November

November 5. WET/WILD/PLT Informational Session. Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells. Are you wild about wildlife, wowed by water, and fascinated by forests? Come learn how to share your passion for the environment using the national environmental education programs Project WILD, Project WET, and Project Learning Tree. In this informational session, you’ll be introduced to the three different activity guides, learn how the activities in each can be tailored to your audience, discover how the activities can be targeted at specific age groups or topics, and experience an exciting activity from each program. We hope to inspire you to attend a workshop and bring new ideas into your recreation programs. This workshop is part of the Wisconsin Parks and Recreation Association’s Forever Young Conference. For details or to register, visit their website.

November 13-14. Project Learning Tree & LEAF Workshop. Paper Discover Center, Appleton. Here’s your chance to get the award winning Project Learning Tree PreK-8 Activity Guide AND Wisconsin’s LEAF lesson guide in one workshop. If you are interested in helping K-12 students understand the incredible value of forests, this classroom-based workshop is for you. The workshop teaches key principles, activities, and techniques to easily integrate environmental education into your classroom. Instructor: Jeremy Solin. Cost is $40 - To register, go to the LEAF Website and fill out a registration form. For questions about the workshop, please contact LEAF at leaf@uwsp.edu or call (715) 346-4956.

November 13-14. LEAF Workshop. Wisconsin Lutheran High School, Milwaukee. If you are interested in helping K-12 students understand the incredible value of Wisconsin’s forests – both urban and rural – LEAF’s classroom-based workshop offers you this opportunity! Our workshop teaches you key principles, activities and techniques to easily integrate forestry education into your classroom. Instructor: Sally Ellingboe. Cost is $25 – To register, go to the LEAF Website and fill out a registration form. For questions about the workshop, please contact LEAF at chris.kuntz@uwsp.edu or call (715) 346-4956.

November 13-14. LEAF Workshop. Platteville Middle School, Platteville. If you are interested in helping K-12 students understand the incredible value of Wisconsin’s forests – both urban and rural – LEAF’s classroom-based workshop offers you this opportunity! Our workshop teaches you key principles, activities and techniques to easily integrate forestry education into your classroom. Instructor: Sally Ellingboe. Cost is $25 – To register, go to the LEAF Website and fill out a registration form. For questions about the workshop, please contact LEAF at chris.kuntz@uwsp.edu or call (715) 346-4956.

Groundwater Model Training

Free Groundwater Models and Training Available for Educators Teachers interested in expanding or improving their environmental science education program have an opportunity to receive a free groundwater model for their school. The model is a plexiglass tank filled with sand that enables students to see groundwater – Wisconsin’s buried treasure. Colored dye is used to show the direction that groundwater moves and can also be used to represent various pollutants as they travel throughout groundwater aquifers. The models have been described as a “necessity for groundwater education” and “the best visual aid available to teach about a resource that you normally can’t see” by some teachers who have previously attended these workshops. They are a great addition to any science curriculum. Teachers receive models during a one-day workshop with instruction on its use with additional classroom groundwater activities provided. Specialists from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the University of Wisconsin-Extension will be conducting the workshops. Schools will be eligible for reimbursement for substitute teachers. The following dates have been scheduled for 2010: Jan. 20, Bay Beach Nature Preserve, Green Bay; Jan. 27, Spooner Agricultural Research Station, Spooner; Feb. 3, WGNHS Core Lab, Mount Horeb. To obtain an application or find out more information, visit the DNR's Groundwater Education web page, or contact Laura Chern at (877) 268-9355.

February

February 20. Project Learning Tree PreK-8 Educator Workshop Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. This national, award-winning environmental education program uses the forest as a “window” to study the natural and built environment. PLT’s creative supplemental teaching activities are interdisciplinary with PreK–8 teaching activities and in-depth secondary modules. Over 95 learner-centered activities about plants, trees, forests, natural communities, food webs, and more are compatible with instruction in science, social studies, language arts, environmental science, and mathematics. Each activity features a children’s literature bibliography, technology connections and is correlated to the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards. Registration fee: $45. Register by contacting Dawn Koceja by e-mail at: koceja@mpm.edu or call (414) 278-6943.

March

March 12. What’s in the Water? Project WET Educator Workshop. Madison area location TBD. 8:30a.m.-3:30p.m. Just how does the surface and groundwater of Dane County become contaminated, and how can you illustrate the processes of contamination to students of all ages? This workshop hosted by the DNR and the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey will use Project WET and other teaching tools to explain how Dane County’s surface and groundwater can become contaminated and how we can protect these essential resources. Educators will learn how to use Project WET’s classroom ready activities to get students engaged in learning about our water resources. Project WET is an interdisciplinary K-12 conservation and environmental education program with over 90 activities focused on water. This workshop will offer exciting new teaching ideas for use in science, math, social studies, language arts, and environmental education classes. Each participant will receive the Project WET K-12 Activity Guide and a packet of groundwater-related resource materials specific to Wisconsin. Cost: $20.00. Lunch will not be provided. Please bring a sack lunch. Contact: Amalia Baldwin or (608) 264-8930 by February 26.

March 20. Project WILD Educator Workshop. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Kids love wildlife and that’s why teachers and nonformal educators love this exciting conservation and environmental education program. Over 150 activities designed to develop awareness, knowledge, and identification skills to result in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and the environments they depend upon. Activities emphasize hands-on, inquiry-based, and cooperative learning. Project WILD participants receive two guides with lessons for grades k-12. These projects can be used for service learning that involves students in environmental action projects on school grounds and in the community. Registration fee: $45. Register by contacting Dawn Koceja by e-mail at: koceja@mpm.edu or call (414) 278-6943.

April

April 22. Earth Day. Take time to celebrate our natural resources and do something to help sustain our water, air, forests, lakes and rivers. Check out EEK! to find fun activities to get kids involved this year.

April 30. Wisconsin's Arbor Day. Arbor Day is a national environmental education program designed to teach students the importance of trees within our environment. Wisconsin’s Arbor Day is celebrated by schools on the last Friday in April and is usually linked with Earth Day. Annually, the state nursery program provides 75,000 free tree seedlings to Wisconsin fourth grade students for this celebration. These are only available to classrooms in Wisconsin. Get ready for this year's Arbor Day and Earth Week by getting kids involved in this year's 4th Grade Writing Contest and 5th Grade Poster Contest. Also, 4th grade teachers can order free tree seedlings.

May

May 22. Project WILD Educator Workshop. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee. 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Kids love wildlife and that’s why teachers and nonformal educators love this exciting conservation and environmental education program. Over 150 activities designed to develop awareness, knowledge, and identification skills to result in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and the environments they depend upon. Activities emphasize hands-on, inquiry-based, and cooperative learning. Project WILD participants receive two guides with lessons for grades k-12. These projects can be used for service learning that involves students in environmental action projects on school grounds and in the community. Registration fee: $45. Register by contacting Dawn Koceja by e-mail at: koceja@mpm.edu or call (414) 278-6943.