March News

View past newsletters

Funding Sources and Upcoming Deadlines
In The News
Partner Updates and Resources
Your Virginia
Assorted Items of Professional Interest

Funding sources and upcoming deadlines

Captain Planet Foundation (CPF) Awards
2006 Deadlines: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31
CPF awards are between $500 and $2,500 for schools and nonprofit organizations that develop innovative environmental projects for youth that promote cooperation, planning, and problem-solving skills.www.captainplanetfdn.org/

2nd Annual Write On! Wetlands Challenge
Deadline: April 1
The writing competition is open to children in grades 7-9. The theme for this year’s contest is “A Wetland Adventure.” Students are asked to use their imagination to write a fiction or non-fiction story.The winning manuscript will then be posted on Environmental Concern Inc.’s website www.wetland.org in May. The illustration contest will begin in May and all children in grades K- 6 are invited to participate. For more information contact Bronwyn Mitchell, at: dir.educate@wetland.org, or 410-745-9620.

Plan now to participate in Stewardship Virginia
April 1- May 31
Building a Better Outdoors- Today, Tomorrow…Everyday
Stewardship Virginia is a statewide initiative held twice annually to help citizens with projects that enhance and conserve Virginia 's natural and cultural resources. Its focus is on projects that enhance water quality,control invasive species, improve recreational resources, preserve historic and cultural resources,preserve natural heritage resources,educate people about recreational, historical, cultural, wildlife and water resources and improve wildlife habitat. Get involved! Register a project today! Visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/stewardship or contact Bonnie Phillips at 804-786-5056.

Nature of Learning Grants
Deadline: April 17
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) invites applications from organizations seeking to start or expand the Nature of Learning program in their communities. www.nfwf.org Grants to be awarded on a competitive basis of up to $5,000 to support start-up expenses associated with new programs, and grants of up to $3,000 to provide continued support to existing Nature of Learning programs. www.fws.gov/refuges/education/natureoflearning

“Reflections of Virginia ’s Waters” Contest
Deadline: April 28
A new K-12 art, creative writing and photography contest, called Reflections of Virginia’s Waters, is being sponsored by the Virginia Office of Environmental Education and the James River Association to support interdisciplinary water education, stream and river studies and meaningful educational experiences. The program is designed to complement the statewide the reflective phase of the statewide meaningful watershed education effort. Individual categories are available for each age-- elementary, middle and high-- as well as group/class project. Visit www.vanaturally.com/reflections.html for contest rules, and entry information, or contact Kris Jarvis at kdjarvis@deq.virginia.gov or Kim Hodge at khodge@jamesriverassociation.org/

2006 Virginia Environmental Stewardship Awards
Deadline: April 30
Virginia Petroleum Council, along with the Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources is accepting nominations for the 2006 Virginia Environmental Stewardship Awards. This is the eleventh year for the award which seeks to highlight innovative and effective stewardship initiatives and educational approaches to help enhance Virginia ’s attractive natural resources. The program is open to any individual, class or school, public/private partnership, business or community demonstrating outstanding contributions for a single project or over a period of time. Visit www.vanaturally.com/esa06.doc for a copy of the nomination form and further details. For additional information contact Mike Ward, Executive Director of the Virginia Petroleum Council at (804) 225-8248 or email virginia@api.org

2006 Young Naturalist Awards
Deadline Extended: May 1
The American Museum of Natural History 2006 Young Naturalist Awards are for students in grades 7-12 to participate in a research-based essay contest to promote participation and communication in science. Contact Christine Economos at yna@amnh.org or 212-496-3498. www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/changes.html

Dominion Educational Partnership
Deadline Extended: May 1
Grant applications are now being accepted from accredited public and private elementary and secondary schools, public school divisions, institutions of higher education, state agencies and 501(c)(3)non-profit organizations to encourage the development of new programs to strengthen math and science education in kindergarten through grade 12. Application should represent innovative and promising ideas, teach math and/or science skills, reach a significant number of students and demonstrate broad-based community support. In addition, applications are to align with one of four targeted areas: parental involvement, closing the gap, environmental education or mini grants. www.dom.com/about/education/grants/grants.jsp

2006 Canon National Parks Science Scholarship Program
Deadline: May 3
The program will be awarding eight US $80,000 scholarships to Ph.D. students throughout the Americas to conduct research critical to conserving the national parks of the region. www.nature.nps.gov/canonscholarships/

In the news

Students to learn about Rivanna
Jessica Kitchin /Daily Progress Staff Writer ( February 13, 2006 )
Through a NOAA Chesapeake BWET grant for meaningful watershed education students to lean about the Rivannna River.

Partner updates & resources

Welcome New Partners

Back Bay Forum
March 16, Advanced Technology Center , VA Beach TCC Campus
Presentations will be conducted on research and data collected within the Back Bay Watershed, followed by a facilitated discussion to identify research needed and practices recommended to enhance the Back Bay system. Lunch and forum proceedings will be provided. There is no charge for the forum; however, you must pre-register since seating is limited. www.bbf.org Call (757) 426- 3643 or email bbrf@infionline.net to register.

Spring Pools Institute (SPI) Two Upcoming Workshops
March 13-16, SPI Central
Workshop includes classroom overview of the subject and 3 1/2 days in the field, exploring wetlands and their inhabitants throughout 4-5 counties around the 4-H Center. Ideal for professionals and amateur naturalists with limited background on the subject, or those interesting in exploring the Central VA environs. "Obligate" wildlife encountered typically include: Spotted, Marbled, and Mole Salamanders, Wood Frogs, and Fairy Shrimp! Reserve your space ASAP! Call Mike Hayslett at 434-248-5444 to register. www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/holiday/

March 20- 23, SPI- Shenandoah Valley
This year's "road trip" version will focus on isolated wetlands in Virginia 's Shenandoah Valley , with stops and stays from approximately Front Royal down to Stuart's Draft. This workshop will include four full days of field exploration. This workshop is ideal for those who've already taken the "Central" version and are looking to increase their knowledge and experience with this subject in Virginia . This workshop is rotated around the state's different physiographic regions each year; 2006 is the third year in this series, with 2005 going to the SE Coastal area and 2004 to the Western Highlands of Virginia. Call Mike Hayslett at 434-248-5444 to register; space is limited! www.ext.vt.edu/resources/4h/holiday/

Save Our Streams
March 18, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, Lake Accotink Park
Two newly formed citizen organizations Friends of Accotink (FOA) and Friends of Accotink Creek (FACC) are working together to help protect our watershed. Please join our project marking storm drains to educate the public about protecting our watershed. Contact Duane Murphy 703-599-3328 or Deborah Reyher 703-876-0226. www.accotink.org

West Central VA Environmental Education (EE) Informal Planning Meeting
March 29, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., Clean Valley Council, Roanoke
Community Educators in the West Central Region are invited to attend an informal planning meeting from 12 noon to 2:00 p.m. ,to discuss program opportunities and obstacles, funding resources, potential partnerships, and volunteer assistance. Our hope is to enhance working relationships between our schools, non formal education sites and volunteer groups to meet the environmental educational needs of this area. Please bring any information you might like to share. Call Ann Masters (540) 345-552 at if you plan to attend.

Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW)
March 31, 2006 – April 2, 2006 ( Holiday Lake , Appomattox , VA )
This three day event is designed primarily for women 18 years and above whose outdoor experience has been limited, or for those individuals who want to improve their outdoor skills. Participants are offered a choice of 4-hour sessions in a variety of shooting disciplines, aquatic and non-consumptive educational courses. Some examples of the courses offered may include: introductory rifle, archery, shotgun skills development, hunting techniques for game species, fishing basics, canoeing/kayaking, wild edibles, outdoor cooking, wildlife habitat, and wood carving. Register by March 17 th! Call (804) 367-0656 or email OutdoorEd@dgif.virginia.gov for more information.

18 th Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup
April 8, 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon
The Alice Ferguson Foundation announces the 18th Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup. Site leaders and volunteers needed to pick up trash at over 300 sites in Maryland , Virginia , Washington DC , Pennsylvania and West Virginia . Have fun with your neighbors and friends while helping your community. Take Pride In Our Potomac ! Let's make a Trash Free Potomac by 2013. Please call the Alice Ferguson Foundation at 301-292-5665 or visit www.potomaccleanup.org for more information.

2006 Earth Day Richmond Celebration, Fish Festival and 2 nd Annual Mayor’s Walk & Roll
April 22 nd , 10:00 a.m. to 4: 00 p.m.
Environmental educators are needed to participate in this event .
Earth Day Richmond will be held along the James River and in Old Manchester at the south end of the Mayo Bridge . There will be music, food, art, activities and exhibits- for more information, to partner, volunteer or exhibit, call 804-649-3764 or write earthdayrichmond@aol.com. The event website is www.earthdayrichmond.org

Meaningful Watershed Education “Train the Trainer” Opportunity
April 26, 2006 , Camp Kitty , Burgess, VA
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office and the Virginia Resource Use Education Council ( VRUEC ) will provide a “Train the Trainer” opportunity. This one day workshop will target providers- educators who do not directly work in the K-12 system - but may train teachers and other educators in summer and/or school programs. Just in time for your summer teaching trainings: this workshop will focus on watersheds, Chesapeake Bay and development of meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs). It will help informal educators and agency representatives develop great programs for teachers and students. Contact Jill Bieri jill.bieri@noaa.gov or Suzie Gilley suzie.gilley@dgif.virginia.gov for more information.

VA State Parks & Natural Area Preserves: Your Backyard Classroom
“ Virginia State Parks : Your Backyard Classrooms ” is an educator professional development program. The curricula program includes K-12 field-based activities, designed for use at Virginia State Parks and Natural Area Preserves. Each of the hands-on, investigative activities is designed to involve students before, during and after field trips and also to complement classroom instruction. By using the State Parks and Natural Area Preserves as a forum for learning, students are able to observe and hypothesize in a natural environment.

There are currently two program versions available designed for use at Parks and Area Preserves located in the mountain and coastal regions of Virginia . A third version is under development for the piedmont region. Free educator- training workshops on the curricula are held in Virginia State Parks in the mountain and coastal regions. Participants receive a copy of “ Virginia State Parks : Your Backyard Classrooms” appropriate to their region. This hands-on curriculum explores many ways to use your Virginia State Parks as living classrooms. Come and learn about the natural and cultural history of Virginia through a visit to a State Park or Natural Area Preserve near you! www.dcr.virginia.gov/parks/

Your Virginia

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
The mission of this natural resource agency is to manage Virginia 's wildlife and inland fish to maintain optimum populations of all species to serve the needs of the Commonwealth; to provide opportunity for all to enjoy wildlife, inland fish, boating and related outdoor recreation; to promote safety for persons and property in connection with boating, hunting and fishing. www.dgif.virginia.gov/

Warmer weather is just around the corner – what better time to start planning to spend some time outdoors than trout fishing. Check out the new Trout Guide at www.dgif.virginia.gov/fishing/trout/ ! Virginia contains over 2,800 miles of trout streams, in addition to numerous ponds, small lakes and reservoirs. Other Resource materials can be found at www.dgif.virginia.gov/education/resource_material.html

The department offers a variety of outdoor education programs www.dgif.virginia.gov/events/index.asp such as Project Wild, a national Kindergarten through 12th grade wildlife education program correlated to the Virginia Science Standards of Learning. Project WILD activities are also suitable for use in youth programs such as Scouts and 4-H. For more information on workshops www.dgif.virginia.gov /education/wildlife_education.html or email suzie.gilley@dgif.virginia.gov

Virginia Naturally Schools is the official environmental education school recognition program of the Commonwealth, administered by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries with support from the Department of Education, Department of Environmental Quality and other resource agencies. The Virginia Board of Education has recognized the Virginia Naturally School program as the official environmental education school recognition program for the state. This program recognizes the wonderful efforts of many Virginia schools to increase the environmental awareness and stewardship of our youngest citizens. www.dgif.virginia.gov/education/van_school_recognition.html

Schoolyard Habitats as Effective Outdoor Classrooms are being established across Virginia to improve environmental literacy among students, improve wildlife habitat, and make more efficient use of school property. Workshops are available at no charge from the VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to train teachers in the methods of converting previously unused, empty spaces into buffer strips, butterfly gardens, bird sanctuaries and other mini-habitats. Educators use these outdoor classrooms with their students to meet several of the state Standards of Learning and enhance cross-curricular activities. Students benefit from the hands-on learning, and schools benefit by partnering more effectively with communities. For information about a Schoolyard Habitat workshop at your school, email carol.heiser@dgif.virginia.gov.

Virginia Natural Resource Agency News
For the latest information about VA’s seven natural resource agencies visit www.naturalresources.virginia.gov/Agencies/agency.cfm and click on the agency link you need.

Help Improve Our Waters- Public Meetings Scheduled
People who are concerned about restoring “impaired” rivers, streams or lakes in their communities (those waters that don’t meet state standards) can participate in developing restoration plans. Since 1998, the Department of Environmental Quality has developed plans, with public input, to restore and maintain the water quality for the impaired waters. These plans are called "Total Maximum Daily Loads," or TMDLs. TMDL is a term that represents the total pollutant a water body can assimilate and still meet water quality standards. To learn about the streams in your area or the public meeting and comment schedule, please visit www.deq.virginia.gov/tmdl or www.vanaturally.com/partner_resources.html

Assorted items of professional interest

Globe at Night Star Hunting Party
March 22 – 29, 2006 ~ Skyward
Join thousands of other students, families, and educators by participating in GLOBE at Night - an international event designed to observe and record the visible stars as a means of measuring light pollution in a given location. Students will explore the different light sources in their community learning the relationship between science, technology and society, and then report their observations online through a central database allowing for authentic worldwide research and analysis. www.globe.gov/GaN/index.html

Airlie Foundation and The Local Food Project at Airlie
Rethinking Design: Ecological Farms and Gardens in the 21 st Century
March 25 th, 2006 , 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. , Airlie Center ( Warrenton , Virginia )
Register by March 15
Airlie Foundation and The Local Food Project at Airlie announce a one-day forum on sustainable agriculture at the Airlie Center ( Warrenton , Virginia ), Saturday March 25 th, 2006 , 9:00 am to 6:00 pm . Rethinking Design: Ecological Farms and Gardens in the 21 st Century explores innovative trends in today’s agricultural practices with presentations by small farmers, gardeners, and others working to advance and promote local, sustainable food production. List of speakers and registration download at www.vanaturally.com/partner_resources.html or contact Pablo Elliott at 540-347-1300 ext 3163 or pelliott@airlie.org

ENO - Environment Program ~ Online
Deadline: March 31, 2006
ENO-Environment Online is a free, international Web school for teachers and students interested in environmental issues and global education, administrated by the city of Joensuu, Finland. Themes include: local community issues; climate change; ecological footprint; and traditional food. http://eno.joensuu.fi/index_content.htm

The 6th Annual Leadership Initiative in Science Education (LISE 6) What Our Students Know: Assessment and Accountability in Science Education
April 26-27, Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia , PA
If you are a science teacher, science supervisor, curriculum director, school administrator, university professor or working in a science-based industry, mark your calendar and register now for this exciting conference on assessment in science. The conference features eight leading national experts on assessment in science. www.chemheritage.org/events/lise6/ .

Summer 2006 Professional Development Opportunities
Visit www.vanaturally.com/summer.html for a complete list of opportunities.

Potomac Gorge BioBlitz
June 24-25, 2006
This joint venture between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Nature Conservancy to document fungi, non-flowering plants and invertebrates on NPS lands along the Potomac River in Virginia , Maryland and the District of Columbia . If you would like to take part as a team leader or survey volunteer, visit http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/vnhs/bioblitz.htm or contact the BioBlitz Coordinator, Dr. Art Evans at arthurevans@verizon.net

PLANET H2O Airs in April to Mark Earth Day
PLANET H2O, a two-part special from Thirteen/WNET New York will premier on public television in April to mark Earth Day. Both episodes, "The Secret Life of Water" and "Water World," focus on fresh water systems around the world and their impact on land, air, and living things. http://eelink.net/cgi-bin/ee-link/newclick/65750

Fisheries Learning on the Web
Fisheries Learning on the Web (FLOW) is a comprehensive curriculum about the Great Lakes ecosystem, geared toward upper elementary and middle school. Lessons are aligned with science and social studies standards. www.projectflow.us/

Bats, Cavefish, Salamander and other Cave-Dwellers
Sponsored by the Hoosier National Forest & Indiana Karst Conservancy, Cave Biota offers video clips of various cave-dwellers and interviews with scientists about cave issues and conservation. www.cavebiota.com/

National Geographic EDNET Resource Library
This National Geographic community page provides a wide variety of teaching materials and resources, including grade specific lesson plans, news articles, classroom companions, photos, videos, and more. www.ngsednet.org/index.cfm

Ocean Image Resource for Teachers
Marine Photobank is a free resource of ocean imagery that highlights pressing ocean issues and includes accompanying downloadable Photo Stories. Some subjects covered are Marine Pollution and Trash, Fishing Methods, and Reefs in Peril/Coral Bleaching. www.marinephotobank.org

Rangers of the Earth
This new earth education program for 10-11 year olds provides a year's worth of weekly activities for classrooms and youth groups. www.eartheducation.org/resource.asp?sku=brote

What Bird
The ultimate online bird guide for identifying birds of North America . Use the visual search engine to identify birds, create your own bird field guides, and consult with an expert. www.whatbird.com/

New Capacity Building Tools & Resources
The Capacity Building Tools & Resources section provides Web-based resources helpful in overcoming common challenges related to the logistical aspects of EE capacity building. http://eelink.net/cgi-bin/ee-link/newclick/65718

EE Resource Guides on CDEE
The Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) has introduced its award-winning Environmental Education Resource Guides (EERGs) on CD. The guides provide teachers with background information, fact sheets, glossaries, and 50 lesson plans for grades K-5 on several air and water pollution - and protection - topics. www.awma.org/education/

GEOEC Lesson Plans
Global, Environmental, and Outdoor Education Council (GEOEC) Web site offers downloadable, free unit and lesson plans (Grades 1-9) designed to help teachers integrate environmental themes into their curriculum. www.geoec.org/lessons/

Templ:DEQTemplate_one | Editable:false | StartFldr:/vanaturally/ | CurrentFilename:marchnews.html;

Main Menu

March News

Welcome New Partners