Project WILD Update

Sheila Humphrey, a interpretive wildlife specialist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, has been awarded the 2012 Georgia Project WILD Facilitator of the Year. Sheila was honored along with nine other facilitators from throughout the country at the National Project WILD Coordinators’ annual meeting held recently in Galveston, Texas. The award is given to top facilitators who are actively involved in Project WILD, conducting workshops, promoting the program and developing innovative ways to teach wildlife conservation.

Over the last nine years, Sheila has conducted at least one workshop a year, for a total of more than 13 Project WILD/Aquatic WILD educator workshops. When Flying WILD was released, she was among the first Georgia educators trained and one of the first to conduct a workshop in Georgia. When Growing Up WILD was released, Sheila was again one of the first trained facilitators in the state. After attending the Growing Up WILD Facilitator Workshop, she planned and organized the first Growing Up WILD Educator Workshop in 

north Georgia. Sheila is always available to conduct workshops and is willing to travel to be trained or conduct training. Sheila is always available to conduct workshops and is willing to travel to be trained or conduct training.

Sheila was quick to realize that Flying WILD would work well with International Migratory Bird Day and other birding events. She organized a Flying WILD Workshop at a major birding event at Unicoi State Park. A Flying WILD workshop is still being conducted every year at Unicoi in association with that event. Sheila is always seeking ways to integrate Project WILD into classes and programs. To that end, since 2005, she integrated Project WILD activities into many of her programs. She is still using many of those activities in her programs today.

Sheila earned a Bachelor of Science from Piedmont College with major in biology and a Master of Education from UGA with major a in biology/science. She has put these degrees to work teaching and training others about the outdoors and wildlife during her 42 year career. She is trained as a facilitator for Project WILD, WET, Learning Tree, Adopt a Stream, and National Archery in Schools. She worked 18 years in middle school as a life science teacher (two years as EarthQuest coordinator, a curriculum focused upon environmental education); nine years in high school biology/physical science/human anatomy and physiology; four years in Oviedo, Spain, teaching English as a second language; 11 years as interpretive wildlife specialist with DNR; and coordinator/environmental education teacher and Soque River Outdoor Classroom facilitator. She currently serves as interpretive wildlife specialist with DNR. In her spare time, she serves as North Region Envirothon coordinator. She is truly an outstanding Project WILD facilitator!

Upcoming Project WILD, Flying WILD and Growing Up WILD Workshops

The Project WILD office recently received a purchase order for 40 of the Project WILD Activity Guides. This is not a rare occurrence. Many people want copies of the Project WILD material. In fact, the Project WILD office receives numerous calls and emails requesting Project WILD materials. But this is not how the program works: the Guides cannot be purchased.  The only way Project WILD materials can be obtained is by attending a Project WILD Workshop.

To make it easier to attend a workshop, the Georgia Project WILD program currently has 75 trained facilitators. These leaders organize and conduct workshops. A workshop is organized at a teachers request, provided more than 10 teachers attend. If you are interested in holding a workshop in your area, please contact the Project WILD office at (770) 784-3059.

Also, it is not a problem if you are not able to gather 10 teachers who want to attend a workshop. We are offering numerous workshops at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center and our facilitators also arrange workshops throughout the year. We are always adding additional workshops, so check the Project WILD website for a current list.

Here are the workshops already scheduled for the 2012-13 school year:

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Project WILD Educator Workshops:

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center (click the link or contact Rusty Garrison or Amber Mooney at 770-784-3059 to register or for more information):

• Oct. 13, 2012
• Jan. 19, 2013
• April 13, 2013 

Triple Project WILD/Project Learning Tree/Project WET workshop: Fortson 4-H Center, Hampton, Ga. (Contact Allen Nasworthy at 770-946-3276 or anaswort@uga.edu for more information or to register. Or simply click the link, and complete and return the attached registration form.)  

• Nov. 11-12, 2012
• Feb. 4-5, 2013 

Flying WILD Educator Workshops:

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center (click the link or contact Rusty Garrison or Amber Mooney at 770-784-3059 to register or for more information):

• Nov. 30, 2012
• Feb. 16, 2013
• May 18, 2013

Peals of laughter. Whispers. Animated conversations. Masking tape and butcher paper. Adults blindfolded – hopping and running in every direction in search of “food” in their available “habitat”. Hands-on investigations of the out-of-doors. Thoughtful discussions about ethical dilemmas. Planning time in preparation for actually fitting wildlife-related materials and experiences into day-to-day teaching and learning…Welcome to a Project WILD Workshop.

Does this sound like fun? You can lead such a workshop by becoming a Project WILD Facilitator. Project WILD is a conservation and environmental education program which emphasizes wildlife and habitat. The goal of project WILD is to assist learners of any age in developing awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment to result in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive action concerning wildlife and the environment on which all life depends. The program consists of instructional workshops for educators, activity guides for use with students, and a network of people interested in children and the environment.

We have two opportunities for you to become a Project WILD Facilitator (click on the link for a registration form):

• Project WILD Facilitator Workshop: Sept. 6-8, 2012 at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center

• Joint Project WILD/Project Learning Tree/Project WET Facilitator workshop at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center: Feb. 28 - March 1, 2013

• Teacher Conservation Workshop – June 17-21, 2013
• Outdoor Wildlife Leadership School - July 15-19, 2013