Division of Education and Outreach
National Conservation Training Center
March 2014
In This Issue
YGO
CPWN
FWS Professional Development
Other Professional Development
Educational Resources
Events, Conferences & Workshops
Grants, Awards & Contests


Quick Links

 
Youth in the Great Outdoors Logo  




Neighborhood Explorers Logo
 
Nature Rocks Logo

Let's Move Logo







Think spring and green! 
Kathy Sholl, Editor.


Thanks to all of you who sent in submissions for this issue of VOICES.  By sharing your creative ideas or passing along helpful resources , you are encouraging other Service professionals to develop their own ideas.  Have you thought of yourself as a stepping stone to touching people's lives through conservation?  Hope so.

And since St Patrick's Day arrives on March 17, here's a question for all the plant lovers out there.  Why don't you press a four-leaf clover?  Answer:  Because you don't want to press your luck!  With that being said, I bid you goodbye and wish you an early Irish spring.

Send your submissions to  Kathy_Sholl@fws.gov. 
Next VOICES arrives in May.
Youth in the Great Outdoors (YGO)
Play - Learn - Serve - Work
Future Hatchery Staff
Compass Montessori School is a
non-traditional school in Golden, Colorado. One of its distinguishing features is Farm School. This unique middle school program is based on student-driven learning. Farm School operates as a small village with its own micro-economy and economic council with students learning in one of eight real world occupations each semester. Students in the "Aquaponics" occupation rear tilapia and lettuce for the school kitchen in student-built recirculating aquaculture systems in addition to learning about geology and water systems.   This semester, the students had a problem for which FWS staff helped them solve. Could parts of this resource be used in your region?  Are there youth you could connect with?
 http://1.usa.gov/1hoHo5a

Craig Tufts Environmental Education Fund

Family Summits, Inc., and partners offer the annual Craig Tufts Educational Scholarship Award, given to a young person 8-18 years old to attend a week-long, summer outdoor educational adventure camp with a parent or guardian. The deadline for application is March 28, 2014.

www.familynaturesummits.org/scholarships/craig-tufts 

 

Monumental Conference
Don't miss the opportunity to increase your leadership skills and further your commitment to changing communities and the world.  Attend Monumental, the 25th Annual National Service-Learning Conference and 26th Annual Global Youth Service Day.  Both youth and adults gain tools, resources, ideas, and inspiration.  Monumental is co-hosted by YSA (Youth Service America), in Washington, D.C., from April 9-12, 2014.
http://bit.ly/1ljJ2sC

Young Birders Event

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology will host the annual Young Birders Event, July 10-13, 2014, in Ithaca, New York. The event brings together young adults (sophomores, juniors and seniors) who are interested in pursuing a career with birds. The participants will meet ornithological researchers, tour leaders, audio specialists, and other specialists. The deadline for application is March 15, 2014; this competitive opportunity is limited to 16 participants.
http://ebird.org/content/ybn/news/yb2014/  

Connecting People with Nature (CPWN)
Fishbowl of Ideas 
Region 7 uses a small contest to share monthly Connecting People with Nature events and Give 8 activities.  Employees give details (name, office, event name, and date) submitted by email or on slips of paper dropped into a fishbowl located at the Regional Office.  The randomly drawn event receives a small recognition.  Another idea from Region 7 is to use a free email newsletter service to highlight CPWN visibility to all employees in their region.  The free service is provided by Mailchimp for under 2,000 subscribers, and it's easy to use.  katrina_mueller@fws.gov
http://mailchimp.com/pricing/entrepreneur 

Got Ice?
If winter is still in your backyard, like in Region 3, consider ice fishing as an activity for Connecting People with Nature.  A record-breaking 560 people, with over 290 youth ages 5 to 12 and their parents, enjoyed testing their new-found ice fishing knowledge at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery in Michigan. The pond was stocked with 2,000 rainbow trout, 10 to 14 inches in size. The annual event is sponsored by the Friends of the Upper Mississippi River Fisheries Services and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's fishery program offices that they support.
http://1.usa.gov/1frSAcO

The Cat's Out of the Bag!
It's true -- the online Career Awareness Toolkit (CAT) is filled with ideas, lesson plans, and other resources to help any Service employee put together a presentation about conservation careers.  Watch a brief four-minute video for a demonstration with tips on using CAT.  CAT has more than nine ideas and is just waiting for you to ignite inquisitive excitement in young people, from elementary to college age.
Video: http://nctc.fws.gov/resources/knowledge-resources/video-gallery/careers.html
 
CAT: https://connect.doi.gov/fws/Portal/nctc/TCH/Hub%20Communities/CAT/

Using Technology to Connect Kids to Nature
The Alaska CPWN team developed a Trailside Camera Kit that allows teachers and students to bring wildlife living near their schools into the classroom. This kit features three motion-activated trail cameras that can record images day or night, cable locks to secure the cameras, a hard drive to store photos, spare memory cards, a USB card reader, battery chargers, complete instructions, and suggested activities. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has made copies of the kits and developed workshops to teach educators to incorporate the technology into the classroom curriculum. For more information, contact Steve_Brockmann@fws.gov at 907-780-1181.
www.fws.gov/fieldnotes/regmap.cfm?arskey=33236

NAAEE "The Value of Education" VideoThe Value of Environmental Education
The North American Association for Environmental Education  produced a short video describing the benefits of connecting environmental education with the outdoors.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFYDlTr3Lws

Bumblebee Watch
Want to know when to look for certain species of bumble bees, find helpful tips, and "bee" in the know with information? Sign up for the Bumble Bee Watch e-newsletter.  BumbleBeeWatch website allows you to identify, track, and help protect bumble bees in North America.
www.bumblebeewatch.org 
FWS Professional Development
Register in DOI Learn for courses and webinars:
www.doi.gov/doilearn/index.cfm  

Youth Outdoor Skills Update Webinars OUT-8046    
Each one-hour webinar will feature case studies and interviews with FWS staff and conservation professionals. Through this webinar series, we will be introducing best practices and ideas for developing and managing a variety of youth programs. This includes wildlife identification, birding, hiking, fishing, hunting, geocaching, and archery.  Other outdoor programs will be explored to engage a new generation to outdoor recreational pursuits that can be enjoyed for a lifetime.  
Geocaching on March 26, 2014, from 1-2 p.m. EST, with guest speaker Cindy Samples.
Youth Photography on June 11, 1-2 p.m. EST, with
guest speaker Kara Zwickey.
Register through DOI Learn:
www/doi.gov/doilearn/index.cfm
Previously recorded webinars can be accessed on the Conservation Hub with no DOI Learn registration.  

https://connect.doi.gov/fws/Portal/nctc/TCH/DEO/yosu/SitePages/Home.aspx  


Online: Supervising Young Adults in Conservation OUT8045
Date: Ongoing
Location: DOI-Learn - Archived OUT8045 Webinar/Online
Supervising young adults in seasonal and internship positions can be a new and challenging experience for even the most seasoned of supervisors. This recorded webinar, led by Student Conservation Association and US Forest Service staff, will relate critical thinking and problem solving to common issues and situations often faced by supervisors working with young adults aged 16-25. Participants have a quarterly timeline to complete in four-month intervals (Jan 1; April 1; July 1; Oct 1).
Contact: Sandy_Spakoff@fws.gov; 304-876-7783 or Ora_Dixon@fws.gov; 304-876-7314
 
Online: Mentoring: Getting Started with Your Mentee: OUT8081
Date: Ongoing
Location: DOI-Learn (Online)
In this course mentoring experts provide tips and techniques based on their experience. The self-paced training focuses on mentoring fundamentals, including tools, job aids, and skills needed when meeting with a mentee for the first time. Participating in this course will contribute to building a successful partnership with your mentee. Participants are given a quarterly timeline
(Jan 1; April 1; July 1; Oct 1), 4 months intervals to complete. Receive 2-1/2 hours credit annual diversity training upon course completion. This course is a prerequisite for Mentoring the Next Generation: Voices of Experience OUT8050-ELEARNING, an Archived Webinar.
Contact: Ora_Dixon@fws.gov; 304-876-7314 or Sandy_Spakoff@fws.gov; 304-876-7783
 
Online: Mentoring: The Next Generation - Voices of Experiences: OUT8050-ELEARNING
Date: Ongoing
Location: DOI-Learn (Archived OUT8050 Webinar/Online)
Hear the ins and outs of mentoring as a panel of experienced mentors and mentees answer questions and provide suggestions for ensuring a productive mentor-mentee relationship. This archived webinar (eLearning) training builds on the mentoring prerequisite OUT8081 and focuses on trouble-shooting challenges in a mentoring relationship. Participants will apply the insights they've gained to their personal mentoring practices to build a more open, inclusive, and trusting relationship with their mentee(s). Course enrollees must score 80% or higher on the online final assessment for course completion. Participants are given a "quarterly" timeline (Jan 1; April 1; July 1; Oct 1) i.e. 4 months intervals to complete this online course. Receive 2-1/2 hours credit annual diversity training upon course completion.
Contact: Ora_Dixon@fws.gov; 304-876-7314 or Sandy_Spakoff@fws.gov; 304-876-7783   

 

Other Professional Development
Art and Environment - Online 
Art and Environment will be available as an online-only teacher professional development course with flexible weeks, June 16-August 18, 2014.  Designed for K-12 art teachers, but appropriate for science teachers seeking an interdisciplinary approach, this course will provide an in-depth introduction to the field of Eco Art, as well as a basic introduction to environmentalism.  Teachers will leave the course with an extensive online curriculum packet
http://bit.ly/1mHBFgf

EE Week Webinar
Practices of Science and Engineering on your School Campus: How to use Green STEM to meet the Next Generation Science Standards webinar will be held on March 12, 2014.  In this webinar, you will learn how to connect a field experience on your schoolyard with the Science and Engineering Practices of the Framework for K-12 Science Education.
http://eeweek.org/register
Educational Resources
Animals and Ecosystems Investi-gator 
Animals and Ecosystems Investi-gator is a sister publication of Natural Inquirer.  In this journal, you will learn many interesting facts about the southwestern United States. For example, inside "That's a Humdinger!" you will discover what happens to hummingbird nesting  following different kinds of forest-related treatments. Inside "By the Light of the Silvery Minnow," you will find out whether a small minnow can learn to find natural foods.
http://bit.ly/1mHvWXV

Battle For Bats: Surviving White Nose Syndrome
This new film produced for the Forest Service demonstrates how government agencies have come together to find solutions to the White Nose Syndrome crisis and provides information on how the public can help rebuild bat populations.
http://vimeo.com/76705033

Friends Partnership Mentoring Program Expanded 
A new and expanded FWS Friends Partnership Mentoring Program has been approved as part of the Conserving the Future vision process.  Headquarters will be working closely with the regions to get this program developed and implemented in 2014.  This is a huge demonstration of commitment and investment from the Refuge System leadership, especially in these tight budget times, which demonstrates how much we love and need our Friends.  
 http://1.usa.gov/1fvVIKN

Nature's Notebook
The USA National Phenology Program hosts Nature's Notebook, enabling citizen scientists, educators, and students of all ages to monitor the impacts of climate change on plants and animals in the United States.  Participants use scientifically-vetted observation guidelines developed for over 900 species, to ensure that data are useful to researchers and decision-makers.
www.usanpn.org/natures_notebook

NEEF ECO Score 
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) commissioned a groundbreaking national study, Environmental Connectedness Orientation (ECO), to measure environmental behavior and attitudes. The results provide NEEF a baseline for its vision that by 2022, an estimated 300 million Americans will actively use environmental knowledge to ensure the well-being of the earth and its people.
http://neefusa.org

Tools for Engagement
This planning guide features ideas and resources about how to best engage people in conservation efforts. Download a copy of Tools of Engagement: A Toolkit for Engaging People in Conservation.
http://web4.audubon.org/educate/toolkit/toolkit.php 

 

What the Fish?
The Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois offers a series of Science Podcasts, with commentary on the museum's in-house research, exhibits, and more.  What the Fish? was a biweekly podcast series with 26 episodes, covering topics surrounding the biodiversity of fishes, including discussions on their general biology, ecology, and evolution.  You can still access the series archives from this website.
http://fieldmuseum.org/explore/science-podcasts  

Events, Conferences & Workshops
Endangered Species Day
The 9th annual Endangered Species Day on May 16, 2014, is an ideal opportunity for teachers and students to learn about the importance of protecting threatened and endangered plant and animal species. In addition to classroom discussions, there are three ways to participate. To accommodate school schedules, events can be planned earlier in May, on the actual day, or the following weekend. Visit the website to register your classroom activity and check out the materials provided in the Endangered Species Day Toolkit. The website also features a Teacher Resource Center/Teacher Forum.
www.endangeredspeciesday.org   

Celebrate Pollinator Week
Help celebrate Pollinator Week from June 16-22, 2014. Find a listing of events or publicize your event. To list your Service event: 1. Log in using email acount information; 2. Scroll down on to Special Events in the Service near the bottom in the left column; 3. Click on link to "enter an event"; 4. Click on "insert a new special event"; 5. Enter event information & be sure to choose "Pollinator Event" as type of event. List Service Events: https://intranet.fws.gov/
www.pollinator.org  and  www.fws.gov/pollinators/

NAI National Workshop
The theme of the 2014 National Association for Interpretation's National Workshop is "Scaling Interpretive Heights." The workshop will be held November 18-22 in Denver, Colorado.  The deadline for presentation submissions is March 31, 2014.
http://bit.ly/1frTZWE 
Grants, Awards & Contests
2014 SOW Recognition Program
The Sense of Wonder (SOW) Recognition program recognizes Service employees who have designed and implemented visionary interpretative and environmental education programs that foster a sense of wonder and public stewardship of our wildlife heritage.
Learn more about the program
https://fishnet.fws.doi.net/projects/home/senseofwonder/

Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest
Students are invited to create duck stamp drawings to show what they have learned about wetlands habitat and waterfowl conservation. The deadline for submission is March 15, 2014.
 http://1.usa.gov/1hvlaNH

Endangered Species Art Contest
Parents, teachers, and youth group leaders across America are invited to engage children in putting their creative skills to work in the 2014 Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest, an integral part of the ninth annual national Endangered Species Day celebration. Deadline for the art contest is March 15, 2014.
http://bit.ly/1jxWkP7

Fishing for Entries
The 16th annual FLW (Forrest L. Wood) Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art contest for students (grades K-12) provides the opportunity to win prizes and recognition while learning about state-fish species, behaviors, habitats, and conservation. Deadline is March 31, 2014.
http://bit.ly/1kaZgAU

Leave No Trace Grants
To promote both Leave No Trace and stewardship of our shared natural resources, the Center has two educational materials grants. The Community Stewardship Initiative and Tools for Teaching intend to give back to the outdoors and to teach others how to Leave No Trace.
http://bit.ly/1hvjljE

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
Do you know a young person who is doing great things to help other people or the planet? Nominate him or her for the 2014 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The Barron Prize celebrates inspiring, public-spirited young people (ages 8-18) who have made a significant positive difference to people and our environment. Each year,
10 to 15 winners each receive a $5,000 cash award to support their service work or higher education. Half of each year's winners are chosen for their work to protect the environment. Deadline is April 15, 2014.
www.barronprize.org

Young Reporters for the Environment Contest       
Youth between the ages of 13 and 21 are invited to participate in the national Young Reporters for the Environment competition. Participants, who may enter as individuals or as part of a class or group, investigate an environmental issue and report on it in writing, photography, or video.  Entries must be relevant to participants' local community, connect to a global perspective, include possible solutions, and be disseminated to an appropriate target audience. Submissions are due March 15, 2014.  
http://bit.ly/1pq6pRT
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