December 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

FL PLT News

Florida PLT Memorial and Recognition Program

Florida PLT has established a Memorial and Recognition Program to celebrate those who share a passion for conservation education. This program offers a meaningful way for educators and natural resource professionals to celebrate and remember colleagues, friends and loved-ones whose passion for environmental education impacts the lives of so many. The program will provide critical support for environmental education programs that will have a lasting positive impact on the youth of Florida and the future of our natural resources and the environment. Tax-deductible contributions can be made directly to Florida PLT programs in memory of those special individuals, or in recognition of those who continue to share their enthusiasm and educational ideals.

Family and friends can make contributions in lieu of sending flowers or cards for funerals, or in recognition of special occasions and accomplishments such as winning PLT’s Educator of the Year award. Acknowledgement and Donor Thank You Cards are sent in response to each tax-deductible contribution received. For more information or to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Florida PLT Memorial and Recognition Giving Program, please contact Jenny Seitz, (352) 846.2329, PO Box 110831, Gainesville, FL 32611.

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Upcoming PLT Events and Workshops

January 11: PreK-8 Educator for Master Gardeners at the Leon County Extension Office (Tallahassee). Contact Robin to register. Limited space available.
January 20 and 27, February 3 and 15: A variety of PLT Educator and Naturalist Workshops at the Environmental Center at Miami Dade College-Kendall (Miami). Contact Karina for registration information. (Each date is a separate workshop for a specific audience)
January 20: PreK-8 Educator Workshop at Austin Cary Memorial Forest (Gainesville). Contact Joe to register.
January 26: PreK-8 PLT and WET Workshop for Planning Summer Programs at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens (Jacksonville). Contact Kelliann to register.
February 2, 16 and 27: PreK-8 Educator Workshop at Leon County Extension Office (Tallahassee). Contact Robin to register. Limited space available. Each workshop is the same one offered three different days.
February 19: Energy & Society 3-8 Educator at the Florida Solar Energy Center (Coca). Contact Jenny for registration information.
March 3: PreK-8 Educator Workshop at Weedon Island Preserve (St. Petersburg). Contact Grant for information.
March 20: PreK-8 Educator Workshop at Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science
(Tallahassee). Contact the Education Department at 850-575-8684 to register.
March 24 and 31: PreK-8 Two-Day Educator Workshop at Greynolds Park (Miami). Register through the school district. Contact Marcia to see if space is available for non-district educators.
April 14 and 21: Energy and Society and Wildland Fire 3-8 grade Educator 2-Day Workshop at Miami-Dade Greynolds Park (Miami). Register through the school district. Contact Marcia to see if space is available for non-district educators.

For more information about these and other events, please see the Calendar of Events on our Web site.

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Conferences / Events / Workshops

2007 Florida Forestry Teachers’ Tour—June 19–22, 2007

Discover first hand where products you use every day come from. Learn about environmental issues and how foresters work to meet the needs of the community and the environment. The tour is designed to maximize your experiences in a short period of time. Along the way you will visit public, private and industry forest lands, plus tour a variety of forest products manufacturing mills. Walking through different mills will open your eyes to the technology and efficiency of today’s wood products processing plants. Applications are due March 26, 2007.

National Environmental Education Week—April 15-22, 2007

Participate in the largest environmental education event in U.S. history.

Pisgah Forest Institute 2007 Workshops

A variety of earth and environmental science education programs for educators. Funding from the USDA Forest Service and others allows this to be a free learning experience (room and board are included).

PLT and WILD Leadership and Facilitator Training Workshop: January 26–28, 2007
Become a facilitator for both PLT and WILD! This two day training held at the Ocala Conservation Youth Camp will show you the ins and outs of facilitation. Pre-registration and an application are required. Contact Jenny Seitz at (352) 846-2329 or jacohen@ufl.edu for the forms.

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Grants / Contests / Awards

2007 Arbor Day National Poster Contest

The National Arbor Day Foundation and The City of Apopka are calling on all fifth-grade classrooms in Florida to showcase their artistic talents by creating posters reflecting the theme “Trees are Terrific … and forests are too!” The annual contest educates children about the importance of planting and caring for trees.

Teachers and homeschoolers in Florida can sign up by contacting Debbie Lawrence, contest coordinator for the state and Recreation Leader with The City of Apopka. Requests can be mailed to Ms. Lawrence at 11 North Forest Avenue, Apopka, FL 32703 or by sending an e-mail. Teachers will receive a free ecosystem activity guide including in-depth lesson plans, hands-on activities, and contest information.

Florida School Garden Competition for Elementary Schools

Any garden that is used by teachers and students for educational purposes may enter the competition. The garden may be of any style and size as it functions for the school. Deadline to apply: March 23, 2007.

Wild Oats Gardening with Kids Award

Schools and youth organizations that plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18 during 2007, and are within a 30-mile radius of a Wild Oats Marketplace in Miami, Florida. Each award package includes gardening supplies, kitchen equipment, curricula, and a cooking lesson/demo. Deadline to apply: January 15, 2007.

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Connecting PLT to the Classroom

Climate: A Crisis Averted Online Movie (use with Global Climate Change Activity 84)

This movie looks back from 2056 and recounts how ordinary citizens in 2006—realizing that global warming was a scientific fact and not a climatic theory—take action to demand clean energy and other planet-friendly options. The movie describes how a movement called RenewUS effected real change with an action plan, or ‘call-to-arms’ on global warming. Collaboration between Stonyfield Farm, Inc., Earth Day Network, and Clean Air-Cool Planet provide ideas for what individuals can do to help reverse human-induced climate change.

Connections across the U.S. (Environmental Exchange Box Activity 20)

The activity is a way for students to develop awareness that each locality has distinct natural and human-made resources. It's a fun way to teach science, geography, art, history, and language arts and provide a greater understanding of the world's natural, social, and cultural diversity. National PLT will match you with an exchange partner in the United States. Send an email to Jenny with the following information: name, school, address, email address, phone number, and grade level(s).

Global Warming Resources (use with Global Climate Change Activity 84)

Free lesson plans and activities for K-12 students, an interactive forum, and a student produced E-Zine.

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Resources

Bonnie Plants Announces 3rd Grade Cabbage Program

The 3rd Grade Cabbage Program is FREE to all 3rd graders and schools in the United States. In spring, students will receive plants that produce “oversized" cabbages — they can reach more than forty pounds and be bigger than a basketball! One lucky third grader in each state will be picked to win a $1000 scholarship. Once you enroll the class in the program, Bonnie Plant Farm will contact you and deliver the number of plants you request. Get ready for the 2007 school year.

Florida Electronic Library

This free resource provides online materials for all grade levels. Resources include photos, videos, maps, and access to a variety of books. All you need is your Florida Public Library card to log in and access these resources.

CHANCE

Connecting Humans and Nature in the Costa Rican Environment takes field trip research in Costa Rica created into modules by school teachers. Seven modules each include teacher guidelines and classroom activities.

The Why Files—Teacher Activity Pages

The online magazine from University of Wisconsin-Madison, explores the science behind the day’s news. Listed activities connect today’s news to the classroom. Select the yellow pencil icon at http://whyfiles.org.

National Audubon’s Healthy Habitat Series

It's been a long wait, but the Invitations to a Healthy...Yard, Schoolyard, Neighborhood, Country Home, and Apartment/Townhome are finally ready! A collaborative effort between the Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) and National Audubon have produced these guides to address ways to attract and protect nature around our human-influenced landscapes.

Climate Discovery Teacher's Guide

Lessons on how the sun's magnetism interacts with the earth's magnetic field, how scientists study ancient climates, how the earth system works, how climate changes over time, and how climate models are used to predict the future of earth's climate.

Visualization Project

Simulations of more than 40 phenomena: sea ice and CO2, climate change (230-year period), clouds and precipitation, coral reef evolution (starting 21,000 years ago), universal fire shape, fire twirl and burst behavior, tornadoes, thunderstorms, typhoons, El Nino events, greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosols, polar vortex breakdown, CO2 and temperature, CFCs in the ocean, cloud evolution, daily weather in the U.S., and more.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Atlas

The atlas is designed to provide citizens, scientists, professionals, and planners with comprehensive and current water quality, hydrologic, and ecological data, as well as information about recreational opportunities and a library of scientific and educational materials on water resource issues. Resources for teachers and students are included.

Nature Kids Live Animal Programs

Nature Kids is an interactive, integrated series of place-based programs that come directly to the children. Children can have a hands-on experience with a variety of animals from around the world. Programs can be chosen from the following, or individual programs can be created to meet curriculum needs of teachers. Fees are involved.

Agriculture Education

Program information and resources for teachers, students, and parents make adding agriculture to programs simple. Part of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services web site.

Celebrating Wildflowers

Celebrating Wildflowers is dedicated to the enjoyment of the thousands of wildflowers growing on our national forests and grasslands, and to educating the public about the many values of native plants. Click Florida on the map to find Celebrating Wildflower events, wildflower viewing areas, and wildflower photographs near you.

Pollination Partnership

Look under Education on the resources page for suggested lessons, images, and fact sheets. Check the other links for images and more information.

PowerPoint Games

Download the templates and modify the PowerPoint games to fit your curriculum needs.

Walden: The Ballad of Thoreau

This new theatrical play about the last two days Henry David Thoreau spent in his cabin at Walden Pond is designed for use by middle, high schools, colleges and community theaters. We are making the play available FREE OF CHARGE to 10,000 schools in the USA and Canada for national performance as an Earth Day 2007 event. Visit the web site, review the project (also includes lesson plan, posters and theater program) and e-mail us for your password and user name to download the script.

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Interesting Tree Fact #14

The American Basswood (Tilia americana) has large heart-shaped leaves, fragrant cream-yellow flowers, and pea-size nutlets attached to leafy wings characterize this tree.

There are a variety of uses for this tree:

Native Americans used shredded bark of the young shoots for twine, matting, and baskets.
Pioneer farmers used twisted sections of bark for hauling logs.
Honey lovers believe that honey from the basswood flower has a slightly minty flavor.
Carvers use the soft wood to create items.
This species is used for house flooring in Japan, since shoes are not worn indoors and pillows are used for chairs.
The wood can also be used for honey comb frames, berry baskets, yardsticks, crates, and other light items.

Information taken from: Eastman, J. 1992. The Book of Forest and Thicket: Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers of Eastern North America. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.

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Credits

Information in this newsletter came from the Kids Gardening web site, EdInfo listserv, National PLT listserv, and a variety of education focused newsletters .