This Summer NOAA Planet Stewards will be hosting two in person educator workshops with our partners:

• July 11-13 in Detroit, MI with the Detroit Zoological Society: Climate Justice: Exploring the Science and Stewardship of Climate Change in Your Classroom.
  
  
• July 18-20 in Annapolis, MD with the Maryland Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education: Investigate and Engage in Local Climate Change Impacts and Solutions

At both workshops attendees will:

• Have opportunities to learn from and interact with subject matter experts.
• Learn how to incorporate standards-aligned climate change and environmental education lessons into existing curriculum.
• Experience hands-on, outdoor lessons to use with students
• Engage with NOAA Planet Stewards and uncover opportunities to develop stewardship projects that mobilize youth to take action in their communities
• Leave with new professional contacts, teaching ideas, and educational materials!

Find out more about these opportunities and how to register for them here.

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NOAA science guided the extensive cleanup of Buzzards Bay when the barge Bouchard 120 ran aground there 20 years ago releasing 98,000 gallons of fuel. 100 miles of Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastal coastal habitats were polluted, killing and injuring fish, shellfish, and bird species; and closing the coastline to the public. NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the state of Rhode Island, conducted a detailed natural resource damage assessment, resulting in a $19.3 million settlement to restore injured natural resources and lost recreation. Today, Buzzards Bay is transformed, through the dedicated efforts of scientists, specialists and many partners. Read how the last two decades of work have restored fish, wildlife, birds, and public uses impacted by the spill.

Monday, May 22, 2023 | 12:00 - 1:30 pm ET

Register for the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network’s (MACAN) Spring 2023 webinar series to learn more about:

• Social vulnerability analyses for the Atlantic sea scallop fishery and Chesapeake Bay oyster growers.
• How a 3D estuarine-carbon-biogeochemistry model is being used to assess effects of projected coastal acidification on oyster growth in Virginia tributaries
• How climate resilience of selectively-bred larval aquaculture broodstock compares to that of the wild Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica.

Featured speakers include Dr. Samantha Siedlecki (UConn), Brian Katz (OSU), Catherine Czajka (VIMS), and Annie Schatz (VIMS).

Registe for the webinar

Nuclear energy is one of the most reliable sources of carbon-free electricity, and maintaining the current nuclear power fleet is a key part of U.S. trajectories to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. However, nuclear energy is not without risks, and it produces radioactive waste that lasts for millennia. As such, nuclear energy is a contentious topic with complex tradeoffs. Kara Colton (Energy Communities Alliance) will moderate a nuanced conversation with Ahmed Abdulla (Carleton University) and Michael Ford (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) about the challenges and opportunities related to the current and future role of nuclear energy in efforts to decarbonize the U.S. The conversation will touch on the science and engineering of nuclear reactors; the current social, political, and regulatory environment around nuclear energy in the U.S.; and lessons that can be learned from other countries that also employ nuclear energy.

Register for the webinar.

No matter who you are, the Federal Steering Committee guiding the National Nature Assessment wants to hear from you: What does nature mean? What decisions should this assessment support? What questions should it answer? How do we make this assessment as useful as possible? These sessions will provide a brief overview of the scope of the National Nature Assessment and an opportunity to give direct input to the open request for information on framing the assessment. The events are free and open to the public, but registration is required (see links below for more information).

• Tuesday, May 23, 2023 | 2:00pm - 3:30pm ET: National Nature Assessment Public Listening Session – Livestock and Range Perspectives
• Thursday, May 25, 2023 | 2:00pm - 3:30pm ET: National Nature Assessment Public Listening Session – Cropland Agriculture Perspectives
• Tuesday, May 30, 2023 | 2:00pm - 3:30pm ET: National Nature Assessment Listening Session – Forests and Forestry
• Wednesday, May 31, 2023 | 2:00pm - 3:30pm ET: National Nature Assessment Listening Session

This event will focus on the science of forecasting hurricane impacts for classes grades 4-8. The webinar will be presented by graduate students at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. Register for the webinar.

Topics include:

• What are hurricanes?
• What are hurricane impacts and why is it important to forecast ahead of time?
• How do we forecast the impacts?
• How does research fit into forecasting?
• What are the challenges and areas of ongoing research?

This webinar is free, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and brought to you by the Inner Space Center at the Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island and the Hurricanes:Science and Society Project

June 7, Wednesday, and Thursday, June 8 |
11:00 am - 3:00 pm ET 

In this free workshop, University of Colorado Boulder curriculum developers will lead teachers through The Future of Forests, a middle school/high school curriculum connected to Next Generation life science standards that explore patterns of post-fire recovery (or lack thereof) across the west and inspire classrooms to engage in citizen science using NASA’s GLOBE Observer land cover app. Participants will engage with online interactives from the National Forest Service, authentic datasets, and app-based labs in this online workshop. Participants will have the option to receive a certificate for 10 PD hours (free) or purchase 1 graduate credit ($90) from the University of Colorado Boulder.

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Other Opportunities coming this summer from CLEAN at the University of Colorado include:

3. The Tipping Point Data Puzzle

Tuesday, June 20, 2023 | 10:00 am - 2:00 pm ET

Join developer Jon Griffith and ecologist Dr. Megan DeMarche as they lead you through "The Tipping Point", a 2-day MS/HS resource where students analyze ecological data to explain how rising temperatures are affecting the hearty tundra plant, moss campion, and consider what that might mean for the rest of the ecosystem. Register now.

4. Megafires: Rare Occurrences or the New Normal? Data Puzzle

Tuesday, July 18th, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm ET

Join developer Jon Griffith and  fire ecologist Dr. Natasha Stavros, as they lead you through "Megafires: Rare Occurrences or the New Normal?", a 3-day resource where students analyze megafire frequency data to explain how and why the number of megafires has changed over time. Register now.

Data Puzzles are 2-3 day MS/HS lessons that combine classroom-friendly datasets with Ambitious Science Teaching practices to help students make sense of phenomena. Engage with specific Data Puzzle resources during our summer workshops!

The Climate Initiative’s National Climate Educators Retreat is a professional development opportunity to support high school classroom teachers in incorporating climate education in their curriculum to educate, empower, and inspire students and community members to take action to adapt to or to mitigate climate change. The Climate Initiative offers many educational materials free of charge:   Learning Labs,   Policy Toolkits,  Climate Action Toolkits,  and its Ambassador Network.

USA Blue Schools are K-12 schools that are working to increase awareness about the ocean and inspire educators, students, and community members to deepen their connection with the sea. Participating schools may be involved in action projects such as park/beach cleanups, data collection, community science activities, and educational workshops.

Learn more about the USA Blue Schools and complete the short application to register your school. Reach out to Meghan Marrero mmarrero3@mercy.edu - the National Coordinator, with questions.

It’s going to be another wonderful year of connection during Black Birders Week 2023, celebrating the theme Fly Full Circle. Look for a variety of activities from May 28 - June 3 as organizers and participants celebrate being bold, beautiful, and Black during Black Birders Week 2023.

DAILY THEMES

• Sunday, May 28: Roll Call & Introductions
• Monday, May 29: History & Culture
• Tuesday, May 30: Creativity
• Wednesday, May 31: Rest Day
• Thursday, June 1: Black Resistance
• Friday, June 2: Community Awareness & Citizen Science
• Saturday, June 3: Get Outside

Student Activity resources for kids, youth, and families:

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Lessons & Activities – K-12 Education
  • The Celebrate Urban Birds Kit | Celebrate Urban Birds
• Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
  • Flying WILD :: Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (fishwildlife.org)
• National Audubon Society
  • Audubon for Kids | Nature Activities, DIY, Lessons for Home | Audubon

As you participate in activities, always use #BlackInNature, #BlackBirdersWeek, and other fun hashtags like #BlackBirderCulture, #BlackBirdersSoFly, #CalmTheFlockDown,  #FreeAsABird, #FlockForce, and #JustWingIt. Keep visiting the Black AF in STEM (BAFiS) website to stay informed on new events and discussions as they develop. Follow BAFiS social media channels and repost or retweet from their platforms: Facebook;  Twitter; and Instagram.

View this comprehensive teacher tested set of Lessons on Climate Change, Evolution and Nature of Science. The National Center for Science Education is celebrating its 40th anniversary of providing classroom resources created and tested by teachers from around the United States.

Applications to the NOAA Ocean Guardian School Program are now being accepted for the 2023-2024 school year! Grant amounts range from $1,000 - $4,000 per school depending on the program region and funding year.