"How Not to Get Attacked by a Bear" video

Kevin Hood sent along a link to this entertaining cartoon video. He attached an evaluation by John Neary, Wilderness Field Manager, Admiralty NM, who said "I like the humorous approach but wouldn't endorse its use as a "stand-alone" product. If I were to use it in trainings it would be for the students to critique in a - "what's wrong with this video" exercise.
the problems I see: suggests having a pet to prevent bear problems. Maybe they meant it in humor yet most people have legitimate questions about this strategy and the answer isn't uniform...
Step 3, avoiding eye contact, isn't a strategy we teach and shouldn't be a step at all. We like people to keep an eye on the bear to recognize its behavioral signals and I'm unaware of any studies that show bears respond aggressively to eye contact alone. Canids do, but bears are different in this regard...
Step 6 could better advocate falling down only as a very last resort, and the bit about punching in the nose is taken out of context. We do suggest fighting back a predacious or opportunistic black bear by focusing blows to the nose, eyes but this would be a foolish strategy to use on a sow grizzly defending her cubs.
Step 7 about pepper spray is out of context and should be introduced at step 3 instead, and should give some useful hint about actually using the product correctly
that said, I'll add it to my list of interesting videos to use in my presentation..."
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/07/how-avoid-bear-attack-great-outdoors-cartoon-version

World Water Monitoring Day

World Water Monitoring Day™ is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. World Water Monitoring Day is officially celebrated on September 18; however, the monitoring window was extended for the first time in 2009 from March 22 (World Water Day) until December 31. Participants are encouraged to celebrate with WEF and IWA in September or to observe their own WWMD anytime during the extended window. The deadline for submitting data to the WWMD database is December 31. http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/index.html

Interpretive Writing Class

Judy Fort Brenneman is offering a workshop, "Interpretive Writing Intensive," October 12-17 in Oregon. Check out the Greenfire Creative LLC website for information on that course and other topics.
http://www.greenfire-creative.com/

Home Base After School Program - a Partner with the Chugach and Alaska Geographic

The Chugach National Forest and Alaska Geographic have partnered with the Home Base After School program in Anchorage to offer young, at-risk students an adventure into the Chugach National Forest and Prince William Sound for the past two years. You will find information about the June, 2008 trip for 15 students and other Home Base programs in the links below (photos, video and text).
http://www.homebasekids.com/newsletter_page1.html
http://alaskageographic.org/static/1043/childrens-forest-home-base-after-school-program

Conservation Ed Featured in FS Library in July

The July, 2009 featured topic in the National Forest Service Library is conservation education. Featured this month are 23 CE websites. Just click on the link: http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/library/ Scroll to News and select the July Monthly Alert. Make your selections "shopping cart" style and submit the request to us with the press of a button.

Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands Toolkit

This kit for Formal and Informal Educators, developed in 2001, has been updated and expanded, and is now available on the Web.
The kit is designed for classroom teachers and informal educators in parks, refuges, forest lands, nature centers, zoos, aquariums, science centers, etc., and is aimed at the middle school level. Seven federal agencies partnered to develop the materials. They will aid educators in teaching how climate change is affecting our nation’s wildlife and public lands, and how everyone can become “climate stewards.”
The kit contains:
· A brief video introducing climate change as it affects wildlife and wildlands
· An overview of the science of climate change
· Case studies on 11 ecoregions highlighting impacts to habitats and wildlife
· A glossary of climate change terms
· Classroom activities keyed to national science standards
· Additional hands-on activities and educator resources
A DVD of the toolkit will be available soon.
To see the toolkit, visit http://www.globalchange.gov/resources/educators/toolkit

The Association of Partners for Public Lands newsletter, Newswire

Newswire is published each month and has some wonderful information about training, partnership, and funding opportunities. In the July issue you will find information about:
* Operation: Military Kids (OMK), a collaborative effort between the U.S. Army and America's communities to support children and youth impacted by deployment.
* Interp and CE courses offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at its National Conservation Training Center
* Tom's of Maine’s, 50 States for Good Initiative offers program funding for nonprofits
* and many more programs and opportunities
Look them over at http://www.appl.org/News_Events/Newswire.htm

4-H National Youth Science Day

On October 7, 2009, millions of youth across the nation will participate in 4-H National Youth Science Day, an event designed to engage young people in the environmental issues facing the nation. This year, youth will complete the “Biofuel Blast” science experiment to learn how renewable products, such as harvested plant materials, can make energy. Youth and adult leaders can sign up to participate online at www.4-H.org/NYSD. ... The National Science Experiment will encourage a national youth debate to discuss the “best” biofuel based on experiment outcomes. Young people will be able to see how their small creations are part of a major current nationwide discussion...
To view this entire news release online, visit http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/news/2009news/07081_4h_science_day.html.

Payoff in Green Learning: EPA Report

(From a message from Down Howlett, Region 9 CE/Interpretation Coordinator) "Take a few minutes to at least read the Foreword and Executive Summary, then pat yourself on the back, because this report shows that CE does lead to changes in behavior. A couple extracts from the executive summary emphasize the importance of place-based education: 'Analyzing the study sample as a whole, the single strongest predictor of air quality improvement was the degree to which the program incorporated an aggregate measure of the principles of place-based learning' and 'programs reporting more place-based learning (PBL) qualities and practices such as service-learning and community partnerships were more likely to report improvements in air quality'."
For more info on place-based education, visit http://www.promiseofplace.org/.

Service Learning Projects

Service learning projects are gaining in popularity. To see one, view this student-produced video clip to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the John Brown Raid. Partners included the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership, and Harpers Ferry Middle School. http://www.journeythroughhallowedground.org/of-the-student.html
Comments which followed the message above, included this from Susan Cox, Durham Field Office, Conservation Education Coordinator:
A key component of A Forest For Every Class is service learning.
There is a program called Project Citizen, which has students investigating issues in their community and developing service projects around those issues. If there are teachers/schools implementing Project Citizen, you may want to work with them to engage students in environmental issues. http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=introduction
The Massachusetts Envirothon program has teams investigate the current issue in their own community and develop projects relating to what they find. They've developed a good model for the students to follow- current and past issues are posted on their website. This years issue was on the alternative energy initiative the state has. http://www.maenvirothon.org/currentissue.htm

Environmental Literacy

Mike Goldstein sent along a link to this article about the inadequacy of the American educational system in producing environmentally literate graduates. One of the people who forwarded the link noted "...Remember Dr. Kellert with Yale found out that 76% of the population thought a manatee was an insect." http://www.ascd.org/publications/publications/educational_leadership/may09/vol66/num08/The_Window_into_Green.aspx

Sustainability Info

Sustainability Information from the Misoula Technology and Development Center http://fsweb.mtdc.wo.fs.fed.us/toolbox/sus/index.htm
(forwarded by Lois Ziemann, Region 2 - Center for Design and Interpretation)

Forests, Oceans, Climate, and Us (FOCUS) Campaign

Renowned marine environmental artist Wyland, the Forest Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration kicked off a national campaign June 11, that uses art and science to teach young people about our forests and oceans. The campaign explains how these two irreplaceable resources hold the key to the future of our water supplies, climate and global health. See http://www.noaaworld.noaa.gov/announcements/jun2009_announce_1.htmland http://www.wylandfoundation.org

Also - a 4 minute 32 second (4:32) LIVE segment from the Mall. Turn up the volume , but not too loud ! http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/mornings/061109_national_get_outdoors_day

Connecting Kids with Nature

The U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council have teamed up on a national Public Service Advertising (PSA) campaign designed to encourage America’s youth—specifically tweens aged 8-12 and their parents—to re-connect with nature. The three-year campaign includes TV, radio, outdoor and online PSAs. The goal is to help families create first-hand experiences in our forests that will establish a life-long love of nature and an interest in conserving natural resources.
As part of the campaign, the Forest Service and the Ad Council launched a fun new campaign Web site www.DiscoverTheForest.org on June 10. The site helps families find ideas for outdoor activities along with educational and conservation information. The site also includes a new interactive tool, powered by Nature Find™, which enables users to search for nearby forests and parks, as well as downloadable activities to print and take along when they visit.
A related note from Tiajuana Cochnauer, Acting Director, WO Conservation Education - "...As you click on the interactive map, you may find that all our National Forests are not linked to the little red "pinheads". We're adding all the sites that weren't in originally. I don't have a date as to when they'll all be there, but we're working on it. As the popup says, "Please be patient"--we know you're important!..."

National Kids Survey

All three National Kids Survey Reports have been updated and are on the Internet Research Information Series website at http://warnell.forestry.uga.edu/nrrt/nsre/IRISRec/IRISRec9rpt.pdf
The intention of the study, which was launched in 2007, was and is to build a national baseline of data about kid’s time and activities outdoors so researchers could take a more
rigorous look at trends. As we all know, without a baseline, one cannot measure change, i.e., trends. The study was conducted by USDA Forest Service’s Southern Research Station and
its Forestry Sciences Laboratory in Athens, Georgia; the University of Georgia in Athens; and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The authors are H. Ken Cordell, Carter J. Betz, and Gary T. Green.

Kids Website on Aquatic Invasives

Great Kid's Web site about aquatic invasives (for youth fishing days etc.) http://sgnis.org/kids/index.html Not all the links on the site are working, but the site looks fairly new, and we expect the problems will be corrected. (Website link from a message forwarded by FS Conservation Ed Coordinator Susan Cox, of the Durham Field Office)

Get 2 Know Program

(Message from Lisa Fischer, Region 5) "...the Get 2 Know program, a spin-off from Robert Bateman's Get 2 Know program identifies the need to get kids outside and provides a venue through a calendar contest to encourage outdoor experiences. http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/get2know/ Region 5, California, has been chosen as a pilot state for this program. Please take a moment to view the website, check back there frequently and spread the word. Also, if you have calendar entries you'd like to see posted please send them to me and we'll get them up on the calendar. (Forest Service events only at this time, please)."

EE News

The June, 2009 edition of "EE News" the newsletter of the North American Association for Environmental Education is out. It features funding opportunities, upcoming events, training and more. http://www.naaee.org/news-and-events/ee-news-archives

Iditarod Educational Website

The Iditarod Sled Dog Race website has a whole section for teachers, with some great resources. Check it out at http://www.iditarod.com/

National Wildlife Federation Website for Parents

National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour website (the parents' place for nature play and learning) has some wonderful activities, resource materials, a parents' guide, photo tips and more, for families It is updated frequently, so save the link and check back and see what has been added. http://www.greenhour.org/

The Children and Nature Network

The Children and Nature Network was founded by Richard Louv and others to encourage and support people working to reconnect children with nature. Visit their website to read thought-provking articles, to view related videos and to learn about resource materials.
http://www.childrenandnature.org/

Natural Resources Distance Learning Consortium University Courses

(from a message from Bill Woodland,WO) "If you wish to view the full listing of over 250 courses offered distance learning by 10 nationally ranked universities, please visit the Consortium website at: http://www.nrdlc.org "
...courses are designed to meet competency needs for professional classified positions in OPM 0401 Natural Resources Management series. If you are taking these courses to meet OPM education qualification standards, you are urged to consult in advance with your local authorized human resources liaison. Consult with your supervisor or unit manager, and upon their determination that the education offered is in the public interest, Government funds and official time may be authorized towards paying tuition and completing the course instruction. Many of these courses were specifically designed by agency subject matter experts...

USDA Invasives website

The USDA National Agricultural Library, National Invasive Species Information Center has a great website for info on invasive plants, animals and microbes. http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/main.shtml

Climate Change Edition of Natural Inquirer

(Excerpt from message from Barbara Mc Donald) " last year, we published the Natural Inquirer climate change education collection...it is available for free on our website,
www.naturalinquirer.org . please note also that we have a monograph (FACE look!) that deals with carbon and trees; and one of the world's forest edition's inquiries (Inquiry 3) deals with carbon sequestration services provided by the world's forests. and, please be aware that we will publish a climate change edition of the NI next year; and we will publish an investi-gator that focuses on climate change next year also. the investi-gator is a 5th grade version of the natural inquirer. To see this and other issues, visit http://www.naturalinquirer.org/all-issues.html "

NPS Kids Website

The Kids Zone, a new addition to the National Park Service website in 2008, http://www.nps.gov/kidszone/, contains more than 50 interactive
activities designed to connect children with the people, places, and events commemorated in the country's 391 National Park Service sites.

Using Facebook and Other Social Networking Tools

Want to learn more about how to utilize tools like Facebook and social networking applications to help your organization build community? (from the newsletter of the Association of Partners for Public Lands) Tech Soup offers lots of helpful resources at http://blog.techsoup.org/node/27.

Meeting Accessibility

(from message from Janet Zeller, WO) "Now posted on the FS Accessibility web page at http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility are excellent tools to help you ensure that meetings, training sessions, conferences, are accessible in accordance with Chief Kimball's letter of 4/03/2007, as well as with Section 504 and FSM 1361.12. All FS meetings, conferences, etc. are required to be held in accessible facilities, whether or not a person who has a disability is expected to attend. ..These new meeting tools just posted are from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and are web accessible. By clicking on the title Accessible Meetings: Meeting on a Level Playing Field document (under FS Accessibility Resources) the HTML version opens. Or click on the small pdf after the title and the document will open in PDF. The guidance addresses the accessibility of the facilities and of the meeting content."

Accessibility in Visitor Centers

(from message from Janet Zeller, WO) Another new tool from Department of Justice is Maintaining Accessibility in Museums. It is available at http://www.ada.gov/business/museum_access.htm. While it is geared toward the large museums, it includes reminders a that are appropriate for Visitor and Environmental Learning Centers. And of course there is also the FS Exhibit Accessibility Checklist on the FS Accessibility webpage at http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility.

Promise of Place website

Promise of Place website, features place based education (PBE) - education which immerses students in local heriatge, cultures, landscapes, opportunities and experiences, using these as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and other subjects across the curriculum. PBE emphasizes learning through participation in service projects for the local school and/or community. http://promiseofplace.org/what_is_pbe

Alliance for Childhood

Alliance for Childhood is an organization that promotes policies and practices that support children’s healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living. It's public education campaigns strive to bring to light both the promise and the vulnerability of childhood. A special emphasis is placed on the role of play in the learning of a child. http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/