Date & Time: Tuesday, April 11 at 7:00 pm ET

Book: Climate Champions by Rachel Sarah 
The author will be joining us at the meeting!

All are welcome even if you haven't finished or read the book! 

Upcoming meeting dates, the Book Club sections, and how to log in are found in the Book Club section of our Upcoming Events Page.

You can find over 50 fiction, non-fiction, and young-adult selections from past Book Clubs with each book's discussion questions on our Book Club Archive Page. There’s something for everyone at the NOAA Planet Stewards Book Club: catching up on some knowledge, enjoying a quick fun read, or finding a book to use with your students. Join us!

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Celebrate Women's History Month by meeting some of the amazing women across the country working at NOAA Fisheries and getting a closer look at their many contributions. Learn more about their career journeys, day-to-day jobs, and what Women's History Month means to them. 

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South of the Florida Keys lies a constellation of coral reefs—a biological and economic treasure found nowhere else in the mainland United States.  To give these reefs a renewed chance at survival, NOAA is spearheading Mission: Iconic Reefs, one of the most ambitious reef-restoration efforts ever attempted worldwide.

The rising and falling of the sea is a phenomenon upon which we can always depend. Tides are the regular rise and fall of the sea surface caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun and their position relative to the earth. There are some factors that cause the tides to be higher than what is "normally" seen from day to day.

Check this bulletin to find out when you may experience higher than normal high tides for the period of time between March and May 2023.

Join Restore America's Estuaries, Black in Marine Science, and Minorities in Aquaculture for the next installment of their monthly webinar series. Take a look at the importance of oysters to estuaries and coastal communities, how women owned and led minority focused non-profits play a role in conservation, and why community engagement is critical for improving diversity, equity, and environmental justice in coastal restoration. Register now.

With continued climate change, elements of the Earth system may reach tipping points of abrupt, dramatic change with irreversible consequences, like the rapid collapse of ice sheets or dieback of the Amazon rainforest. Tipping points also exist in human systems; devastation from extreme weather and major stresses on food, energy, and water could accumulate and tilt society into radically new dynamics such as mass migration or major economic shifts. However, tipping points in human systems can also be positive, and stem from rapidly spreading norms, behaviors, and technologies, such as how battery storage could tip the power sector irreversibly towards renewable energy. Join us for a conversation about the tipping points we are approaching, how to prepare for those we may reach, and how to encourage positive social tipping points for action on climate change. Participants will be announced soon. The conversation will be webcast on the Climate Conversations: Tipping Points webpage.  Register now.

The Teacher Institute for Watershed Science and Conservation will bring K-8 science teachers to Maine for a free four-day professional development institute focusing on watershed science, outdoor learning, and community partnerships. While immersed in field-based ecology lessons, attendees will have opportunities to network and collaborate with colleagues from schools nationwide to reimagine their teaching to include outdoor learning, place-based experiences, and community partners. The institute is free for teachers. Attendees will receive a $250 stipend and be reimbursed for most travel. Learn more and apply.

The Great Lakes Watershed Field Course is a 4-day professional development experience for teachers from throughout the Great Lakes region taking place in Suttons Bay, MI. Training in the course includes watershed and environmental concepts, place-based education and environmental education pedagogy, and time for curriculum development. Educators will learn how to engage students in local environmental issues, investigate solutions, devise a plan, and take action during this course. Inland Seas staff supports teachers throughout the school year with additional training, online forums, and other forms of assistance to help teachers implement their watershed-based stewardship action projects.

There is no cost for this experience, but space is limited to 30 participants.

Calling all young climate change-makers: Do you want to make a real impact on the climate crisis? Follow these instructions and submit your #Youth4Climate solutions for a chance to receive an invaluable mentorship and funding for your project. Choose one of four thematic areas – Urban Sustainability, Food and Agriculture, Education, or Energy – to tackle with your proposal.

March is Women’s History Month — the perfect time to celebrate and honor the role of women in climate action! Gender inequality negatively impacts women and girls all over the world, but did you know that it also has a negative impact on the Earth?

Even though women and girls face disproportionate challenges, they still show up to fight for a cleaner, greener Earth as scientists, activists, artists, and educators. As a teacher, you know how important it is to bring the stories of women and climate change into the classroom to help empower your students!

Explore lesson plans, articles, videos and more focused on Women and Climate Change!

Celebrate World Water Day 2023

World Water Day, held on March 22nd every year since 1993, celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2 billion people living without access to safe water. This World Water Day is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. Celebrate on March 22nd, 2023, the first day of the UN 2023 Water Conference, with water-focused activities from our collection or get involved with UN Water here.

The IF/THEN initiative is a national effort to inspire young girls to pursue STEM careers while creating a culture shift in how the world perceives women in STEM. The Collection is a digital asset library of women STEM innovators including profiles, images, activity sheets, and more to inspire students of all genders and age groups. The Educator Hub also is a great tool to leverage the Collection and align to standards for use with students.

Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers

The Journeys Guide introduces youth to the many jobs in the forest and conservation sector through the lens of Black Professionals currently working in the sector. Developed by Project Learning Tree, a program of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, in partnership with Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences, the guide is filled with 120 pages of inspiring stories and profiles.

Nature’s Notebook Quercus Quest

Get involved with a citizen science campaign through Nature’s Notebook called “Quercus Quest.” Data collected will be used to understand the relationship between climate and leaf and flowering phenology in several species of oak trees.

The University of Texas at Austin Environmental Science Institute develops a variety of educator resources through its outreach programs and interdisciplinary partnerships. Leverage the K-12 Groundwater Resources on topics including acid rain, clean drinking water, water filtration, and more.

This video discusses impacts that the Eastern US is experiencing due to climate change. It describes the seasonal shifts that may affect tourism in New England, extreme heat in the Southeast, how rising sea level affects coastal areas, changes in hurricane intensity, the spread of invasive species and disease, as well as other topics

Climate optimism isn’t about denying what we can see with our own eyes, or ignoring our grief for what we’ve lost. It’s understanding that we know how to prevent things from getting worse and that we’re making progress. Each issue includes timely stories about climate action, and a menu of options to help you find your place in the effort. It’s like a breath of fresh air, straight off the blade of a wind turbine.

Subscribe to stay up to date, and check out the feature, “The Rise of the Climate Optimists,” in the Christian Science Monitor. Learn why The Climate Optimist was started and why it’s important to reframe how we think about climate change in this Blue Sky Podcast interview with the author. Check out past issues of the Climate Optimist at your leisure.

Understanding Authentic Science

WestEd’s 40-page publication Authentic Science Experiences: Designing High School Science Learning to Reach All Students highlights five features of authentic science experiences and presents underlying research to support the design and implementation of meaningful science learning for high school students. Access the publication here!

C*Sci 2023 Conference

Virtual conference: May 15 - June 2, 2023

Onsite conference: May 22-26, 2023

Onsite conference: May 22-26, 2023 Association conference, C*Sci 2023, will be held on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe, Arizona. The conference is interdisciplinary in scope and features cross-cutting symposia, interactive workshops, engaging talks, and dynamic posters. Learn more and register.

•   School Supplies Grant. - NSHSS is giving 15 high school educators $500 grants to help provide additional opportunities to their students and classrooms. Any high school educator employed in the United States or internationally, particularly those who are also heads of clubs in their schools, may apply.
• School Club Cash. NSHSS is giving 10 high school educators a $500 grant to help provide additional opportunities to their student clubs. Any high school club sponsor currently employed at a public or private high school in the United States or internationally may apply.
• Higher Education Grant. NSHSS is providing two (2) $2,500 awards to help with the costs of tuition and course-related expenses for teachers and counselors who are enrolling in university courses in Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Spring 2024. Any high school teacher or counselor currently employed at a public or private high school in the United States or internationally may apply.

BIPOC-led groups focusing on water privatization, plastic pollution, or environmental justice are encouraged to apply for The Story of Stuff Project Grassroots Grant Program. Groups with projects that are campaign-focused, community driven, and serve communities of color can receive up to $5,000. Grants are reviewed on a rolling basis and awarded quarterly..