California Today: Neighborhoods & Issues

Project Learning Tree: Exploring Environmental Issues in the Places Where We Live Kay Antunez, CA Dept. of Forestry & Fire Protection & Al Strenstrup, Project Learning Tree
What local environmental issues are impacting your community? The new Project Learning Tree (PLT) Module, Exploring Environmental Issues in the Places We Live is a set of activities where students conduct investigations focused on how local environmental issues are linked to environmental, social, and economic changes. The workshop will present hands-on activities that assist students in thinking about how their community has changed over time and the impact these changes have had on the physical environment. Further, it will look at how society and technology have responded to these changes.

Cancelled - Changed to The Great Society (below) Teaching Environmental Justice rikki Shackelford, Web of Life Field (WOLF) School
This workshop will introduce teachers to a fun, positive and non-threatening approach to teaching and understanding environmental justice issues. The workshop will support students in developing their own concepts of environmental justice and will introduce two hands-on activities in the context of environmental justice. The workshop will emphasize how to teach environmental justice without upsetting people.

California's Central Valley - Connecting the Outdoor School Experience Dan Webster, Foothill Horizons Outdoor School
In this workshop, participants will increase their knowledge of the Central Valley environment, including its natural and cultural history, and discover ways to make stronger connections with students from that region. We will discover what people know and don't know about the valley, and learn about resources to increase future knowledge and lesson relevance.

Bioregional in Nature Noixium Berrios and Shoshana Imhoff, Point Bonita YMCA Outdoor & Conference Center
This workshop aims to introduce participants to a widely held bioregion, identity and vision; it will bring graphic expression back into common usage; and will illustrate the interconnections of human and ecological and environmental systems. We will examine the various bioregions of California and look at several types of maps. We will learn how and why bioregional mapping is an important tool for teaching about environment. Then we will go on a hike, make bioregional flip books that will later be transposed onto bioregional maps.

Drawing Parallels & Finding Relevance: Tying It Back to the Students' Homes Christie McCullen & Emily Wang, Headlands Institute
This workshop is designed to help educators make more constant, meaningful connections to their students' lives and communities. The workshop will combine hands-on practice of activities that will accomplish these connections with discussion of ways to tweak classic EE activities to connect back to students' homes. Participants will also explore how to adapt a debate/ town hall meeting to address the relevant environmental issues of students' home communities. Participants will leave with many new ideas and inspiration, as well as new lesson plans.

The Role of EE and Outdoor Education Programs in Promoting Children's Health Bobbie Visnovske, Yosemite Institute
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 calls for accountability in the selection of academic content areas, such as math and reading, but omits physical, health, and environmental education. As part of the EE and OE fields, we find ourselves in a role that promotes a foundation for healthy and active lifestyles, having the potential for creating positive consequences in the lives of our students. By fostering a connection to the environment, we enable students to achieve health-related fitness while providing them with a more balanced and comprehensive education.

 

California Today: Leadership & Diversity

Read More About it: AEOE's Diversity in Environmental/Outdoor Education pages offer a wealth of resources from thought-provoking articles to lesson plans and curricula

People with Disabilities, the Outdoors, and Leadership: How EE and OE Can Rethink Programs to Be Inclusive of All Participants Kristi Grotting, Inclusive Planet and Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC)
Disability is a huge part of diversity and one of its most overlooked facets, especially when it comes to outdoor education and recreation. This workshop will explore attitudes and assumptions about people with disabilities and the barriers, both physical and emotional, that exist in the fields of OE and EE. In addition, this workshop will illuminate how the wisdom, flexibility, and creativity we bring to outdoor leadership can be used to adapt our programs and services to provide meaningful experiences for all participants.

How to Convert Christians to Environmentalism Scott Smithson, Mission Springs Outdoor Education
As environmental educators in California, we serve a population diverse in religious backgrounds. It is therefore important for us to understand how some beliefs can affect one's views of the environment. Many conservative Christians do not align themselves with the environmental movement. However, when they learn about biblical passages that show the importance of "stewardship," it can lead to constructive dialogue and lifestyle changes. This workshop will give you insight into some of the most important stewardship passages in the Old and New testaments, so that you can use them as you converse with students, parents, or teachers and gently persuade them to reevaluate some of their biblical interpretations.

The Recruitment and Retention of Underserved Youth Using Marine Science Tracey Weiss & Maile Sullivan, Camp SEA Lab - Science, Education, & Adventure
Participants will be exposed to current research involving innovative programming that aims to keep underserved youth in the science pipeline. Participants will gain insight into how hands-on experiential marine science programs have helped to recruit and retain underserved youth in the math and science fields. By promoting leadership and diversity in the fields of biological, life and geosciences, those who live in the communities will gain the skills to protect, conserve, and study the habitats in their own backyard. Come find out what Camp SEA Lab learned about the effectiveness of its programs.

Making Environmental Education a Safe Place for Students of all Sexual Identities Lisa Murphy, Coastal Redwood Environmental School and Eric Godoy, Headlands Institute
This workshop was designed to build awareness of the many facets of sexuality (behavior, orientation, identity), explore the issues affecting the LGBTQ youth in schools and outdoor settings, and discuss strategies and materials that can help your site be/ become a safe place for students (& staff) of all sexual identities. Seven posters, designed by high school students, will be posted to help promote awareness and positivity around questions of sexual identity.

Cultivating a Sense of Place: Connecting People, the Environment and Social Change Odin Zackman, DIG IN
Do you feel like you are making an impact in your work? Want new ideas and new perspectives on connecting with and inspiring participants in your programs? This interactive workshop and discussion will invite educators of all backgrounds and experience levels to explore new ways of teaching and promoting social change through environmental education. Through place-based techniques and activities which touch on sustainability issues relevant to all audiences, We'll discover and discuss environmental and outdoor education's changing role in creating civic responsibility.

Developing Environmental Leaders among California's Youth Michele Gee, Crissy Field Center, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Pei-Yee Woo, Headlands Institute, & Jaylon Young, and Nick Ynami, Headlands Institute TEAM Program
This workshop will illuminate the work done by two environmental leadership programs, Crissy Field Center's IYEL program and the Headlands Institute's TEAM program, to engage diverse populations of youth in active citizenry. Workshop participants will: understand the importance of making EE accessible to diverse communities; will learn how to bridge the protection and conservation of natural resources to urban communities; and will learn how to successfully support youth in taking on environmental leadership roles in their community. Youth from the two organizations will speak about their experiences and will share important lessons that can be applied to EE programs working to diversify their audiences and staff.

NEW: Multicultural Environmental Education, Running Grass, Three Circles Center - read more about Running Grass here and more about his Key Ideas in Multicultural Environmental Education here; also see this Conversation with Running Grass for more ideas of the thought-provoking and inspiring dialogue that may come out of this workshop!
What is multicultural environmental education? Why is it important? How do we do it? This workshop will address these basic questions and more.

So you want to change the world, or at least your corner of it: Collaborative Leadership, coalition building, and developing an action plan for positive change Jane Newman, Tualatin Hills Nature Park
We all want to make the world a better place, but desire does not always lead to change or even action. Learn to be a catalyst for change. We will look at leadership styles and develop a model of shared leadership. We will develop an action plan for your community (whether that is your school, neighborhood, or community) with built in accountability and support. We will also brainstorm ways to apply this model to developing leadership skills in students so that they might create a stewardship/ action plan for their home, school or community. Attend with others from your school and go home with a plan for implementing change!

Understanding Poverty: Strategies for Connecting the Unconnected Scott "Burl" Klein, Exploring New Horizons Outdoor School
This workshop was designed to familiarize educators with the difficulties many children face, not because they lack intelligence, but because they belong to a culture that has retrogressive values due to a lack of resources and institutionalized racism. This workshop will discuss generational poverty and the behaviors/ language/ hidden rules that are characteristic of the "culture." We will talk about language (formal v. casual register), the hidden rules amongst classes, discipline, and strategies for improving the achievement of students from poverty.

Cancelled A Look Inside Foundations & Grant-Funding for EE Programs Lisa Friedman, Friedman Foundation
This workshop will be an informal but informative discussion led by the presenter's unique perspective as both an environmental educator and the president of a charitable foundation focused on local EE projects. We'll discuss how to fit your program to environmental literacy goals, how to find (and keep) funders, and how to review a typical application and address follow-up requirements. Of essential importance is the understanding that while Foundations are delighted to give to worthy non-profits, they are coming from a business model of "for-profit" and expect professional accountability of time, project and financial management of their funds.

NEW: Many Layers: Assessing Long-term Impacts of Residential Outdoor Education Programs, Jeannine Ruskin, Portland State University
This presentation is based on a study done by the presenter assessing the impacts of a residential outdoor school on its participants. Through a PowerPoint presentation, some of the key results of the study will be shared. The need for assessment in Residential Outdoor Programs will be highlighted. Qualitative versus quantitative assessments will be presented and participants will collectively brainstorm ways in which their participants might help assess the impacts of their programs. Workshop attendees will leave with a concrete idea of how to assess their programs, will have a copy of the research cited in the presented study, and can request a full copy of the study, “Assessing the Longitudinal Impacts of Residential Outdoor Education on Its Participants.”

Non-traditional Audiences from a Non-Traditional Perspective: What Works and Doesn't Work Richard Rodriguez, Golden State Environmental Education Consortium & California Conservation Corps and Krista Thomas, Marin Conservation Corps
This workshop will consist of a panel of diverse young men and women from various youth corps in California, moderated by two veteran staff members, addressing their experiences with EE within the context of the youth corps experience. Questions will be developed that will provoke reflection and discussion addressing the concept of diversity and the authenticity and relevance of EE from the perspective of corps members.

NEW The Great Society rikki Shackelford, Web of Life Field (WOLF) School
Interactive activity to engage students to learn about diversity. I will take one group and ask them to make two different societies. Through a number of activities we share about how our societies affect the way we interact with others.

The Art of Teaching/Pedagogy

NEW: Watershed Awareness & Environmental Justice, Shefali Shah, Francis Mendoza and Anthony DiCicco, Kids for the Bay
This hands-on workshop will demonstrate how to use the local environment and the San Francisco Bay Estuary watershed to engage students in active learning and environmental preservation. Participants will experience some of KIDS for the BAY’s investigations, experiments, and environmental action projects. We will focus on how Bay-Estuary / watershed study can be used as a focus to address issues of environmental health and justice and how to empower students to work to solve problems that affect their neighborhoods and their everyday lives.

Using Inquiry Methods & Tools in the Outdoor Classroom Miho Aida & Meghan Rudd, Headlands Institute
In this workshop, the learner-driven method of exploring a real-life question, called Inquiry, will be presented through hands-on techniques. Tools and strategies for facilitating Inquiry will be offered. Participants will experience the inquiry process first-hand by conducting their own inquiry project - asking questions and devising methodologies for finding answers - to a topic of interest.

NEW: Experiential Learning Level I: An Introduction to Experiential Learning, Lynn-Schmidt-McQuitty, University of California Cooperative Extension
This workshop focuses on the learning cycle of experiential education and provides participants with an opportunity to experience and reflect on positive outcomes of conducting learning sessions in an experiential manner. The workshop will utilize hands-on activities and structured opportunities for reflection, modeling through practice, and coaching from workshop facilitators along with presentation of theory and pedagogy.

NEW: Experiential Learning Level II, Lynn-Schmidt-McQuitty, University of California Cooperative Extension
In this workshop, participants will reinforce the concepts of experiential learning and the learning cycle, and will distinguish between “hands-on” experiential learning and “hands-on” experiential learning through inquiry. This workshop is for those who have attended the workshop entitled Experiential Learning Level I. The workshop will utilize hands-on activities and structured opportunities for reflection, modeling through practice, and coaching from workshop facilitators along with presentation of theory and pedagogy.

Relaxing Into Public Speaking Melissa Gomez, Exploring New Horizons
This workshop will help outdoor educators feel comfortable talking to large groups...with grace. Workshop content will address vocal access to large groups, recognizing facial and body tension when on stage, and learning to relax on stage. Participants will partake in a relaxation activity and then take turns speaking in front of the group, receiving constructive criticism from a peer group, and will practice with their new-found strength.

Education and Advocacy: Walking the Fine Line Terry McLaughlin, Yosemite Institute
This workshop moves the field of "environmental education" forward by clarifying the "two hats" (environmentalist; environmental educator) that many of us wear. Advocacy is a four letter word in environmental education. Yet many of us are drawn to the field because of our passionate feelings for protecting the environment. Join us to discuss the difference between education and advocacy, including the gray area between the two. We'll identify key features of educational experiences to help you educate when you mean to educate and advocate when you mean to advocate.

English Language Learners & Environmental Education Pei-yee Woo and Eric Godoy, Headlands Institute
This is a hands-on, practical skills based workshop where participants will learn about strategies for working with English Language Learners in the context of environmental education. We will use a combination of film and practice-based scenarios to help illustrate key teaching strategies. This is not just theory, but represents a suite of strategies that can be implemented immediately in your teaching.

Keeping the Magic Alive Steve Van Zandt, San Mateo Outdoor Education
From stories of inspiration and magic to teaching ideas that you can use tomorrow, this workshop is designed to renew your love for the art of teaching. We will look at outdoor education guiding principles each with hands-on examples to explain, planning a flow using "Into, Through and Beyond," ways to infuse a theme, "framing," and "kinesthetic focusers" and an understanding of the classics.

NEW: Inspiring Students with School-based Service Learning: Process & Projects, Jamie Yosha, James Purvis, Lianna Steinmetz, Marin Conservation Corps
This workshop will demonstrate the process of developing and implementing service learning projects using youth-voice at every step of the way. A team of Marin Conservation Corps members will use campus recycling and habitat restoration examples to demonstrate how they’ve been successful in engaging students and service clubs in taking care of their communities. A slide show will bring projects to life and sample project outlines and curriculum will be shared.

NEW: Beyond The Lorax: Environmental Literature & Poetry, Elizabeth Simmons & Anna Padget, The Outdoor School at Rancho Alegre
This workshop will introduce and inspire teachers to use nature literature and poetry as a method for connecting students with nature. It will provide teachers with resources (bibliography and lesson plans) for incorporating literature and poetry into their curriculum. Workshop participants will have an opportunity to participate in a literature-based lesson and then will choose a poem or story from which to start building their own literature-based lesson plans. Read more about using Children's Literature on the trail here

 

Hands-On Curriculum

NEW: Seeing Through Native Eyes - Workshop, Paul Houghtaling, Wilderness Awareness School
This workshop will provide hands-on experience in essential "core routines" to participants for connecting to place through the senses - Sense Meditation, Giving Thanks, Fox Walking, Sit Spot; provide tools which reinforce a positive wilderness connection and inspire participants to develop nature awareness within their bioregion as a foundation of their communities; and expand upon concepts and stories discussed in the keynote address by Jon Young.

Learn the meaning of "Lose your mind and come to your senses." In this outdoor workshop, participants will practice the "core routines" - exercises and habits that connect our senses and minds to nature and, through nature, to our selves. As a whole group and individually, we will experience the Sense Mediation, Giving Thanks, and Sit Spot routines. We will combine these routines with mapping, journaling, and meaningful questioning to empower your learning and provide you with a complete set of resources to connect children and adult more deeply to nature and self. This workshop is the essential hands-on component to Jon Young's keynote address a necessity for anyone teaching children or adults in the out-of-doors.

Nature's Got a Brand-New Bag: Net Bag Making Fiona Dunbar and Ilana Doris, San Mateo Outdoor Education
We will be making net bags from natural fibers. This practice can be incorporated into a lesson on natural fiber cordage and it uses by native peoples for bags, netting, ropes, and more. We will provide natural fiber (jute) for each participant and teach them how to make the bag. Each participant will begin making a bag and leave with materials and skills to complete their own bags. There will also be a discussion of how native cultures used similar netting for various purposes and what other items can be made using similar craft techniques.

Aldo Leopold: Reading the Landscape of California Janine Newhouse, Leopold Education Project and Nathan McKinnis
Attendees of this session will learn the history of the Leopold Education Project (LEP) and become familiar with the biography of Aldo Leopold. The audience will participate in hands-on, minds-on activities correlating to Leopolds' conservation classic, A Sand County Almanac. In addition, participants will discover techniques to enhance their own personal land ethic and utilize the LEP's interactive lessons in a practical and effective approach to environmental education.

An Introduction to Project WET: Hands-on with the Properties of Water Brian Brown, Water Education Foundation
This workshop will introduce Project WET as an excellent environmental education tool by demonstrating a constructivist lesson plan that studies the forces of adhesion and cohesion in water molecules. Participants will rotate through a series of challenges to study the effects of these forces on water and how these water properties influence our world, from erosion to soil moisture to photosynthesis.

NEW: Food For Change: Eating & Cooking as Environmental Education Curriculum, Ulli Klein, Exploring New Horizons
This workshop will discuss the importance of food choices for our environment and the connection between food and environmental issues. The workshop will highlight some of the key issues involved in industrial agriculture, with a focus on California’s Central Valley. Finally, the workshop will introduce cooking with children as an effective and enjoyable way to incorporate food into any residential or school-based environmental education curriculum.

Art and Ecology: Using Visual Art as a Teaching Tool Lesley McClintock, Exploring New Horizons
Join Lesley for a hands-on drawing and print-making lesson outdoors. Participants will learn basic art concepts such as composition, value, and the use of lines. We will discuss ways in which art is an important tool for understanding ecology. Participants will be able to bring home their creations, concrete lesson plans, and a list of inexpensive/ recycled art materials. Do not be discouraged if you think you cannot draw!

Designing and Implementing Restoration Projects & Curriculum Matthew Gunter and Chris Sparks, Westminster Woods Environmental Education
This workshop will be a presentation and discussion of the many opportunities to integrate hands-on restoration projects into the indoor and outdoor classrooms. We will discuss types of projects, curriculum based on State Standards, design and construction of projects, and how to facilitate projects with students. We will discuss projects such as erosion control, trail restoration, revegetation, stream bank restoration, and myco-remediation.

Project Learning Tree: Energy and Society Kay Antunez, CA Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection & Al Stenstrup, Project Learning Tree
Project Learning Tree (PLT) has integrated science, social studies, music and hands-on activities to investigate energy. Explore how energy sources, transportation, technology, and alternative resources have changed over time. Session attendees will participate in several hands-on inquiry-based activities that examine transportation, renewable and non-renewable energy sources, and alternative energy resources. Participants will learn how to use the materials and energy facilities in their area to further explore energy use and choices in their region. Participants will receive the Energy and Society CD with 15 "energized" songs.

NEW: The Magic of Solar Electricity, Hal Aronson, The Rahus Institute & James Choe, YMCA Camp Arroyo
Participants will learn about the current status of energy production in the U.S. and globally. We will then learn how to wire solar panels to power a variety of loads including a boom box, water fountain, and fan. We will also wire up a small stand-alone solar power station that would power a camp, an expedition, or remote dwelling. Participants will receive a mini solar electric kit.

NEW: Solar Cooking – Utilizing California’s Most Abundant Resource, Tor Allen, The Rahus Institute & Kathy Swartz, YMCA Camp Arroyo
Participants will make a working solar oven using low-cost materials (a shoe box!). We will demonstrate how to use a sun oven in an outdoor school environment and discuss activities piloted at Camp Arroyo in Livermore. Participants will learn about the potential benefits of solar cookers and will experience the basic science of cooking with the sun. Participants will receive a solar cooker (self-built), with oven thermometer, solar oven designs, and recipes.

NEW: The Energenius Program, Olga Clymire, Pacific Gas & Electric
Educators will be introduced to the Energenius program that teaches students how to use energy more efficiently at school and at home. We will play Energy Bingo, sing, review components of the program. The A+ Energy Grants for Teachers will be discussed and copies will be distributed. Each participating teacher will receive a Teachers Manual, poster, calendar, and video and will be able to order a free class set of materials.

Cancelled: The Middle School Classroom: Outdoor Education Lessons & Field Trip Planning, Michael Kauffman, Fortuna Middle School
This workshop describes how classroom teachers can and are getting students outside and making science fun. The presenter will share lesson plans he has crafted especially for schools on environmental education topics such as vermi-composting, forest ecology, and flower dissections. He will also offer tips and suggestions for planning science-based field trips for school groups. Idea exchange will be encouraged.

People Count: Activities on Population and Sustainability Helen de la Maza, Orange County Dept. of Education's Inside the Outdoors Program
In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore innovative ways to teach students about population dynamics among humans and non-human species, especially as they relate to natural resource use and impacts on ecosystems. Participants will engage in inquiry-based activities that build understanding of carrying capacity and sustainability in nature. They will then explore the relationships between population growth, economics, resource consumption and environmental and public health. Presented strategies include cooperative group problem solving and role-playing that enhance educators' ability to explain the connections between people, resources, and society. Participants will receive activity instructions, data charts, and background reading on a user-friendly CD-Rom.

Branch Out! Kim Taylor, Yosemite Institute
Is your "tree day" feeling a little dormant? Are you feeling a little stumped as to how to spice up your teaching? Are your lessons less than chlorophyll? Are you stuck in a root? Leave your worries behind and join us for a series of hands-on, multi-modal tree-based learning activities that will keep your juices phloem and your lessons evergreen! Branch out... I double dogwood-dare you!

Food, Soil and Fun: Garden-based Learning Hannah Hobbs, Mendocino Woodlands and Ben Wolbach, Marin County Outdoor School
This workshop will showcase the rich possibilities that the Walker Creek Ranch garden offers for ecological education. Participants will get their hands dirty making compost with food waste, do garden chores and harvest a salad. We will discuss using food and gardens to help children see their connection to nature. Come prepared to get dirty and explore the garden with your taste buds.

The Magic of Water Kathy Machado, Santa Clara Valley Water District
Come see a magical water presentation. Kathy Machado will keep you spell-bound with her whiz bang performance of the water cycle, non-point source pollution, water quality, stream stewardship and watershed awareness. Participants will play a watershed game, learn water songs, and test the water. All activities are consistent with CA state standards and are easily adapted to any program. Entertaining and educational! Who knew water was so much fun?!

 

Ecosystem Science & Natural History

CyberTracking and Nature Mapping Ken Clarkson, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and Tavis Forrester, San Mateo Outdoor Education
This workshop demonstrates innovative technology being used by environmental education programs for collecting wildlife data. Starting inside, we will go through a brief overview of the nature mapping/ cybertracking program and train participants in the use of PDA/GPS handheld data collection units. We will then go outside and track/ collect data, then return, hotsync palm units and review the data collected. We will finish with information on how to develop your own wildlife tracking system.

Tracking: Interpreting the Stories of the Land Jeremy Hartje, Riekes Center
The landscape holds many stories that are waiting to be discovered and told. Learning to see and interpret these subtle stories takes some skill and practice but is something that is available to everyone. This class will focus on track and sign recognition and interpretation with an emphasis on mammals. Time will be spent developing our pattern recognition abilities by exploring plaster casts, track plates, diagrams, and photos. We will end with an exploration of the landscape to see if we can apply our tools in the field.

Introduction to the Language of Birds Mark Kudrav & Katy Schutz, San Mateo Outdoor Education
In this workshop, participants will gain a basic understanding, through lecture and practice, of how to interpret any ecosystem. Participants will receive information about bird vocalizations and bird behavior. The workshop will end with an on-site experiential interpretation of the bird language around us. No prior knowledge of birds is required.

Cancelled Adopt an Acre - Habitat Management Bill Dodge, Calvin Crest Outdoor School
The catastrophic wildfires in Southern California two years ago have dramatically emphasized the impact that we, as Californians, have had on our state's forests. Much of the Sierra Nevada has the potential for similar devastating fires. We've been largely responsible for creating the conditions that now exist, and we need to act responsibly to try to bring about change. This workshop will attempt to provide participants with information, skills, and tools which can be used to teach students about the complex and intricate relationship that exists between forest ecology and forest management practices. Come learn how to make and use a tubular densiometer, measure "dbh" and use a GPS unit.

Exploring California Wildflowers Korena David, Foothill Horizons Outdoor School
This workshop will start with an introduction to flower and plant structures and general botany vocabulary. (With illustrated hands outs that are yours to keep!) I will introduce a few of the most common plant families and their most identifiable characteristics. We will then go out to find, observe, and key out local wildflowers. Wildflower activities will also be shared. Participants will also be introduced to some of my favorite wildflower books and keys.

Walker Peak Hike Eileen Jones, Marin County Outdoor School
This four mile loop trail will pass through Riparian, woodlands, grasslands, and chaparral. Our destination, the tallest peak on the property, will afford us view of Mt Saint Helena, Tomales Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. We will interpret the flora and fauna we encounter, as time allows.

NEW: Oh My Stars! Astronomy In Action, Patsy Babcock, Orange County Outdoor Science School
Workshop participants will engage in hands-on astronomy activities. They will be introduced to the life cycle of stars with an activity about gravity and black holes and will use astronomy magazines to go on a universal scavenger hunt. Participants will also explore the need for telescopes in space as a result of light pollution and atmospheric distortions. The workshop will demonstrate how scientists discover other worlds and will engage participants in imagining and rendering a solar system.

Where is the mud? The state of wetland restoration in the San Francisco Bay Sarah Davies, San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
This workshop was designed to inspire educators to teach more about the San Francisco Bay and its wetlands while providing accurate, current scientific information about wetlands in a teacher-friendly format. An engaging lecture will focus on the state of wetland science in the S.F. bay. We will address the exciting new tricks scientists have learned to restore salt marshes, where in the Bay there are restorations in progress, and the importance of restoring wetlands. To conclude, we will discuss how wetland science and restoration may impact your students' lives.

UFOs: Raptor Classification and Field Identification Traci Fesko, Regional Learning Center
Have you ever seen a raptor zoom by as you drive down the highway, soar far ahead or perch atop an oak tree and wondered what it was? In this workshop, you'll get a broad picture of the raptor families found in California. Then You'll learn key identifying characteristics of the most common diurnal raptors. You'll leave with a classification chart, outlines, and lots of information to prepare for your next birding trip or hike with students.

Maximum Marine Mammal Merriment - Life on the Edge in the Waterworld Steve Wood, Headlands Institute, Headlands Institute, and John Sanders, KEEP Cambria Pines
The adaptive biology and behavior of Pacific coast marine mammals. An examination of various behavioral and physiological adaptations for life at sea; among pinnipeds and cetaceans. This workshop will present active and kinesthetic activities as well as lecture to teach about the marine mammals of California's coast. Specific subjects addressed will include the migration of grey whales, marine mammal sensory activities, and adaptations to survive in cold seawater. Steve Wood will present the activity based portion of the workshop. John Sanders will present the academic focus on the physiology and biology associated with various adaptations to life in the sea, including a PowerPoint presentation that will cover elephant seal diving physiology and behavior, fasting metabolism, reproduction and social behavior. The section on dolphins will cover thermo-regulation, echolocation, reproduction and social behavior

Natural History of Amphibians & Reptiles Steve Miller, Monte Toyon Camp
This workshop will be a lecture on the characteristics of reptiles and amphibians and species commonly encountered by educators and students in California. Various methods of studying them in the field and lab will be presented. The workshop will also look at ethical issues and ecological problems associated with the study of reptiles and amphibians. Sharing and discussion are welcome. There will be a hands-on opportunity to observe/ touch live newts and/or other herps!

CHANGED to Lichen Biology (below): The Ecology of California Butterflies, Paul Grafton, Rancho Alegre Outdoor School
This workshop will highlight basic butterfly anatomy and biology, butterfly behavior, accounts of local species, current scientific research, and will correct mothly myths. The presenter will give tips on how to get kids excited by the fluttering world of butterflies. Also, he will support participants in recognizing native species while emphasizing their role in the larger ecosystem.

NEW: LICHEN BIOLOGY 101: Their Importance in California Ecosystems, Paul Grafton, The Outdoor School at Rancho Alegre
In this workshop, we will closely examine this often overlooked, yet quite astounding, symbiosis between algae and fungus. We will explore the unique growth patterns, role in pollution monitoring, nutrient cycling, and use by animals & humans during a slide show presentation. In addition to delighting in their colorful beauty, we will dispell any moss-like myths and discuss ways of connecting children to these unique life forms. Live specimens will be available to touch!!