August 2006
This bi-monthly newsletter is for you. Let me know what type of information you would like to see. I invite everyone to submit an environmental related article or blurb that would be of interest to PLT educators and supporters.
Thank you for all your support,
Jennifer Seitz
Florida PLT Coordinator
Inside this edition:
- FL PLT News
- Upcoming PLT Events and Workshops
- Conferences / Activities/ Workshops
- Grants / Contests / Awards
- Connecting PLT to the Classroom
- Resources
- Interesting Tree Fact #12
FL PLT News
Our “Urban Forests Supplement for Florida Project Learning Tree” has received state and national recognition.
- Recipient of the Communication Award for Long Publication by the Florida Association for Natural Resource Extension Professionals.
- Reviewed and accepted for inclusion in the National Environmental Education Directory. Visit the directory to find other Florida resources in the directory.
Upcoming PLT Events and Workshops
- August 26: PLT and WILD PreK-12 Educator Workshop (only need to attend one) at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Monroe County.
- September 16: PreK-8 Educator Workshop at Austin Cary Memorial Forest. $10 fee (at the door) covers lunch and refreshments.
- October 6: PreK-8 Educator Workshop at Leon County Extension Office (Tallahassee).
- October 12: Prek-8 Educator Workshop at the Reitz Union on the University of Florida campus (Gainesville). Workshop is part of the Florida Association for Science Teacher Conference. Pre-registration required. Participants must be a member of FAST to attend.
- October 19: PreK-8 Educator Workshop at Leon County Extension Office (Tallahassee).
For more information about these and other events, please see the Calendar of Events on our Web site.
Conferences / Activities / Workshops
Ding Darling Days
Sanibel Island's annual festival celebrating its unique habitat kicks off on October 8th and runs through the 14th. It will include classes, tours, and a variety of family experiences for all nature lovers. Saturday, October 14th, author, Lynne Cherry , will be speaking at 11:00 a.m. which will be followed by a book signing. She is author of more than 30 award-winning childrens’ books such as the “The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest” and “The Sea, The Storm and the Mangrove Tangle.” Don’t miss this opportunity to meet an environmentally influential woman!
Grants / Contests / Awards
Costa Rica Teaching Opportunity-Secondary Educators
The Institute of International Education has launched a NEW, fully-funded professional development program for teachers of grades 7-12 to Costa Rica. Only twenty spaces are available for classroom teachers. Deadline to apply is October 9, 2006.
National
Gardening Association’s Healthy Sprouts Awards
To be eligible, a school or organization must plan to garden in
2007 with at least fifteen children between the ages of 3 and 18. The selection
of winners is based on the demonstrated relationship between the garden
program and nutrition and hunger issues in the United States. The program
will present awards to twenty-five schools or organizations. Each will receive
a $200 gift certificate to Gardener's Supply Company; a literature and curriculum
package from NGA; and NGA Supporter benefits for one year.
Captain
Planet Foundation
Awards between $500 and $2,500 for schools and nonprofit organizations
that develop innovative environmental projects for youth that promote cooperation,
planning, and problem-solving skills are awarded annually. Remaining 2006
Application Deadlines: June 30, September 30, and December 31.
CVS
Community Grants Program
CVS/pharmacy Community Grants program is accepting proposals for
programs targeting children under the age of 18 with disabilities that address
any of the following: health and rehabilitation services; public schools
promoting a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular
programs; and creating opportunities or facilities that give greater access
to physical movement and play. Deadline is October 31, 2006.
Angels
in Action Awards
Georgia-Pacific's Angels in Action Awards Program will recognize
children who are involved in exemplary community service projects in age
categories 8-15 years old and 16-18 years old. One outstanding awardee will
receive $15,000 for "Program of the Year." Two grand-prize winners
(one from each age category) will receive $10,000, and ten finalists (five
from each age category) will receive $1,000. Deadline is October 1, 2006.
Project
Learning Tree’s GreenWorks! Grant Program
Do you have an idea for an exciting service-learning or community
action project for your students but you don't have enough funds to implement
it? Apply for one of PLT's GreenWorks! Grants. This program offers educators
the opportunity to apply for grants to implement community action and service-learning
projects.
2006
Hooked on Hydroponics Awards
Classroom hydroponics offers eager students loads of opportunities
to explore concepts across the curriculum, from biology to economics. Twelve
educational programs will each receive a compact hydroponics package that
includes everything required to grow plants successfully indoors. Application
deadline: September 30, 2006.
Do
Something Brick Awards
Six outstanding leaders age 18 and under and 3 outstanding leaders
age 19-25 who develop projects to improve their community are honored
annually. Winners in "18 yrs. & under" category receive a
$5,000 scholarship and a $5,000 grant; winners in the "19-25" category
each receive a $10,000 grant. Application Deadline: October 25, 2006
Connecting PLT to the Classroom
Earth
and Sky Program: Use Project Learning Tree Resources!
Earth
and Sky is a successful short format science radio program
heard by millions of listeners throughout the U.S. and abroad that
highlights the wonders of science and nature through daily radio
shows.
Look for the PLT logo next to select radio shows to enhance learning in your
classroom with correlated PLT lessons. Numerous correlations have been developed
combining the two resources.
Gopher
Tortoise Upgraded to Threatened Species
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted
to “uplist” the Gopher Tortoise from a Species of Special Concern to the
Threatened status, based on its dwindling numbers and accelerating habitat
loss. Land development is identified as the major factor causing problems
for the tortoise’s continued survival.
In addition to the Gopher Tortoise action, FWC Commissioners also voted to remove bald eagles from Florida's list of animals in danger, and to downgrade manatees from endangered to threatened. The commissioners also voted to designate the Panama City crayfish as a threatened species (found only in a small portion of Bay County).
***This information can be used with PLT Activities: Life on the Edge #88 and Web of Life #45.
Resources
One
Planet, Many People
PowerPoint’s of UNEP's Atlas released for educational purposes
- One Planet, Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment provides a
comprehensive, visual presentation of scientifically verifiable information
about changes in the global environment. A collection of 405 PowerPoint
slides divided into Regional and Thematic sets covering 11 contemporary
and dynamic themes and 6 geographical regions can now be downloaded free
of charge.
Earth Science
Week: October 8-14
The American Geological Institute has announced the theme for Earth
Science Week 2006: “Be a Citizen Scientist!” The year’s Earth Science Week
will engage students and the public in conducting real “citizen science”
research and help to spread science literacy.
Invite
Teens to Consult on Kids’ Gardens
Cornell University’s Garden-Based Learning Program has created
a program to more fully engage youth in the development of children's gardens.
Teams of teen “consultants" receive training in planning kids’ gardens,
and then critique garden education programs from the youth perspective.
As a result, garden leaders and teachers find out what turns kids'
on to learning in the garden, and teen participants profit from the chance
to learn about garden planning and gain genuine experience in consulting.
Guidelines and support materials for assembling and training your own team
of Children’s Gardening Consultants can be downloaded for free at their
Garden-Based Learning Web site.
Maps
from the U.S. Geological Survey
Find maps that are popular with teachers, tools for teaching students
how to read and make maps, resources on land use, and satellite images related
to the journey of Lewis and Clark. Design your own map to display boundaries,
geographic names, transportation systems, water, land cover, climate, and
more.
Spanish
Treasure Fleets of 1715 and 1733: Disasters Strike at Sea
Information about Spain's search for gold and silver in the New
World (1500s-1700s) and its "treasure fleet system," which was
intended to protect its treasure-laden ships from being seized by England,
France, and the Netherlands. In 1715 and 1733, hurricanes devastated Spain's
treasure fleets off the coast of Florida. Today, two of the sunken ships'
remains are protected as Florida Underwater Archaeological Preserves.
Nature
Stories Podcasts
Nature Stories Podcast Weekly podcasts on the natural world, curated
by Atlantic Public Media, sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and the Public
Radio Exchange.
Seismology
Resources
The IRIS Education & Outreach (E&O) program, in collaboration with
the seismological and educational communities, develops and implements programs
designed to enhance seismology and Earth Science education. A variety of
lesson plans and fact sheets are available.
Growing
a Green Generation
A curriculum of gardening activities for preschool and kindergarten
children.
Intruders
in Paradise
This teaching guide about exotic species is designed for middle
school students. The guide was developed by The Florida Aquarium,
Florida Sea Grant, Tampa Bay Estuary Program, and UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension
Service.
Interesting Tree Fact #12
In the August 2006 edition of “National Geographic”, a section in the article about hurricanes caught the interest of PLT Steering Committee Member Bill Kleinhans. Below is an excerpt from the article.
“To improve the record [on reliable hurricane strength data], [Christopher] Landsea [of the National Hurricane Center] has been analyzing hurricanes back to the mid-1800s, trying to gauge their intensity from accounts of storm surge and wind damage. Other researchers are looking for signs of past hurricanes at the bottom of coastal lakes, where the strongest storms deposited layers of windblown beach sand, and in the wood of old trees from coastal forests. Rainwater from hurricanes is minutely lighter than regular rain, so a tree drenched by passing hurricanes preserves a subtle record of each storm in its growth rings.”
It is interesting the amount of information we can obtain about a location from tree rings! Did you know that hurricane rain was lighter than regular rain? That’s a great science fair project.
For the entire article visit http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0608/feature2/index.html.
Credits
Information in this newsletter came from the EDInfo, FFA, NAAEE EE-News, Kids Gardening, and FL PWILD listservs.