Join us at our next Book Club meeting on  

 Monday, September 13th at 8:00 pm ET

to discuss the young adult fiction book:

Hoot

by Carl Hiaasen

In this 2003 Newberry award-winning book we’re introduced to Roy and his first acquaintance in Florida, Dana Matherson, a well-known bully.  Roy might never have spotted the boy – running away from the school bus, carrying no books, and here's the odd part - wearing no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy's trail, which introduces him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion,  a renegade eco-avenger, and more. Roy has most definitely arrived in Carl Hiaasen's Florida, where the creatures are wild and the people are wilder!

Find all upcoming Planet Stewards book selections 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.

No time to join the book club or looking for more books focused on climate and environmental themes? Check out these recommended reads from the Yale Program on Climate Communications - Options for your end-of-summer climate change reading

In this inspirational NOAA Planet Stewards project, science educator Holly Hereau had high school students complete community environmental inventories - identifying strengths and weaknesses in their community, select issues in need of a solution, and then research and plan a stewardship action project to address the identified issues. Students also presented their work throughout their school district through the morning announcements, board meetings, and 5th grade classroom field trips. They also reached beyond their district presenting their work at conferences, submitting grant proposals, and entering journalism competitions. Read all about it here!

Are you looking for the link to that amazing resource you read about in The Watch but accidentally delete it from your email? D'oh! Or are you a recent subscriber and want to browse all the great content from previous issues? Well we've got you covered! NOAA Planet Stewards has just posted all issues of The Watch going back to 2018. Check them all out here!

Current and future impacts from climate change are considered to be the single greatest threat to the long-term integrity of Papahānaumokuākea. The effects of climate change are already being observed.  A climate change vulnerability assessment for the Monument was completed in 2016, and managers are now convert this report into actions that will facilitate future climate adaptation. Join this webinar to learn more. Register to participate in the webinar here.

The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series provides educators with educational and scientific expertise, resources, and training to support ocean and climate literacy in the classroom. You can view archives of the webinar series to catch up on presentations you may have missed here.

23 Aug 2021   |   2 pm - 3 pm ET

According to the August 5, 2021 U.S. Drought Monitor, 93% of the Pacific Northwest Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) is in drought, and drought conditions are rapidly intensifying. Wildfires are raging, sending smoke throughout the rest of the Lower 48. This webinar presents recent and current conditions, and outlooks on wildfire in the Northwest. Speakers will also discuss the impacts of these conditions on floods, disruption to water supply and ecosystems, and impacts to industries like agriculture, tourism, and public health. Register to attend here.

Interested but can't attend? Find all NOAA Science Seminar drought recordings here and the agenda to all upcoming webinars here.

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Are you interested in exploring what strategies can help the world address climate change? Come to this 1.5 hour workshop, where Dr. Tamara Shapiro Ledley will help participants explore the impact of various strategies including reducing the use of coal, oil, and gas for energy, increasing the impact of renewable energy resources, increasing the energy efficiency of transportation, using the En-ROADS decision support model. Attendees will also explore co-benefits and equity considerations of these strategies. This will be an interactive workshop - so be prepared to think about how you and your communities are addressing climate change. The workshop will test what the impact would be if the entire world did the same.  What suite of worldwide actions would help limit the increase of temperature to no more than 2 degrees C by 2100? Join us to find out. Register to attend.

Join NSTA on Thursday, August 19, to learn about the Amazon Forest. Thousands of miles away, the Amazon affects our climate, what we eat, the medicines we take, and it may be the source of our next pandemic. Why is forest clearing and burning increasing so fast, and what are some of the ways in which we can slow this destruction down to protect biodiversity and ourselves? Register Here

See all upcoming webinars from NSTA and register for them here.

A story can effect change, influence opinion, and create awareness—and maps are an integral part of storytelling. ArcGIS StoryMaps enable individuals and organizations to integrate maps, data, and other multimedia content with text to create narratives about the world's greatest challenges and to highlight or inspire solutions.

• Register for the "Storytelling for Ocean Conservation and Restoration" webinar here.
• Get details about the 2021 ArcGIS StoryMaps Challenge for Restoring Our Ocean.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) - including computer science, is now accepting nominations! The PAEMST is the highest honor the U.S. government bestows for K–12 mathematics and science teaching, honoring up to 108 teachers each year. Presidential awardees receive a certificate signed by the President; a trip for two to Washington, D.C. to attend a series of recognition events; and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. They also join a cadre of more than 5,000 award-winning teachers.

Consider nominating a talented teacher or applying for the award yourself here. This year, teachers in grades K–6 are eligible. Nominations close on January 7. Applications will be due by February 6.

Applications are now open for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon which challenges collegiate teams to design and build high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewables! Collegiate teams can apply now for the 2022 Design Challenge (1-year design-only competition) and the 2023 Build Challenge (2-year design-build competition). Finalist teams will be invited to compete for victory during the Competition Event at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. Apply here by October 26. 

A story can effect change, influence opinion, and create awareness. Use ArcGIS StoryMaps to integrate maps, data, and multimedia content with text to tell a narrative about the world's greatest challenges and inspire solutions.

Esri and the National Geographic Society challenge high school and college students and individuals ages18-24 to create impactful stories about ocean health.

This year's StoryMaps challenge—co-hosted by Esri and the National Geographic Society—will begin accepting submissions on August 16, 2021. Find out more and join today!

Engaging students in real-world studies of endangered species without leaving them overwhelmed is incredibly challenging. This new unit on Southern Resident killer whales educates students on the cultural, economic, and environmental importance of this critically endangered species and gives them the tools to make meaningful changes in their school, community, and beyond.

Check out this hands-on laboratory activity from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) that allows students to investigate the effects of distance and angle on the input of solar radiation at Earth's surface. The lab is divided into three sections:

1. Students examine the effect of distance and angle on the radiation received on the globe, using simple apparatus
2. They measure the effect of different albedos on radiative heating of a surface. 
3. They determine the relative heat capacities of water and sand.

Check the lesson out here.

To engage K–12 students in learning about endangered species, check out the “For Kids” section on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Endangered Species website. Select “Endangered species information” for illustrated fact sheets describing plant and animal species currently under EPA protection.  Choose “Endangered species coloring book” to download Save Our Species, a 28-page publication featuring quick facts, maps, and more.

Also, find materials of interest in “Environmental information for students and teachers.” Here students and teachers can access games and lesson plans to explore environmental topics.

Access the resource on the EPA "For Kids" website here.

• Food System Emissions
• Saltmarsh extent
• Mangrove extent change
• Watersheds
• Greenhouse gas emissions by country/economic sector

Check out these and all the amazing planet monitoring maps that WRI offers!

PBS North Carolina has a robust collection of open educational resources for science instruction in many disciplines. The resources support North Carolina’s essential state learning standards and feature curriculum units, interactive lessons, animations, and more. Science in Sixty Seconds presents one-minute animations explaining various and sometime complex science concepts . 

Earth@Home is a new website from the The Paleontological Institute with an array of rich resources for teaching and learning about our home, the Earth. Resources focus on geology, paleontology, climate, and the connections of Earth’s different systems.

 The Digital Encyclopedia of Earth Science a free, online, open-access textbook, designed to provide accessible introductions to core topics across the Earth sciences; Most of the underlying content is derived, integrated, and updated from over 20-years worth of PRI publications, especially including their Teacher-Friendly Guides to Earth Science and Climate Change. Find out more here.

Also from the Paleontological Research Institute (PRI), are a wealth of videos for teaching Earth science concepts. Here are some of the latest videos releases::

• Trees from Thin Air (In the Greenhouse #9)
• The Culprit(s) Behind Our Changing Climate
• Photosynthesis: Plants’ Superpower (In the Greenhouse #10)
• Respiration: Reuse, Recycle (In the Greenhouse #12)
• Averages, VaRiaBiLiTy, and EXTREMES in weather and climate

Join PRI on YouTube!

The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (AKA CLEAN) has a new online look! To complement this, it has terrific new content and videos. CLEAN has created short explanatory videos for each of the climate literacy principles located on their teaching guidance page under the Additional Resources Box. Each video engages the viewer with an individual climate literacy principle. Check out the new site here and all eight of the new videos.

Start with Climate Principle 1 here!

The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason Center for Climate Change Communication have released a new report on Americans’ Actions to Limit and Prepare for Global Warming. The report includes data on household as well as political actions Americans are taking to limit global warming. The report includes many more important results.

The annual World Happiness Report looks at happiness and well-being around the world. Readers can check out how their home country ranks among others, learn the secrets of Earth's happiest countries, and consider how data can be employed to measure happiness. The 2021 report focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on happiness, including mental health (chapter 5), social connections (chapter 6), the workplace (chapter 7), and more. The report is published by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Explore its pages here.

This Fall 2021 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the National Geographic Society (NGS) are hosting Marine & Community Conservation Remote Externships. The program seeks young people ages 18-25 with an interest in learning about approaches to conservation, particularly as it relates to the ocean.  Interested applicants can read more about apply using this link; details are also included below.  Applications are due by August 20, 2021.

The Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship is a two-year fellowship program that places one graduate student at each of the 29 National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRS). The Davidson Fellowship supports research projects that help scientists and communities understand coastal challenges that will likely influence future policy and management strategies, and offers professional development opportunities geared to build the next generation of coastal professionals. The application for the opportunity can be found here.