Join us at our next Book Club meeting on  

 Monday, March 15th at 8:00 pm ET

to discuss:

The Sea Around Us

by Rachel Carson

Published in 1951, The Sea Around Us is one of the most remarkably successful books ever written about the natural world. Quite simply, she captures the mystery and allure of the ocean with a compelling blend of imagination and expertise. 

Find all upcoming Planet Stewards books and Book Club meeting dates here.

The discussion is open to all. To join, just dial 866-662-7513 (toll free!), then, use the pass code: 1170791#

Share this invitation with all interested colleagues and networks.

• The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation highlights the work of the Marina Club and its faculty moderator, Mara Morales García, of Esculea Especializada en Ciencias, Matematica y Tecnologia (CIMATEC), a specialized school in science, mathematics, and technology in Puerto Rico. These unstoppable young ladies of science are creating a series of informational videos to spread the word about marine debris to their peers at CIMATEC and nationwide. 

NOAA Live! for the Whole Family

During the month of March, NOAA Live! will take kids and their families behind the scenes at different NOAA facilities with a virtual Open House series!  "Tavel"  across the country to experience amazing places where NOAA scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, and interns work from fisheries labs to aircraft hangars, and more!

All NOAA Live! events in the series begin at 4pm ET. The series includes:

• March 10, Satellite Operations Suitland, MD
• March 17, Monterey Bay NMS, Santa Cruz, CA 
• March 24, Seafood Inspection, Long Beach, CA 
• March 30, Fisheries Lab, Kodiak, AK
• March 31, Aircraft Operations , Lakeland, FL

Speaking of NOAA Live! NOAA Live! Alaska presents... 

Cold Dark Secrets: Discovering Alaska’s Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges, Tuesday, March 16, 4 pm ET

All NOAA Live! Alaska webinars are offered on Tuesdays at 4 pm ET (11 am AKT)

View Recordings from all previous NOAALive! webinars here.

Join educators from the Waikiki Aquarium and NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to learn about new lessons that students can complete virtually or in a classroom. The workshop is geared towards teachers (grades 3-8), but open everyone. Topics will include humpback whale biology and coral reef ecosystems. Register here to attend day 1 of the workshop on March 16 and again to attend day 2, on March 17th.

Climate Generation's The Talk Climate Institute will deepen your understanding of climate change in an era of disinformation. This transformative two-day experience will take you beyond your computer screen for intentional reflection and active listening, tapping into creativity and building community together. All are welcome! Registration is $200 Full and partial scholarships are available, with priority given to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Register here.

Also, Climate Generations' Teach Climate Network connects teachers with experts who work and live at the intersections of climate science, climate justice, and climate change education. Check out their Ask an expert! program, watch their Fall Workshop Series, and jump into The Hub to get more resources about the intersection of gender equality and climate change.

All ocean educators, especially those teaching 3-5th graders, are invited to join in a free webinar to learn more about REEF’s newly-launched Virtual Field Trips Program. REEF Virtual Field Trips are interactive simulations that bring marine science to life with engaging lesson plans and activities that connect students to the ocean, without leaving their classroom. The Virtual Field Trips Open House will be held on Tuesday, March 9 at 8 PM EST via Zoom. Parents, students, teachers, and all ocean enthusiasts are welcome to attend and learn more. Register here. 

Tucked along California's coast is a vibrant underwater forest of towering kelp and diverse wildlife. In the last six years, unprecedented outbreaks of purple sea urchins have decimated kelp forests within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. What caused the urchin outbreak? How have sea otters responded? Will intervention and urchin culling enhance kelp recovery?  Register to learn answers to this questions and more.

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) wants to see how teachers incorporate STEM and literacy into one of their existing content-specific lesson plans. Teachers of any grade level or subject are invited to submit a STEM lesson plan that relates literacy to STEM. Three teachers will win a Kindle Oasis with one year Kindle unlimited subscription and a Bluetooth speaker. For more information, visit the ORISE website.

ANGARI Foundation and the University of Florida's Thompson Earth Systems Institute have announced their spring Ocean Expert Exchange webinar series! Each 30-minute event includes a presentation on the speaker’s area of expertise followed by a Q&A session with participants. Upcoming live events are accessible via Zoom and YouTube Live and recordings of past webinars are available

As part of its Read STEM Across America Student Challenge (listed above), the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) invites students to create a STEM-focused short story for a chance to win an awesome literary prize. Eight prizes will be awarded—two for the K-2nd grade category, two for the 3rd-5th grade category, two for the 6-8th grade category, and two for the 9-12th grade category. For more contest information and a list of prizes, visit the ORISE website.

This contest from the Boat US Foundation, makes recycling of fishing line and soft bait more efficient, more attractive and more accessible! Give your best idea for a chance to win $15,000!  We’re talking about fishing line and soft baits used by recreational anglers. Whether it’s monofilament line, braided line or soft baits – we want there to be a sustainable, large scale solution to keeping it out of our waters and our landfills.Deadline for submissions is May 14th, 2021. Learn more and enter here.

The Recycle Regatta is a fun, hands-on competition that students can participate in from the safety of their own home. Students will build small-scale, un-crewed, model sailboats, test them, and calculate their speed. Challenge other students from around the world as you do your part to reduce marine debris by repurposing and recycling. Prizes will be awarded to the winners! This event is sponsored by New England Science & Sailing (NESS), Educational Passages, and the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA). Learn more

Part twenty-seven of the multi-part BLUEprint series talks about a carbon-free future: one that requires batteries that currently rely on rare metals being extracted from the sea floor in the central Pacific  Will the short-term financial profit over the long-term social and ecosystem loss be worth the trade off?

WORLD OCEAN RADIO is a weekly series of five-minute audio essays on a wide range of ocean issues and exemplary projects. Available for RSS feed and for broadcast by college and community radio stations worldwide. Find them at iTunes or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

View lists of resources curated by NAAEE (North American Association of Environmental Educators) and partners to help you continue your work to inspire change in the field of Environmental Education and create a more just and sustainable future for all.

More >

The American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) STEM Education department has a collection of interactive online K–12 educational resources for families and teachers. Perfect for at-home and distance-learning environments, the activities are designed be completed in about 45 minutes or less, and cover a range of STEM topics.  Each activity is presented in a simple, three-part format (Materials, Steps, and To Learn and Do More) and includes embedded links for more information. Find them here.

Help your students stay current on engaging science research with the fast-paced science video series Four Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn’t Hear About This Week, produced by the National Science Foundation (NSF). From singing robots to odd animals to medical marvels, the videos present quick summaries of scientific breakthroughs and research discoveries pulled from the headlines. Most appropriate for ages 13 and up.  Find them on YouTube here.

Join Climate Generation, the NOAA Climate Office and The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program, virtually this summer at its Summer Institute for Climate Change Education! Gain the skills to bring climate change into your educational setting, whether it be a classroom, nature center, or museum!

Climate Generation is offering full and partial scholarships to attend the virtual Summer Institute, to help cover the registration fee of $250.  Priority is given to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color applicants and applicants with financial need. Learn more and register here.