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Ferry CD owns 82 acres of land that includes range, forest, wetland, riparian areas, cultivated land, a greenhouse, a drilled well, and power. The greenhouse was originally a joint venture between Ferry CD and Republic and Curlew School Districts. Due to fluctuations in school district funding and capacity, Ferry CD took on the responsibility of providing infrastructure and opportunities for the schools to utilize. Educating students and the community is the best way to encourage conservation while teaching people how to become more self-sufficient.
At a recent visit, students collected three different soil samples and compared textures, colors, smells, and organic material. Then, students learned how to determine tree age, judge the height of a tree, and identify various trees.
Ferry CD hopes to expand their Education and Resource Center and continue providing opportunities to practice climate-smart practices, teach students about ag-related career opportunities, and increase food availability. For more information visit Ferry CD's website.
-Russell from "Up"
Spokane CD created five Outdoor Explorer Packs – Explore Snow, Explore Pollinators, Explore Rocks and Soil, Explore Water, and Explore Trees. Each backpack contains Leave No Trace cards, maps for local public lands, field guides, children’s literature, hands-on activities and investigations for youth of various ages, and citizen science activities. Home school parents, youth groups, families, and individuals can reserve packs online for free for up to two weeks.
Show your support for WA State Envirothon at WADE Trivia Night. All proceeds will support WA State Envirothon and help send the state winners to Nationals in New Brunswick, Canada!
The 2023 Washington State Envirothon will be held on May 24th and 25th, 2023 at Soundview Camp and Retreat Center in the Key Peninsula.
Did you know there's a group of conservation district educators who have quarterly web meetings to coordinate their work and share resources? Contact Kim Kogler, 509-429-3439 (CD Educator Coordinator and staff at Okanogan CD) to learn more and be added to the meeting announcement list. |
Alexi Guddal joined Whatcom CD in 2021 as an Education and Outreach Specialist. She grew up near Mount Rainier National Park on a small hobby farm. Her passion for wildlife led her to earn a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from Western Washington University and her Master of Arts in Biology from the Advanced Inquiry Program, a partnership between the Woodland Park Zoo and Miami University. Alexi joined the district to foster community-based conservation in Whatcom County. She runs the Whatcom Explorer: Mobile Watershed program, a place-based interactive watershed model, and the Whatcom Wildlife Tracking program, a community science project.
Join fellow conservation district educators at WADE between June 12th-14th. The Education, Communications, and Outreach track coordinators organized a variety of presentations and networking opportunities, including:
- Salmon in the Classroom
- Envirothon Round Table
- Innovative Projects
Seeking ECO track presentations! Contact Chris Towe to share your program successes, lessons learned, grant opportunities, or tips and tricks to environmental education.
Last meeting, Katherine Hackney (Pierce CD) shared information about working with middle school students. CD educators discussed the impact of social pressure on middle school students and their learning. Here are some tips from the group to breaking down social pressures in middle school classrooms:
- Embrace humility: own up to your mistakes and model confidence in making errors.
- Use students names whenever possible.
- Be weird and goofy - it will make them feel more comfortable.
- As soon as possible, ask every student to speak, even if it is one word.
- Try a mindfulness activity at the beginning.
- For middle school students who want to poke the system – challenge them. Can you beat this task? Can you solve this problem?
- Developmentally, middle school students are trying on different identities to see how they fit. Build time into the lesson for independence, for them to work with each other, without an adult, so they can try those different identities in a safe space.
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