On Thursday July 14th, a public forum will be held to discuss the draft of the Environmental Literacy Plan.  The Environmental Literacy Plan grew out of the efforts of a large number of formal and informal educators in response to the No Child Left Inside legislation currently being considered in Congress. The meeting will be held from 1:30-4:30pm at Scenic Hudson’s River Center at Long Dock Park in Beacon NY.

You can find a copy of the Draft Environmental Literacy Plan (ELP) at www.nysoea.org. We will be discussing this draft plan at the meeting.

It is our hope that this meeting will help clarify our goals as educators interested in moving the discussion of environmental literacy forward in our schools. We hope that this will provide a mechanism by which we can all work together for more effective environmental education for the students of the Hudson Valley.

Some of the questions we would like to discuss during our session include.
•   Do you agree with the environmental literacy goals as listed on pages 2 and 3 or the Draft ELP, why are they important, and are there other goals that should be considered for our region.
•   What are some of the barriers that exist to implementing an environmental literacy plan?
•   What are some of the gaps that gaps that exist in implementing effective environmental education programs in the Hudson Valley?
•   How can we measure the effectiveness of environmental literacy and education programs?
•   What opportunities exist for us to work together, share resources, ideas and to collaborate for more effective delivery of environmental education in the Hudson Valley?

In addition to the ELP meeting from 1:30-4:30, there will be a free yoga class from Noon-1pm in Long Dock Park and if there is interest, guided park tours at Noon and
5pm.

Please RSVP you’re attendance to any or all of these events to:
Natalie Rider at  natalie_rider@yahoo.com.
Or give her a call at 845-264-1766.

We are looking forward to our meeting on July 14th, 2011.

Environmentally Yours,
Natalie Rider and Amanda Ackers
NYSOEA Eastern Regional Director

at Environmental Science and Forestry’s

Huntington Wildlife Forest

Sunday, August 14
through
Thursday, August 18

• Project WILD
• Birds
• Forest, field, and pond exploration
• Making and using dichotomous keys
• Owl ecology including pellet dissection
• Mammals
• Plants
• Water quality testing
• Children’s nature literature
• Insect study
• Orienteering
• Earth measurement
• Nature writing

And more!

$300

includes meals, lodging, and all instructional activities.

Please register by July 20.  Limited to the first 25 applicants.

For more info,

DOWNLOAD BROCHURE

or contact:
Fred von Mechow
NYSOEA Residential Teacher
Workshop Coordinator
fpvonmechow@gmail.com

We would like to bring together as many groups and individuals, as possible, who are interested in Environmental Education to share and discuss what it is that they are doing and to produce a White Paper concerning the state of Environmental Education on Long Island. Information will be collected from the various groups to produce a resource directory that would be of value to students, parents, educators, and other interested groups on Long Island.

Additionally, participants of this summit will have an opportunity to provide input on the development of the Environmental Literacy Standards for New York State. The New York State Outdoor Education Association (NYSOEA) spearheading this effort has expressed a desire to collect input from the Long Island community as they frame these Standards.  We thought this would be a good opportunity to do so.  Pending federal legislation includes a requirement for states to have an environmental literacy plan in place to be eligible for funding – information gathered during this meeting would be used to help develop such a plan. The NYSOEA has taken the lead in assisting the State in this effort.

We hope that you will participate in this event and in doing so, help to develop a more cohesive Island—wide approach to environmental education.  Upon receiving your RSVP, we will send out the NYSOEA draft document for your input as well as the actual agenda for the day.

New York State Assemblyman Steve Englebright will be the keynote speaker

Environmentally Yours,

Melvyn Morris, Ed.D.

Educational Programs Administrator

Brookhaven National Laboratory

mmorris@bnl.gov

631-344-5963

If you don’t know the answers yourself, then welcome to the amazing and inspiring world of biomimicry.  For educators, biomimicry provides a tool to engage students in the science of today, inspire them with solutions?based thinking, and introduce them to the jobs of tomorrow.

This workshop is divided into 2 parts:

• a 6 hour online component that teachers will do on their own (separate registration and fee of $65)
• and a 3?day hands?on workshop in the Omega Institute’s OCSL

During the 6?hour on?line course, teachers will learn the biomimicry basics through Power Point presentations, exercises and videos. During the 3?day hands?on workshop, participants will examine real?life technology case studies and participate in proven biomimicry teaching/learning exercises . Time will be given so that participants can integrate the material presented into their existing curriculum.

• Target Audience: Educators Grades 6?12
• Date: July 18, 19, 20, 8 am – 4:30
• Location: Omega Institute Center for Sustainable Living, Rhinebeck, NY
• Presenter: Tom McKeag, Biomimicry Educator and President of BioDreamMachine
• Fee: $50/Workshop is being underwritten by NYSERDA
• Credit: In?service credit based on district policy
• Lunch options: Lunch tickets can be purchased at Omega.
• Lodging options: Available at Omega and can be made by calling 800-944-1001

TO REGISTER: Go to My Learning Plan at www.pnwboces.org/catalog and select Center for Environmental Education under Programs, then click on the View Now button. Scroll down and double click on Biomimicry: a Beacon of Light for Today’s Innovative Educators Workshop. On the next screen select the Click to Enroll button and follow the instructions to register. Information on how to register for the on?line portion can also be found there.

Questions: Dorna Schroeter dschroeter@pnwboces.org 914?248?2335.

At this free workshop educators will receive:

• engaging, hands-on science and engineering activities that support New York State Learning Standards and Core Curriculum, addressing specific performance indicators, and enrich existing scholastic programming;
• a free Wind Energy Education Kit;
• curricular units Wind Wisdom for School Power Naturally (two units), grades K-4 and 5-6.

Registration is required.  TO REGISTER Please click here or visit http://www.nesea.org/k-12/events/windwisdomforschoolpowernaturallyfishkillny_213/ and fill out the information. Please email or fax your registration to: agrindrod@nesea.org or 413-774-6053

For questions please contact NESEA’s Education Director at 413-774-6051 x 21 or email agrindrod@nesea.org

Light refreshments will be provided. Please bring a bag lunch.

This workshop is part of the Solar Sails New York Project: an Expansion of Solar and Wind Energy Education for School Power…Naturally
This program is organized by NESEA and sponsored by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

February 4, 5, & 6

Ashokan’s premier
winter event!

* Indoor & outdoor workshops and activities.

* NYSOEA Awards Banquet Saturday night

* Saturday night performance by the Ben Rounds Band.

* Connect with others.

* Professional development.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Packages range from $25-$99

Register Online

Rooms at Winchell’s Inn (located on the Ashokan Center property) will be available.
There are only a limited number available, so reserve ASAP!   Call (845) 657-8333 x14 for pricing.

ACCEPTING WORKSHOP PROPOSALS

If you have a workshop or activity that you would like to present, please contact Brian Joyner at (845) 657-8333 x14.

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT WINTER WEEKEND:

Visit the official
Winter Weekend website

~  Co-sponsored by NYSOEA  ~

477 Beaverkill Road
Olivebridge, NY  12461
(845) 657-8333

As promised, on Tuesday August 24th at 10 am, there will be a presentation and behind-the-scenes tour of the world-renowned green roof at the 5-Boro Parks complex on Randall’s Island.  The roof currently has 21 uniquely designed landscapes over a whopping 26,000 square feet.  From Hempstead Plains and Rocky Summit grasslands to a vegetable garden, there are a variety of amazing things growing up on this roof.   Please RSVP to jessica.kratz@parks.nyc.gov by August 16th so that I can provide our hosts with an accurate head count.

For photos and more information about the roof, which has recently had visitors from England, France, Ukraine and the Netherlands, check out the following:

• NYC Department of Parks & Recreation – Green Roofs
• Green Roof Expansion at 5-Boro Complex
• Green Roof is coming to a Recreation Center near you

For directions, click here or continue to read below.  Randall’s Island is a short bus ride from the 125th Street NYC transit station, which is only a block or so away from the Metro North station.  The RFK bridge [formerly known as the Triborough Bridge] enables access from Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan.

Getting to Randall’s Island

Subway/Bus

Can walk over to the M35 bus stop from the 125th street Metro North station

The M35 bus runs to the Island from the NW corner of 125th Street and Lexington Ave.
Transfer is available from the Lexington Avenue 4, 5, or 6 trains at 125th Street.

For updated MTA travel information, (718) 330-1234 or www.mta.info.

Pedestrian/Bicycle

The 103rd Street Pedestrian Footbridge connects the southern end of Randall’s Island to Manhattan, linking to the East River esplanade and across the FDR to 103rd Street in East Harlem.  The footbridge is open year round from 6am to midnight.

A new Bronx Shore Footbridge at the Park’s northern end remains closed until construction is complete on the Bronx River Greenway Connector to 132nd Street.

Pedestrian Ramps connect the Park to all three spans of the RFK Bridge.

Manhattan: 125th Street and 2nd Avenue to just behind the Golf Center
Bronx: Cypress Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard to the Bronx Shore Fields
Queens: Hoyt Avenue and 28th Street, adjacent to the Astoria Boulevard N/W station, to mid-Island, adjacent to the Central Fields

Automobile

All automobile access is via the RFK Bridge.

Please note below, there is a new ramp to Randall’s Island off of the RFK Bridge from both the Bronx and Manhattan.

From Manhattan:
If paying with E-ZPass at toll: Stay left at toll plaza for the exit ramp to Randall’s Island, immediately after the toll plaza.

If paying cash at toll: Stay right for the exit to Randall’s Island, about a half-mile past toll plaza.

From Queens: Stay right for the exit to Randall’s Island, immediately after the toll plaza.

From the Bronx: Stay right for the exit to Randall’s Island, about a half-mile past toll plaza.

Wind Wisdom in the Classroom

The Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) in collaboration with the New York State Outdoor Education Association (NYSOEA) is facilitating Wind Wisdom for School Power Naturally, a free professional development workshop for formal and non-formal educators on Saturday, April 17 at the Greenbelt Nature Center on Staten Island, NY from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Wind Wisdom for School Power Naturally offers a hands-on introduction to the technology and engineering involved in renewable wind energy and provides a context for teaching scientific and engineering principles related to properties of the wind, energy transformations and electricity.

This workshop is suitable for teachers who work with grades K-6. At this workshop educators will receive:

• engaging, hands-on science and engineering activities that support New York State Learning Standards and Core Curriculum, addressing specific performance indicators, and enrich existing scholastic programming;
• a free Wind Energy Education Kit;
• curricular units Wind Wisdom for School Power Naturally (two units), grades K-4 and 5-6.

Registration is required. TO REGISTER visit the NESEA website http://www.nesea.org/k-12/events/ click on 4/17 Wind Wisdom workshop and click on “here” for a downloadable registration form. Fill out the information and email or fax to:

agrindrod@nesea.org or 413-774-6053

For questions please contact NESEA’s Education Director at 413-774-6051 x 21 or email agrindrod@nesea.org

This workshop is part of the Solar Sails New York Project: an Expansion of Solar and Wind Energy Education for School Power…Naturally. MANY THANKS to our sponsor: the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for making this project possible

Join veteran naturalists for an educational week of nature and environmental activities.
We’ll split the week between sessions on natural history and environmental quality, and activities you can do with your students.

Activities appropriate for your level: Secondary, upper elementary, and lower elementary groups split for many sessions.  Participants arrive late morning Thursday, July 22 and stay at Camp Mariah for 4 nights, leaving on Monday, July 26 after lunch.

OR

Download the Brouchre and Registration form by clicking here