|
Summer Greetings!
Despite the return of Washington's infamous August slowdown, Earth Gauge and the National Environmental Education
Foundation (NEEF) are busy gearing up for an active autumn. Highlighted below are new resources, accomplishments and announcements from our program.
|
| NEW! Climate Change Online Course
Climate Change: Fitting the Pieces Together
|
In partnership with the Cooperative Program for Operational
Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET) and the American Meteorological
Society (AMS), NEEF has produced a new online course:
Climate Change: Fitting the Pieces Together.
The free two-hour course
provides a basic overview of climate change science and answers questions about
climate change frequently asked by the public.
It also covers signs of climate change, how scientists study climate, the
current thinking on future changes and what can be done to minimize the
effects.
Climate Change: Fitting the Pieces Together
was designed for broadcast meteorologists, but
appeals to a wide variety of audiences, including environmental professionals
and educators. Access this and other NEEF-COMET courses online. (Free
registration is required.)
Also check out our new climate videos and the Climate Facts widget.
|
| Climate Change Survey Results BAMS article highlights views of broadcast meteorologists
|
| In partnership with NEEF, Dr. Kris Wilson, a senior lecturer in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas, Austin, conducted a climate change survey of
broadcast meteorologists last year. The summary article has been accepted and pre-released online by the Bulletin of the
American Meteorological Society (BAMS). The article can be viewed here and will be printed in the October 2009 issue of
BAMS.
|
| Announcing 2009 Content Partner Awards
Grants awarded to expand environmental content
|
|
NEEF recently awarded eight Earth Gauge Content Partner Grants for the 2009-2010 grant period to expand the scope of environmental content we provide to meteorologists. Six non-profit organizations and two university interns will
be contributing environmental messages to Earth Gauge about their areas
of specialty throughout the year, as they relate to weather.
- Alliance for the Great Lakes -- environmental impacts in the
Great Lakes region
- Georgia Wildlife Federation -- wildlife
and ecosystems in Georgia and the Southeast
- National Center for Appropriate Technology -- sustainable agriculture; environmentally friendly yard and garden care
- New England Wild Flower Society -- native flora and fauna of the Northeast; yard and garden care
- New Mexico State University -- water resources and
conservation in New Mexico and the Southwest
- Port Townsend Marine Science Center -- marine and coastal issues in Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest
- Trout Unlimited -- environmental impacts on freshwater ecosystems
- University of Maryland -- regional impacts of climate change
|
| Partner Highlight New England Wild Flower Society |
 Established in 1900 as the Society for the Protection of Native Plants, New England Wildflower Society is America's oldest plant conservation organization. Its mission is to promote the conservation of temperate North
American flora through education, research, horticulture, habitat
preservation and advocacy. It owns and operates Garden in the Woods, in Framingham, Mass. -- the largest landscaped collection of wildflowers in the Northeast -- and Nasami Farm, a
native plant nursery in Whately, MA, that produces over 75,000 plants annually for
homewoners, landscape professionals, restoration projects and towns. The Society has over 5,000 members.
New England Wild Flower Society will be providing important information to the Earth Gauge network this year about native plants and wildlife of the Northeast, including tips on garden and yard care. Learn more about the Society at www.newenglandwild.org. |
Earth Gauge featured in The COPUS Clarion
Year of Science 2009 celebrates weather and climate
|
 Earth Gauge is featured in the article "Get To Know Your Station Scientist" in the August issue of The COPUS Clarion. The Clarion, the newsletter of the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS), accompanies the monthly themes on the Year of Science 2009 Web site, www.yearofscience2009.org. This month, the theme is Weather and Climate.
In addition, keep a lookout
for other Earth Gauge resources featured on the August page, read Bob Henson's Weather and Climate blog and check out many of our talented partners and collaborators on the Meet the Scientists page.
The Year of Science 2009 is a national, year-long celebration to improve public
understanding about how science works, why it matters and who scientists are, organized by COPUS. NEEF is a participating in Year of Science 2009 activities throughout the year.
|
| National Public Lands Day - September 26, 2009
Celebrate your water resources |
 National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation's largest hands-on
volunteer effort to improve America's public lands. NPLD began in 1994 with
three federal agencies and 700 volunteers. On Sept. 26, 2009, 130,000 volunteers
will lend a hand at an estimated 2,000 locations across the nation. Eight
federal land management agencies along with many state and local agencies
participate in this annual day of caring for shared lands.
This year, NPLD volunteers will focus on protecting our nation's water resources. Learn more and sign up to volunteer at www.publiclandsday.org.
|
| Earth Gauge Kids: Clouds
New August theme
|
 Wondering what that cloud is overhead, and what weather it will bring? The August theme for Earth Gauge Kids is Clouds. You and the children in your life can take a quiz, learn fun facts, get tips on cloud identification, make a cloud wheel, do an art project and explore cool photo galleries! Earth Gauge Kids is geared toward youth in grades 5-8, but is a fun tool for learners of any age. The online widget is available for your organization's Web site -- just copy the code at www.earthgauge.net/kids. |
|
Thank you for participating in Earth Gauge. Please feel free to contact us with your interest and ideas.
Ann Posegate
Outreach Coordinator
| |
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) provides knowledge to trusted professionals who, with
their credibility, amplify messages to national audiences to solve everyday
environmental problems. Together, we create lasting positive change.
NEEF
partners with professionals in health, education, media, business and public
land management to promote daily actions for helping people protect and enjoy
the environment. Through our primary programs - Classroom Earth, National Public
Lands Day, National Environmental Education Week, Business and Environment,
Earth Gauge and our Pediatric Environmental History Initiative - we offer
Americans knowledge to live by.
| |
|
Our Program
|
|
Earth Gauge works to convey environmental information to the public through a trusted media source - TV meteorologists. Because there is a natural link between weather and the environment, broadcast meteorologists are uniquely poised to educate the public about key environmental issues in their communities. |
Tip of the Month
|
Nationwide, Americans use more than
seven billion gallons of water per day to water lawns and gardens. That's enough water to fill more than 10,700
Olympic-sized swimming pools! Look for
drought-tolerant plants to help reduce your outdoor water use.
Water Guzzlers: Plants with dark, glossy, large
leaves or soft, fleshy trunks tend to require more water.
Water Savers: Look for native plants with small
light-colored or silvery leaves and a hairy texture. Also
try to choose perennial plants (plants that live for several seasons) rather
than annuals.
View the
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Recommended Native Plants Lists by
state.
|
Contact Us
|
Ann Posegate
Outreach Coordinator
202-261-6469
| |
|
