa Bay: A Symposium for Environmental Professionals

 

3 December 2011 (9:00 am-3:15 pm)

 

Weedon Island Preserve (St. Petersburg, Florida)

 

Environmental professionals, conservationists and educators are invited to join us to learn about the natural history and conservation needs of this imperiled coastal species.  This symposium will focus on connecting ongoing research to coastal aquatic management efforts.  Participants will better understand diamondback terrapin ecology and habitat requirements.  The goal is to encourage sound management decisions that will benefit this species.  Attendees will receive a set of newly developed educational material and sample bycatch reduction devices. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.  Space is limited and advance registration is required.

George L. Heinrich
Heinrich Ecological Services
website: www.heinrichecologicalservices.com