2009 Conference: Environmental Education in the Green Economy
STRAND:
EE Best Practices: Engaging Activities Within and Without the Classroom
WORKSHOPS
Living Sustainably; It's Your Choice
Presennters: Jon Pritchard and Catherin Elliott of UMaine Cooperative Extension
Description: Use a friendly 24-page guide to understand sustainable living; identify barriers to living sustainably and ways to overcome them; identify your personal values; learn how to use the “triple win” sustainability triangle in your lifestyle choices; decide how to incorporate sustainable behaviors in everyday life. Experience the guide and discuss its use with various audiences.
Discover Maine Seabirds with Be-A-Bird!
Presenter: Susan Schubel of Project Puffin, National Audubon
Description: Learn about seabirds by delving into our mystery boxes. There are costumes to wear, nests to build, maps to peruse, and diets to discover. You'll come away with knowledge of 5 Maine seabirds, and a fun reporting format that can be used by teachers or students to share information.
Project WET Sampler
Presenter: Lynne Richard, Ben Davison and Camilla Fecteau
of Portland Water District
Description: Want to teach about the water cycle, water quality, physical and chemical characteristics, groundwater, watersheds, and stewardship? Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) engages students with hands-on, scientific investigations that teach about Earth’s most precious natural resource — water! Participants will play with innovative yet low cost WET activities and will receive the Project WET Sampler booklet.
Watersheds as Life Sources Who Connect Culture and Place
Presenter: Angle Reed and Lee Francis of the Penobscot Indian Nation
Description: Witness the team work between Penobscot Nation Water Resources Program and Indian Island School to implement culturally-relevant curriculum. Don the felt suit and be a water droplet - participate in the magic of Velcro and pollution prevention! Imagine getting dunked because you weren’t protected by a riparian buffer zone.
Water and Wildlife — The Mystery of Riparian Habitats
Presenter: Anna Hunt of Chewonki Foundation
Description: Whether water is underground or in the sky, animals will always depend on it for their survival. This program focuses on the riparian areas at the water’s edge and the animals that depend on this habitat. We will bring mounted and a few live, non-releasable animals to show the unique adaptations required for life around water. In addition to hands-on animal specimens and activities, participants will receive a clean water poster and instruction on the interactivity with our website! We will also discuss ways it can be used in the classroom and ways we have helped teach this for other organizations.
STRAND:Take It Outside! Getting Kids Out in Nature
WORKSHOPS:
Science in the Schoolyard: How to Enhance Student Learning and Get Students Outside on a Regular Basis
Presenter: Erica Beck Spencer of OBIS (Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies) and FOSS Project
Description: Science in the Schoolyard! Come learn how the Boston Schoolyard Initiative gets students outside on a regular basis while enhancing the science curriculum. In this workshop, you will learn how to maximize the impact on student learning, utilize the schoolyard as a resource, and unique tips and tricks for teaching outside.
Building Partnerships in Local Communities to Create Placed-Based Experiences for Children: The Trust in Our Children Project
Presenter: Pamela Morgan aNd Nancy Naimey of University of New England, Kennebunkport Consolidated School, Kennebunkport Conservation Trust
Description: Hear about a new program that created a partnership between a land trust, a school and a university to connect children with outdoor places in their hometown. Learn how to build a similar network of in your community. Find out about the trials and the triumphs so you can succeed in your town.
Learning to Look, Looking to See
Presenter: Lisa Kane of ME Dept of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
Description: How often have you taken kids outside for a hike or on a field trip, only to hear them say “I never SEE anything!!” Hone their abilities to observe, look and see with several easy and rewarding activities you can use on the trail.
Questing: Connecting Kids & Communities with Treasure Hunts
Presenter: Steven Glazer and Jennifer Atkinson of Poetics of Place/Quebec-Labrador Foundation
Description: Questing is an award-winning, place-based education model. To make a Quest, a group adopts a place, learning via individual work, group process and community partnership. Knowledge is shared through the Quest: revealing the stories in the land and sea in a fresh way. Learn about Questing — and about QLF’s new program in Maine!
WinterKids Guide to Outdoor Active Learning (GOAL)
Presenter: Marion Doyle of Winterkids
Description: WinterKids Guide to Outdoor Active Learning makes it easy for teachers to meet state standards while making learning fun and active. Each academic lesson in this cross-curricular guide includes a physically active, outdoor component. Attend this workshop and join presenters as they walk (or snowshoe!) you through a lesson. Be prepared to move during this workshop!
STRAND: Environmental Literacy for a Sustainable 21st Century
WORKSHOPS:
Climate Change 101
Presenter: Stefany Arsenault of Maine Energy Education Program
Description: In this workshop we'll model a board game that teaches students about the greenhouse effect and show you an easy way to compare the amount of carbon dioxide in a person's breath to that in car exhaust. You'll leave with two fun and thrifty activities to use in your classroom.
Exploring Ocean Literacy through Climate Change
Presenter: Mary Cerullo fo Friends of Casco Bay
Description: How will climate change affect the Maine coast? Learn about newest information, classroom activities, and relevant children’s trade books, and link to the national standards of Ocean Literacy. All participants will receive a disk of 37 activities focused on Casco Bay’s marine life, ecosystem characteristics, and service learning opportunities.
School and Land Trust Partnerships for Place-Based Education
Presenter: Pat Crawford and Aaron Megquier of Islesboro Central School/Islesboro Islands Trust
Description: It's a win-win; students learn better, develop environmental literacy; and grow to love the landscape they call home, while land trusts gain valuable outreach and volunteer service - all at minimal cost! We'll discuss tools, communication strategies, sample programs and advice for building a successful partnership in a K-12 setting.
Creative ways to acquire and share book and Internet resources when teaching environmental education
Presenter: Elizabeth King of MSAD 59
Description: Let's face it, it is often frustrating when searching for the materials we need to teach environmental education. I will show you some of the ways to acquire the materials you need such as books, Internet resources, grant writing, free government resources. I will share some of the ideas and materials I've used in my classroom, demonstrate a couple of hands-on projects and how to utilize the Internet efficiently. A portion of the workshop will be used for Brainstorming with the group over how we can help one another in our quest.
Energy Education in Maine
Presenter: Mary Dunn of Maine Mathematics & Science Alliance
Description: Ever wonder how to teach abstract concepts such as electricity and heat energy using guided inquiry? Come explore Maine's new Energy Curriculum designed for Grades 4-7. Experience a few hands on energy explorations and explore how they connect to the National Science Standards and Maine's Learning Results.
Voluntary Simplicity
Presenter: Coleen O'Connell of Ecological Teaching and Learning Program, Lesley University
Description: Voluntary Simplicity speaks to hard economic times and the emerging green economy. A proposal to add a 4th R in the recycle concept — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Refuse. What do we need to do — both personally and professionally — to refuse to consume in the way that we have been? You are invited to a rousing discussion about this concept.
STRAND: Following and Building Affordable EE Paths
WORKSHOPS:
Interpretation of construction and development plans - teaching environmental activism by participation in local planning & design review
Presenter: Rob Sanford of University of Southern Maine
Description: A sustainable community requires us to get involved in reviewing subdivisions and developments. This hands-on workshop involves demonstrating how to read construction drawings and site plans, as well as a brief description of local development review processes. The goal is to show teachers and activists how to encourage student participation in planning and environmental reviews. I will bring sample plans and we will practice interpreting them. We will go over how to get copies of plans, how to read them, and what to do at hearings. We will also talk about strategies to use this approach in environmental and civics education.
Can’t Afford To Do EE? Yes, You Can!
Presenter: Meg Edstrom, Ferry Beach Ecology School
Description: Learn about Ferry Beach Ecology School’s SELU program (Science and Ecology: Live and Unplugged!), a sequential environmental education collaborative focusing on environmental literacy. Workshop time will include hands-on activities, and speak to how administrators might access funds to include long-term environmental literacy programs in their districts. Hands-on, inspiring, and within your means!
The Ecology & Economy Nature Walk’Äî 2 Sciences Walking Hand in Hand Down the Path of Sustainability!
Presenter: Drew Dumsch of Ferry Beach Ecology School
Description: Two big "E" words — Ecology & Economy — are often used as if they’re unrelated. But sustainability is impossible without applied ecology! In this one hour walk outside, we’ll explore natural functions that inspire green economy ideas. Abiotic & Biotic factors, Cycles & Change in ecosystems can teach us about economics!
Our Renewable Nation: Eco-Videos across the Country
Presenter: Collin and Carrick McCollough of Our Renewable Nation
Description: In May/June 2009, our family will be crossing the U.S. in our vegetable-oil powered VW Beetle to film a series of videos featuring a variety of renewable energy technologies, and we'll be interviewing people and companies who are working on different aspects of sustainable living, including transportation, waste/recycling, design, etc. We're planning to distribute our eco-video series free to schools nationally, with the mission of inspiring and empowering kids to create a renewable and sustainable future.
REGISTER for the March 27th 2009 Conference
Payment can be paid with credit or debit card (on-line only). You may also pay by purchase order or by check.
If you are paying by check, please make out to MEEA and remit to:
Tamara Whitmore
Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed
P.O.Box 5003
Augusta, ME 04332-5003
For any other registration questions, please contact Tamara at: tamara@watershedfriends.com, 207-621-4100
Schedule:
8:00 Registration opens, exhibit set up
8:30 - 12:30 Workshops, keynote
12:30 Lunch provided by Chewonki including local and organic food
1:30 - 4:00 MEEA annual meeting, workshops
Directions:
Directions to Chewonki Foundation, 485 Chewonki Neck Road, Wiscasset, Maine (The Chewonki Foundation is located on a 400-acre peninsula approximately 1 hour north of Portland, Maine)
Take Maine Turnpike (I-95) north to exit 44 Portland. Follow I-295 to exit 28 Brunswick (Route 1) or exit 31 (Coastal Connector) to Route 1. Follow Route 1 north to Bath. Approximately 6.5 miles north of Bath, turn right on Route 144. After railroad tracks turn right on Chewonki Neck Road. Follow signs to Chewonki.
Take either Route 27 south from Augusta, or Route 1 south to Wiscasset. Take Route 1 south 4 miles from Wiscasset, turn left on Route 144. After railroad tracks turn right on Chewonki Neck Road. Follow signs to Chewonki.
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