Workshops & Field Trips

Saturday, October 22

B1. Foraging our fields and forests for food, art and function!
Aimee Gelinas, Musician and Cultural Environmental Educator; Tamarack Hollow

Learn how to identify, collect and utilize plants, berries, roots and bark to create teas, dyes, cordage and snacks. View a photo presentation from the Tamarack Hollow nature photo collection and learn tips in identifying the plants, trees and shrubs that provide the ingredients, what time of year is best to collect them and simple directions for utilizing them. Handouts provided. Participants will engage in hands on learning methods for identifying, collecting and utilizing native and non-native trees, plants and shrubs from our mountainous forests and fields. Workshop may include outdoor exploration if weather permits.

B2. What every citizen should know: Environmental Literacy
Bora Simmons, Director; National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education

Recent efforts have yielded a series of documents that detail important “literacies:” ocean, climate, atmospheric science, and energy. Each is important, but how can they be integrated throughout the curriculum into a meaningful whole? Starting with NAAEE’s Guidelines for Excellence (K-12) environmental literacy framework, we will explore these various literacies and their interconnections.

B3. Passing the Torch
Elizabeth Lemire, Lower School Science Specialist; Dwight Englewood School

All Passing the Torch workshop participants will experience the process of engaging children in the natural world and issues of social and environmental justice. We will begin with a brief talk and video clips that are humorous and thought provoking. After a short discussion, the students will introduce and lead activities each has experienced according to their age level.

B4. Firefly Watch: A Ready-made Citizen Science Project for your Organization
Don Salvatore, Science Educator/Firefly Watch Citizen Science Coordinator; Boston, MA

Everyone loves fireflies, but most people know almost nothing about them. Firefly programs can be a great way to draw new visitors to your institution. In this workshop you will learn some firefly natural history, be introduced to the Firefly Watch Citizen Science Project and hear about firefly programming you can offer your visitors.

B5. What Comes After Environmental Literacy?
Adrian Ayson; EEMatters

When the time comes that most people “understand how natural systems and human social systems work and relate to one another” and “combine this understanding with personal attitudes and experiences to analyze various facets of environmental issues” do we then hang the “mission accomplished” banner? Or do we have more work to do before environmental literacy translates into behavior? Join this informal roundtable as we envision the post-environmental literacy world.

Session AB 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

AB1. School Grounds as Dynamic Learning Landscapes
Elizabeth Cooper, Designer, Educator, Naturalist, Outdoor Guide & Landowner Consultant

Transformation Through Intentional Planning and Design From a perspective of intentional planning this workshop will focus on re-imagining school grounds to be dynamic centers of outdoor learning and play that provide a diversity of recreational offerings, enhance local ecology, reflect unique location and community context, and that weave curricula into the landscape.

AB2. Thinking In Systems: Games and activities to encourage a systems way to teach
Coleen O'Connell, Faculty/Director; Lesley University

One of the 21st century skills we must cultivate in both ourselves and our students is systems thinking and the creation of system thinkers. In this workshop we will do a quick overview of systems theory, and then begin to experience through games and activities the ways in which system thinking can shift our teaching and learning environments and our general ecological literacy.

AB3. Educational Travels with a Park Ranger
Jamie Kordack, Park Ranger; Buffumville Lake and Hodges Village Dam

Park Ranger Jamie Kordack works here in Charlton, Massachusetts at
the two largest “green spaces” in this region. With over 1200 acres of
resources, you are invited to travel with Jamie as she takes us on a
field trip to Buffumville Lake. Come explore what she has to offer
fellow educators.

Session C 1:45 - 3:15pm

C1. Water, Climate and Population: Teaching about Human Impact with Population Connection
Dr. Diana Payne, Assistant Professor and Education Coordinator; Connecticut Sea Grant

Looking for ways to incorporate critical thinking and creative problem solving techniques? In this hands-on, interdisciplinary session we will explore impacts of natural and human activities on our planets water and climate. Participants will receive lots of resources, including a CD-ROM of activities form Population Connection.

C2. Seeing the Forest Pests for the Trees: Engaging Communities in Invasive Species Detection
Stacy Kilb, Asian Longhorned Beetle Outreach Coordinator; Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources

Wondering where educators and their students fit in the battle against forest pests? In this interactive workshop we we’ll review what is being done about Asian Longhorned Beetle and other invasive species and how educators can help. Experience hands-on activities to use in your classroom or program and leave with the tools you need to succeed!

C3. Educating Young Children about the Environment
Bora Simmons, Director; National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education

This highly participatory workshop introduces recognized tools that will help you develop programs for young children, focusing on ages 3-6. Participants will receive a copy of NAAEE’s Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence.

C4. Eco-Rabbis and Mystic Farmers: Reclaiming Judaism’s Ancient Environmental Wisdom
David Arfa, Storyteller/Environmental Educator; Shelburne Falls, MA

This workshop will introduce participants to a variety of Judaism’s teachings, holidays, actions and mythic stories that help reconnect us to the sacred via Land, Community, Cosmos, and Ourselves. In addition, participants will learn about the evolution of this new field of Jewish Environmental Education.

C5. EmPOWERing Students: Fight Climate Change by Harnessing the Forces of Nature for Renewable Energy
Michael Caduto, Director; Programs for Environmental Awareness & Cultural Exchange

This entertaining workshop is about empowering youth to fight climate change by transforming natural forces into renewable energy. Participatory demonstrations show how to produce useable electricity from the sun, wind and bicycle generator. Draws from Michael Caduto’s new book: Catch the Wind, Harness the Sun: 22 Super-Charged Science Projects For Kids.

C6. Boston Youth Environmental Network
Dawn Chavéz, Director; Boston Youth Environmental Network (BYEN)

To date, nearly 150 public and private sector environmental education providers participate in the network. By convening a broad spectrum of stakeholders, connecting them to each other in service to our urban youth, sustaining these connections through comprehensive programs that leverage individual organizational strengths, and consistently measuring and evaluating program impacts, BYEN is transforming the way that the City’s children in grades K-12 experience hands-on science and environmental education and related employment opportunities. Join Dawn Chavéz in a discussion among session participants around strategies for networking and forming communities of practice in Environmental Education, accessing Environmental Education resources for teaching and learning, and building partnerships between schools and EE program providers in your community.

C7. "Plugging In", Outdoors! : Integrating Technology into Environmental Education
Kris Scopinich, Education Manager; Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary

Let's talk about the positive aspects of using technology as a tool for engaging and learning about the environment. From critter cams to mobile mappers to computer games, we can use technology to bring people closer to nature, support data collection and analysis, and help kids think ecologists. We will review recent research that demonstrates how and why technology engages new audiences as well as how to best leverage this tool to teach and practice ecological thinking. There is much discussion on getting kids "unplugged", let's think about how to use technology and "plug them into" the environment.

Session D 4:45 - 6:15pm

D1. Local Watershed Navigation
Jim Laffley, Education Program Coordinator; DCR Water Supply Protection

By exploring a local watershed through maps, history, habitats, literature, math, and science, an educator can create a unit or programs. Connections can be made to the local school curricula and state frameworks. Both natural and human histories are essential to understanding a watershed’s importance to the local community. Participants will engage in a number of hands-on activities for different age levels. A unit example will be distributed and curricula connections will be discussed.

D2. Demystifying the Process of Bird Watching: Observe, Identify, Recognize
Alexander Dunn, Independent Educator; Boylston, MA

How do advanced bird watchers identify a tiny warbler in just a flash? In this workshop we will explore how advanced birders use the eye/brain connection to make snap judgments and discuss how educators can utilize close observation and field notes to develop bird identification skills at any age.

D3. Creating a Culture of Nature Appreciation in a Public School
Ted Watt; Hitchcock Center for the Environment

At the RK Finn Ryan Road Elementary School in Florence, Mass, we have created a public school culture of studying and appreciating nature. We’ve achieved this through a four-year-long, team approach using classroom field trips, teacher professional development, district-coordinated curriculum development, and community involvement. Our team includes classroom teachers, principal, environmental center staff naturalist, students, parents, community members, our local education foundation, and a really cool vernal pool. We want to share with you how we got where we are now. And we want to offer you an opportunity to develop a plan to bring together the players in your community that could help you with a similar project.

D4. Conservation's Next Generation: Engaging and Empowering Urban Youth: The Nature Conservancy’s LEAF Program
Meg Connerton, Director of Operations; Massachusetts Chapter of The Nature Conservancy
Brigitte Griswold, Director of Youth Programs; Nature Conservancy

This session will introduce participants to The Nature Conservancy's Leaders in Environmental Action for the Future (LEAF) Program, a 16 year partnership model with environmentally themed high schools in urban areas designed to engage diverse youth as active leaders in the conservation movement. The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts will be rolling out this program in Boston schools in 2012. Modeled after the principles of successful youth development, the program provides underserved youth with sustained exposure to urban and natural ecosystems during critical adolescent years, introduces students to viable career paths in environmental fields, and creates lifelong advocates for conservation in the 21st century. Session leaders will share lessons learned and debut the results of the first ever longitudinal alumni survey to measure the program's impact. Session leaders will also be seeking feedback as to how to better engage Boston-based youth, communities and partners in TNC’s mission.

D5. Service-Learning: Impacting Learners for Life to Become Environmentally Literate & Effective Citizens
Barbara Fiore, Education Consultant; KIDS Consortium

Learn how to use service-learning as a teaching strategy to engage your students to identify and research environmental problems in your community, explore solutions, and implement projects. By building partnerships with community members working on local needs, students learn how to effect positive change in the world. Learn about environmental service-learning projects from around New England.

D6. Defining Your Online Strategy
Adrian Ayson; EEMatters

It’s no longer a question of whether your organization or program should use Facebook/Linked-In/Twitter/YouTube and other online tools. It’s about your over-all strategy for harnessing all the online technologies available for learning and communication. We’ll take a look at how you can utilize the elements of the digital world (Web sites, social networks, blogs, webinars, podcasts, etc) as essential adjuncts to your programs and how you can build comprehensive campaigns for awareness, learning, networking, and support.

Session CD 3:00 - 6:00 pm

CD1. Carbon Storage in Your Local Forest
Sarah Silverberg, GLOBE Carbon Cycle Project Coordinator; University of New Hampshire

Do trees in your backyard store more or less carbon than the global human population? How will carbon storage change if forested areas are converted to baseball fields, parking lots or houses? Come learn how field data collection can bring the global carbon cycle to a local level.

CD2. Practical Program Evaluation
Deb Sugerman, Consultant; Experimental Concepts

How do you know if your program actually does what you say it does? In these times of accountability, we are being asked to verify program outcomes with hard data collected in a systematic fashion, not anecdotal information collected sporadically. In this workshop you will learn how to connect program goals and outcomes with evaluation strategies. You will leave with a simple evaluation plan for your program and the tools to accomplish it.

CD3. Bark: Get to Know Your Trees
Michael Wojtech, Author

The traits typically used to describe trees—leaves, twigs, and buds—are often not clearly visible or seasonally absent. Join Michael for an indoor/outdoor exploration of bark, which is always visible, in any season. You will learn about a system for distinguishing bark characteristics and discover clues to bark ecology.