December 2012 Project WILD Newsletter

Georgia Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 12/17/2012 11:43 AM EST

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December 2012

Upcoming Project WILD, Flying WILD and Growing Up WILD Workshops

We set up Project WILD workshops at teachers’ requests, 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.

Can’t gather 10 teachers? Not a problem. We currently offer numerous workshops here at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center and our facilitators also arrange open workshops throughout the year. We are always adding additional workshops, so check the Project WILD website often for a current list.

Interested in Becoming a Project WILD Facilitator?

You can become a Project WILD, Project Learning Tree and Project WET Facilitator by attending one workshop. The triple facilitator workshop will be held February 28 to March 1. Registration opens January 2 so check our website for the registration form. Please note that in order to attend the facilitator workshop you must have attended an educator workshop of any of the three Projects.

Save the Dates!

Want to learn more about wildlife and the environment. Attend one of our Advanced Project WILD Workshops:

Teacher Conservation Workshop – June 17-21, 2013

Outdoor Wildlife Leadership School - July 15-19, 2013

Remember we are now on Facebook!

Georgia Project WILD now updates on Facebook. This social media outreach is connected with the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center page, which is the state Project WILD headquarters. If you would like to know more about our upcoming educator and facilitator workshops, find additional curricula ideas, and see photos of our workshops, follow this link.

Tour of Lolly Creek Tree Farm at the Longleaf Pine Workshop. Picture by: Rusty Garrison

Spotlight on a Workshop: Project WILD Advanced-Longleaf Pine

What do prescribed fire, quail, wiregrass, and gopher tortoises all have in common? Education, of course. Project WILD and Project Learning Tree teamed up in November to provide an advanced teacher conservation workshop on longleaf pine ecosystems to educators. Experts from The Longleaf Alliance, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and Georgia Forestry Commission gave lectures on various topics concerning longleaf pine ecosystems.

Educators got an up close and personal encounter with a gopher tortoise, eastern indigo snake, and pine snake. Participants also visited a longleaf pine tree farm, where they gained hands-on knowledge in longleaf ecology, management and restoration practices that they can take back into the classroom using lessons they wrote during the workshop.

One participant, Nancy Sartin, commented, “Thanks for the wonderful learning experience. Can’t wait to share with my students.”

Be on the lookout in the spring for more upcoming Project WILD advanced workshops.

ATEEG is coming in 2013!

Advanced Training in Environmental Education in Georgia (ATEEG) is a professional certification program for formal and non-formal educators based on the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Guidelines for Excellence.

This program is offered by the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia in partnership with the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. This is an excellent certification program for formal and non-formal educators, and provides networking opportunities, leadership within the field of environmental education, and development of new instructional strategies and techniques.

The ATEEG program is the first nationally accredited state certification program for environmental educators! NAAEE just approved the program last week showing that Georgia is a national leader in environmental education.

The ATEEG program encompasses three core courses, thirty hours of specialization training, and an independent study project. The three separate core courses are all offered at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center. Core Course 1: Foundations of Environmental Education is scheduled for January 4-6, 2013.

The registration fee for each Core Course is $225 for EEA members and $245 for non-members (which include an EEA membership fee). Early Bird Registration (10% off) for Core Course 1 ends December 14th, 2012. Registrations will not be accepted after December 25, 2012. We invite you to begin in 2013 by registering on-line for Core Course 1 at Advanced Training for Environmental Education in Georgia.

Core Course 1 - January 4 - 6 or June 28 - 30
Core Course 2 - January 25 - 27 or July 26 - 28
Core Course 3 - February 15 - 17 or September 6 - 8

Calling all teams for Youth Birding Competition 2013!

It is that time of year again; Georgia Wildlife Resources Division is gearing up for the 8th annual Youth Birding Competition. This event has introduced many of Georgia’s young people to birds and birding.

For many youth and children this is a one-time adventure that gets them outside to test their birding skills. For many others, however, this event has developed into a serious passion. Many of the top young birders in Georgia either became interested in birds through the Youth Birding Competition, or at least were seriously challenged to increase their skills because of it.

The competition is a 24-hour event in which teams of youth and children try to find as many species of birds in Georgia as they can while the clock ticks down to the finish line and awards ceremony. Generous sponsors, including TERN and the Georgia Ornithological Society, allow us to give prizes ranging from quality binoculars to field guides and other games to winners. Teams compete against other teams with participants their age, ranging from primary school division through high school. Birding is great fun for beginners and experts alike, and first-year teams are eligible for “rookie” prizes.

If teams are looking for help preparing for the Youth Birding Competition, DNR staff try to link them with local experienced mentors, allowing them to build their skills.

The 2013 competition will be held April 13-14. Teams can travel anywhere in the state, though they must arrive at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center by 5 p.m. on the 14th to turn in their checklists and join the awards banquet.

Students interested in art can also contribute bird artwork which may be selected for the next Youth Birding Competition T-shirt design. They can also win a Michael’s gift card for free art supplies! All you need to do is draw or paint your favorite Georgia bird on paper or sheet canvas and submit it by the March 4, 2013, deadline. Find out all the rules and other details here: YBC 2013 T-shirt Art Contest Flyer and Tips for Winning

Educators, scout leaders, and parents please consider supporting a team through your class, nature center, home school or family. The event is free, and it is a great way to get kids outside and engage them with Georgia’s wonderful bird life.

For more information on the Youth Birding Competition, please contact Tim Keyes (tim.keyes@gadnr.org). For information about the T-shirt art contest, please contact Linda May (Linda_May@dnr.state.ga.us).

Oh Deer Card Game

Ever wanted to teach the concepts of Oh, Deer! But you cannot get your students outside? Or maybe you are just looking for a way to reinforce those concepts after having taught the activity to your students.

Charlee Glenn of Fernbank Nature Center and former seasonal naturalist at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center was asked to come up with some fun and educational activities that could be done indoors for walk-up guests and their children in one of Fernbank’s education classrooms. The result was a board game adaptation of the Project WILD activity Oh, Deer! The game has many of the same teaching points and allows for some meaningful discussion as the game is being played.

The full adaptation of the game can be found on our website just click the Oh, Deer! Game link at the bottom of the resource page. Print the playing cards front to back, cut them out and laminate, so they can be reused. Try the game and let us know what you think! This is just one way the Project WILD activities can be adapted and used in different situations and/or settings. Thanks, Charlee, for the great adaptation!

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