“Bridging the Implementation Gap” Bird Conservation Conference
in the Northeast
and
International Rusty Blackbird Workshop

OCTOBER 16-19, 2012
at the Radisson Hotel, Plymouth, Massachusetts

www.birdconservationconference.org

Two years after the highly successful Bird Conservation Conference in the Northeast, another regional bird conference will be held in October 2012. This conference will again be in the historic coastal town of Plymouth, Massachusetts. With a conference theme of “Bridging the Implementation Gap,” a diverse representation of the bird conservation community will come together in plenaries, presentation sessions, and work sessions to collaboratively struggle with how we can best ensure that existing well-developed, science-based conservation priorities and plans are translated into effective conservation on the ground. The conference will include collaborative work sessions that explore how to engage appropriate audiences to effectively implement conservation priorities.

The Rusty Blackbird Workshop(Oct. 16-18) will be held in conjunction with the Bird Conservation Conference(Oct. 17-19) to facilitate participation in both meetings by as many participants as possible. The workshop will provide opportunities to discuss past efforts, progress, and future strategies for Rusty Blackbird conservation.

Thanks to Mass Audubon for serving as our local host and to Northeast Partners in Flight, Northeast Coordinated Bird Monitoring, and Bird Education Alliance for Conservation for organizing the conference.

Contact Ashley Dayer (aad86@cornell.edu) or Randy Dettmers (Randy_Dettmers@fws.gov) for more information.

A one day workshop at Bard College
Friday 3/9 9am-2pm

Learn about:

• High Performance Sustainable Design Guidelines
• Energy Star Portfolio Manager
• Current NYSERDA programs
• Myths and Realities of Geothermal

Presented by Mark Bagdon of Novus Engineering.

www.huyckpreserve.org/wer

8^th Annual Meeting

Collaboration Throughout the Hudson River Watershed

November 11-12, 2011

Hosted by The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY

Online registration is open

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

·        David Rothenberg:  The Music in Nature www.davidrothenberg.net

·         Congressman Paul D. Tonko (D NY-21) http://tonko.house.gov

·         Anthony G. Collins, President, Clarkson University http://www.clarkson.edu/about/welcome/biography.html

INTER AND MULTI DISCIPLINARY POSTER SESSION

WORKSHOPS

• Establishing a New Regional Environmental Journal
• Raising All Boats: Leveraging the Consortium to Maximize Institutional Gain
• Collaboration Between Higher Education and Cornell Cooperative Extension
• Field Programs and Stations: Where and How to Extend the Classroom
• Understanding the Hudson with Technology
• Pre-Service Teacher Training and PreK-12 Collaboration with Higher Education
• Collaboration Between Higher Education and Non-Profits
• Growing Capacity for the Regional Foodshed: Training, Research, & Policy
• Inter-Institutional Collaboration in Education and Research
• New and Innovative Educational Programs
• Student and Student-Faculty Research Opportunities
• Engaging the Community and Local Government

Attendees qualify for the “Member” rate if their affiliation is with an existing institutional or affiliate member of the Environmental Consortium. Accommodations are not included in the conference fee. Please make your hotel reservations early.

Environmental Consortium Mission
The mission of the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities is to harness higher education’s intellectual and physical resources to advance regional, ecosystem-based environmental research, teaching, and learning through interdisciplinary, collaborative programs and information sharing.

Pace University is the host institution of the Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities, with headquarters located at Pace Academy for Applied Environmental Studies.

Inquiries, contact the Environmental Consortium at envtlconsortium@pace.edu.

Summer Institute for

Science Teachers

We are pleased to announce the third annual Crossing Boundaries Institute. The Crossing Boundaries Project is a collaborative effort between Hobart and William Smith Colleges and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Crossing Boundaries provides middle and high school students with knowledge, skills, motivation, and inspiration to use information and communication technologies in addressing biodiversity and environmental conservation issues in local and international contexts.

Teachers of all types of secondary science courses from the Finger Lakes Region are welcome to apply. We encourage applications from those who are teaching courses for students who are characterized as academically-challenged.

Crossing Boundaries is a year-long professional development experience that includes access to the Crossing Boundaries curriculum, sustained teacher professional development, and a variety of opportunities for students to see scientific and environmental careers in action. Secondary teachers and students analyze environmental and conservation related issues in their local or regional environments as well as in the Brazilian Amazon, Laikipia, Kenya and Jalisco, Mexico. A range of technology options enables students to interact with scientists, conservation professionals, undergraduate interns, and graduate students who are working on biodiversity-related research in intriguing regional and international settings.

Participating teachers learn about geographic information technologies, such as GIS, GPS, Google Earth, Google Maps and communication technologies, such as blogs, wikis and podcasts. These and other tools create powerful opportunities for teaching, learning, and assessment. Science teachers of all backgrounds and comfort-levels with technology are encouraged to apply.

The ultimate goal of this project is to help middle and high school students learn science concepts central to the NYS curriculum as they use technology to explore conservation issues. In addition, students will see the myriad of careers that make use of information and geospatial technologies to investigate, address, and communicate about environmental issues on regional and global scales.

We invite you to apply for the Crossing Boundaries Institute.

The Crossing Boundaries Institute entails a total of eight days of hands-on training at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY divided into two sessions. (Both sessions are required):

- The first session of the Institute will be held from June 27th – July 1st.

- The second session of the Institute will be held from August 22nd – August 24th.

We provide teachers with new tools and experiences at the beginning of the summer and then regroup to learn a few more things and give everyone time to assemble classroom-specific curriculum plans before the school year begins.

During the Crossing Boundaries Institute, teachers will:

- experience field- and computer-based inquiry investigations that incorporate the use of geospatial and communication technologies,

- use the Crossing Boundaries curriculum to learn about international conservation issues,

- learn about international environmental and conservation issues from regional science educators, scientists, planners, and other professionals,

- learn how to use varied technologies within a supportive context,

- share ideas and build relationships with other innovative teachers participating in the Institute, and

- begin to develop lessons that use geospatial and communication technologies to help their students learn science as they address environmental issues of local or regional concern.

Crossing Boundaries teachers are recruited from throughout the Finger Lakes Region. Participating teachers will receive the following:

- Stipend for the five-day conference in July ($500)

- Stipend for three-day conference in August ($300)

- Meals and housing are provided throughout the experience

- Opportunities to learn new skills and work on your own curriculum projects during Saturday workshops held throughout the school year ($100 stipend per day for up to four workshops)

- A school-wide site license for ArcGIS 10 ($8500 value)

- Text and curriculum resources focused integrating GIS and GPS into your science teaching

- Access to a variety of pre-formatted GIS datasets for the Finger Lakes Region and New York State

- Technical and pedagogical support throughout the school year

- Access to classroom sets of GPS units that can be borrowed for classroom use

- Access to a community of educators who share your interests and goals

- The option to receive professional development credit for participation in the Institute

- The ability to participate in a year-long, tuition paid, three-semester hour graduate course, at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, associated with this project (EDUC792: Exploring Biodiversity Using Emerging Technologies)

- Potential opportunities for leadership and international travel for curriculum development

Crossing Boundaries and our previous project, entitled GIT Ahead, have supported over 90 Finger Lakes science teachers over the past five years. By working collaboratively with participating teachers, we have created an effective professional development model that supports science teachers wishing to use technology in their classrooms. We focus on providing teachers with a supportive and collaborative atmosphere within which they can learn about new tools and find ways to integrate them into existing curricula, including Regents science courses, courses for pre-Regents students, and elective or AP courses. Crossing Boundaries teachers vary in their experience using technology and the courses they teach (Living Environment, Environmental Science, International Baccalaureate, AP Courses, General Science, etc.). We work closely with each educator to help them use geospatial and communication technologies in ways that meet their professional goals and fulfill the needs of their students.

Professional development stipends are distributed twice a year. Summer stipends will be paid at the beginning of the school year when teachers complete a teacher survey and return student surveys to the project manager. Saturday workshop stipends will be distributed at the end of the year upon the completion of a teacher survey, return of student surveys, and possibly participating in an interview. Research participation is a required part of our project and is designed to benefit both the project and the field of science education more generally.

Enrollment in the 2011 Crossing Boundaries Institute is limited to 20 participants. You may access the application materials at: http://www.crossingboundaries.org/template-01-613.php and send the application form to Mike Batek at the address listed below or via email. Finally, please let us know if you have any questions. We hope to see you this summer!

Please note: Applications are due March 14, 2011. We plan to make acceptance decisions on or around April 1st.

Please contact Mike Batek for more information.

Mike Batek

300 Pulteney St.

Merritt Hall

Geneva, NY 14456

batek@hws.edu

315-781-4345

Visit the Crossing Boundaries Website at: http://crossingboundaries.org/

Stone Barns Center and Whole Foods Market are partnering to help K-12 teachers expand their knowledge of sustainable farming and incorporate food and agriculture into their classroom lessons.  If you’ve had a teacher who has made a difference in your life, return the favor by nominating him or her to attend a one-day professional development program at Stone Barns. Twenty-two teachers will be selected to spend a day at Stone Barns learning about how we raise crops and animals best suited to our region, in all four seasons, without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

To Nominate Your Teacher:

Pick up an application at the customer service desk at any participating Whole Foods Market, or click here to download the application from the Whole Foods website. For a list of participating Whole Foods Market locations, please see below.

Return completed applications to the Marketing Team Leader at your nearest participating Whole Foods Market location by April 1st. For more information on the Stone Barns teacher development program, click here.

Participating Whole Foods Stores

NY: Jericho, Lake Grove, Manhasset and White Plains
Manhattan: Chelsea, Columbus Circle, Upper West Side, Union Square, Bowery and Tribeca
NJ: Edgewater, Madison, Middletown, Montclair, Paramus, Ridgewood, Vauxhall and West Orange
CT: Darien, Greenwich, Milford and Westport

We still have room for a few more. Please RSVP to the GreeningUSA Education Committee education@greeningusa.org or call Ken Bobis at 315-498-2171. Space is limited so please RSVP early! (Sorry if you are getting this and you are already signed up)

If you have sent in your organization profile form, thank you. If not, please send it in. Click Here for form. If you have sent in a request for a 3-minute speech about your organization/program, thank you. We are still accepting proposals until 10/31.

If anyone would like to bring display materials feel free! We will have a sign up for those who would like digital copies after the event (we would like to go as paperless as possible).

Program Schedule Saturday morning November 13:

8:30 – 9:00am Arrival and Sign-in – Main Entry Lobby – a light continental breakfast will be available

9:00 – 9:30 Welcoming and opening remarks

9:30 – 10:30 Bridging Education for Sustainability breakout session facilitated by GreeningUSA

10:30 – 10:45 Break/Networking

10:45 – 11:30 Sustainability Education efforts in our community (presentations)

11:30 – 12:00 Wrap up and Action Steps

12:05pm Center of Excellence Building Tour (optional) please sign-up upon arrival

Directions to Syracuse Center of Excellence

Parking available in C of E parking lot located on Almond St. (just west of main building entrance) On street parking also available on E. Washington St.

Event purpose and goals:

- gather at one time and place, the many individuals and organizations engaged in sustainability education programs in our region

- provide an opportunity to raise awareness about your sustainability education programs & reinvigorate and connect folks involved with sustainability

- explore ways to create synergy and broader impact in our community

- investigate how we can coordinate and support each others’ activities and establish a means of connecting everyone by developing a comprehensive Directory and ListServ

Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Looking forward to seeing you on November 13th.

Ken Bobis for GreeningUSA Education Committee:

Melissa Cadwell, Greg Michel, Mark Naef, Peter Wirth

WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands Workshops

at Environmental Concern, St. Michaels, MD

December 10th and December 11th

Don’t wait until Spring when there’s too much to do!
You want to be out there ready to go!!

Come to one or both of our professional training workshop

Prepare your class to explore wetlands!

Spend the day Friday and/or Saturday at Environmental Concern
then dine and Holiday shop afterwards in St. Michaels!

See flyer for details!

SAVE THE DATES.

2010: Reading, Writing & Thinking

the Hudson Valley

July 27-29

FDR Home & Presidential Library, Hyde Park, NY

Placed-Based Education Pioneer David Sobel To Keynote Summer Institute

Area educators are invited to discover new ways to use the region’s special places to teach all disciplines and grade levels at Reading, Writing, & Thinking the Hudson Valley. Registration is open for the 8th annual summer institute to be held July 27-29 at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home and Presidential Library in Hyde Park.  The program is organized by Teaching the Hudson Valley (THV).

More than 20 workshops will connect educators with artists, historians, writers, and scientists, as well as their colleagues from schools, parks, and historic sites throughout the Valley. On Day 2 participants will choose one of five off-site experiences.

This year’s keynote address, “PLACE-BASED EDUCATION: Making School More Like A Farmer’s Market,” will be delivered by David Sobel , co-director of the Center for Place-Based Education, Antioch University New England. “Teaching doesn’t have to be limited by textbooks that crowd out real-life experiences,” said Sobel. “Place-based education is a response to the alienation of schools from community. Let’s bring education back into the neighborhood. Let’s get the town engineers, farmers, museum curators, mayors, historic site interpreters, and environmental educators onto the schoolyard and inside the four walls of the schools.”

For more info:  www.teachingthehudsonvalley.org

THV is a program of the National Park Service/Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Sites, the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program, and the Hudson River Valley Institute at Marist College.

The Energy Trilogy six-hour program covers energy forms and sources, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Teachers participate in engaging, hands-on lessons, earn six staff development hours, and leave with approximately $200 worth of curriculum materials, which are correlated to the New York State Learning Standards.

This free-of-charge offering will be available at the following dates and locations:

Wednesday, May 19 – 8:30 am to 3 pm – Nassau BOCES Lido Beach Facility – Hempstead, NY
Saturday, June 26 – 9 am to 4 pm – Waterfront Center – Oyster Bay, NY
Tuesday, June 29 – 8:30 am to 3:30 pm – Holy Angels Regional School – Patchogue, NY

Interested teachers can get more information or sign up for the June 26 or June 29 workshops by calling 1-877-NY-SMART (Option 6) or e-mailing:  info@nyess.org

For the May 19 event, contact Nassau BOCES Outdoor and Environmental Education at (516) 396-2264 or go to http://www.nassauboces.org/enviroed/profdev.htm#energy.  Substitute stipends of up to $125 per teacher are available for the May 19 program on a first-come, first-served basis.