This page is growing fast - keep checking back as I add new links, and new
categories, and new ways to organize the information! Included are pages
with accurate and useful background information for educators as well as lesson
plans and curricula. If you have a resource you find useful, please
help me add links to this page: send
resource
links
you find to
Alibris: Children's
Nature & Ecology Books - purchasing books through
this link to Alibris will give AEOE a percentage of the sales - they have
new, used and rare books
at great prices, and you'll be helping AEOE! Find children's nature books through
these searches: Juvenile
Nonfiction: Nature, or Juvenile
Fiction: Nature and the Natural World, or try some of these subject searches: Outdoor
Education, Nature
Education, Nature
Study, California
Ecology. Once you find
a book you like, click on "more like this" to unearth forgotten
treasures! Add California, Young Adult, or Juvenile to any of these
subject categories to further limit results. See "related subjects" or "subcategories" for
more links. Have fun!
Childsake -- Nature and the Environment
Over 250 reviewed nature and environmental books for children of all
ages. "AT CHILDSAKE OUR GOALS ARE: To inspire and educate children
about the natural world and the environment; To strive to make this world
a better home for the future of all children; To direct parents and educators
to resources about children's environmental health issues so they could
make informed decisions.
Literature for Science and
Mathematics: K-12 CDE
site with a search engine for books that tie into California State Science
Standards. For example, I did a search for
books with the keyword "environment," grade level 3-5, read-aloud,
Science, and another for "environment," all
grade levels, all classifications, all subject areas.
The Natural
World in Books for Children and Young Adults Kathleen T. Horning and
Ginny Moore Kruse; Cooperative
Children's Book Center. This bibliography
was originally compiled in July 2000 to accompany a presentation at the
Children's Literature New England Institute in Silver Bay, New York. It
is reproduced here for the use of teachers and others with an interest in finding
recommended books about the natural world for children and young teenagers.
Outstanding
Science Trade Books for Students K-12 The books that appear in these
lists were selected as outstanding children's science trade books. They
were selected by a book
review panel
appointed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
and assembled in cooperation with the Children's
Book Council (CBC). NSTA
and CBC have
cooperated on this bibliographic project since 1973. From 1973 through
2001, when the list was known as Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children,
the books selected were primarily targeted at
grades K through 8. Beginning in 2002, the list has been expanded to included
high school as well.
Visit
Powell's, the "Scenic City of Books" - Legendary independent
bookstore with new, used, rare books online. - purchasing books through
this link to Powell's will give AEOE a percentage of the sales - they have
new, used and rare books
at great prices, and you'll be helping AEOE! See Powell's Children's
Literature for the Trail Bookshelf put together from books recommended
by AEOE!
Sierra Club Books for Children. Go Wild!-
Children's Picture Books, Middle Readers, Young Adults - purchasing through
this link to Sierra Club books will give AEOE a percentage of the sales
- they have other items in their store, too, and you'll be helping AEOE!
Banana Slug String Band -
AEOE favorites! Entertainment AND Howard Bell Award winners from the 1997
Statewide Conference, with a repeat performance at the 2003 Statewide conference
Rhymin' Reason - made their
debut at the 2002 AEOE Statewide conference talent show in Malibu! Now they've
got an album, and have played at the 2003 Statewide Conference and the southern
Fall Conference in 2003 as well. We like to claim them as our very own...
Songs
for Environmental Education! This is a master resource - with links
to research about music and learning, articles, lesson ideas, performers
and more.
Biodiversity
Education Network The
Biodiversity Education Network (BEN) is a coalition of organizations
dedicated to enhancing local, regional, and national efforts to educate
people of all ages about biodiversity. BEN was created to promote networking
among those organizations and individuals who are working in biodiversity
education.
ClassroomEarth.org is
a veritable "best of the best" collection
of environmental education programs and resources for K-12 teachers,
parents, and students. This new site will help educators, after-school
providers and home-schooling parents to get started or improve their
skills in environmental education. It provides up-to-date information
on the most successful, well-tested and effective national environmental
education programs available today. The site is in five major sections:
Most Popular (for K-12 classrooms), Rising Stars, After School,
Home School, and Earth Day. Each section has a
top list of outstanding programs for that particular audience. The pages on each
program contain a clear description, audience/grade level, overview of content
and topics, materials, educator feedback, awards and recognition, and fast steps
for obtaining and implementing the program.
New "Earth: A
Graphic Look at the State of the World" has just
been published by the Global
Education Project, a non profit educational
foundation in British Columbia. Viewable on line at: www.theglobaleducationproject.org,
this comprehensive resource summarizes the conditions of the world's
ecology and humanity and how they effect each other. Visually and factually
stunning, this publication is a valuable tool for anyone teaching about
or striving to understand the world's complex environmental and humanitarian
challenges. The 27" x 36" full colour wall poster showcases
an unparalleled collection of over 100 charts, 15 maps, and explanatory
text, all rigorously referenced to reliable sources. It is an extraordinarily
holistic and integrated overview, connecting a maze of apparently disparate
issues such as wealth distribution and climate change, oil supply and
food production, global warming and global fisheries, population and
bio-diversity. Information, maps and graphics from the poster are also
accessible on the accompanying website at www.theglobaleducationproject.org
Earth Life Web -
The Earth Life Web is a web site dedicated to supplying you with all
the information you want about life on this planet. In short it is an
encyclopedia of life on earth.
Environmental
Inquiry Authentic
Scientific Research for High School Students - from Cornell University.
Sections for teachers and students. Great lessons that could also be
adaptable to younger students, or that you could do yourself. Areas of
research include Toxicology, Ecology, Biodegradation (including composting),
and Watersheds.
iScienceProject uses
HOBO dataloggers for all kinds of great studies - lots of great free
labs available on their website - most easily adaptable (or directly
applicable) to outdoor school settings. Check out how to get a free datalogger HERE
John Muir Study Guide: Learning
about John Muir's life can serve as a launching pad to science-based environmental
studies through plant and animal habitats, ecosystems, earthquakes,
avalanches, glaciers, geology, weather, biodiversity, and forests, as we discover
that, as John Muir said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself,
we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
Mad Scientist Network - questions
and answers, virtual libraries, and lots of obscure information!
Meeting
Standards Naturally - A new FREE CD-ROM
entitled "Meeting Standards
Naturally" has been developed for K-12 educators to promote academic
excellence and environmental literacy. This was developed by the Environmental
Education and Training Partnership (EETAP)
which is funded by the U.S.
EPA's Office of Environmental Education. The CD-ROM explores how
teaching about the environment can be used to achieve national education
standards for core disciplines such as math, science and social studies.
The CD-ROM also discusses what environmental literacy means and how
it helps prepare students to effectively make environmental decisions
that impact their daily lives.
The 'Meeting Standards Naturally CD discusses what "environmental literacy" means;
shows how using the environment as a context for learning can promote academic
achievement and help educators meet national and state education standards;
and provides 43 sample K-12 curriculum activities that demonstrate how environmental
lessons can support specific grade level education standards.
The CD-ROM is packaged with "Advancing
Education through Environmental Literacy," a new publication developed
by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ACSD)
in collaboration with EETAP. The new publication focuses on how education and
the environment can be linked to advance student learning. Included are descriptions
of schools successfully implementing environmental education programs and summaries
of research documenting how schools have raised test scores of their students
by using the environment to help teach content in subject areas such as social
studies, science, reading, and math.
National Science Digital Library - NSDL is a digital library
of exemplary resource collections and services , organized in support
of science education at all levels.
Online
Biology Book Just what it says - quite an awesome resource! Chapters
on Photosynthesis,
Biological Diversity, Evolution, Plants, Animals, Population Ecology,
Community and Ecosystem Dynamics, Paleobiology, and much more, just
as you would expect in a college biology text.
Includes
a complete Glossary as well.
Science NetLinks Providing
a wealth of resources for K-12 science educators, Science NetLinks is
your guide to meaningful standards-based Internet experiences for students.
As an outdoor educator, I would use the lessons for myself, as ways to
increase my understanding and bring a broader background into my teaching.
Some really neat stuff is here.
Smithsonian
lesson plans emphasize inquiry-based learning using primary
sources and museum collections. Each plan is print-friendly and provides
you with all the materials you need -- photographs, reproductions, handouts,
activities, suggested strategies, standards information and additional
online resources. The searchable database allows you to browse lesson
plans by subject area or search by grade levels and keywords. Check out
Ocean Planet: Marine Science Activities.
The Golden Proportion (aka,
the Golden Mean) is a site showing this ratio in nature with examples
and an explanation of its math, as well as a tool for measuring/showing
this to students
BLM's Learning Landscapes -
there are so many resources on these pages it is amazing! From specific
lesson plans for activities to resources about various ecosystems
from the Mojave Desert to the Northwest Forests and
much more.
The
California Chaparral Field Institute - publishers of Fire,
Chaparral and Survival in Southern California Of all the
distinct, natural communities in California, only one is found
throughout and only one can be said to represent the state’s
most characteristic wilderness: chaparral, a semi-arid, shrub dominated
association of plants shaped by summer drought, winter rain and
intense, unforgiving wildfire. It is within the chaparral
where California will find its best and perhaps last chance to
reclaim its wildness and preserve the quality of life made possible
by the region's natural, open spaces.
The Electronic Naturalist is
an on-line education program providing a weekly environmental
education unit. Each free
weekly unit includes information on animals, plants, and environmental
issues, has 2 reading levels, Spanish versions, interdisciplinary
activities, and email access to professional naturalists. Please
take a look at our site at www.enaturalist.org and
see how it can be a valuable free resource for both teachers and
students.
Information Center for the Environment (ICE)
The Information Center for the Environment is a cooperative effort
of environmental scientists at the University of California, Davis
and collaborators at over thirty private, state, federal, and international
organizations interested in environmental protection. A large collection
of links!
John Muir Study Guide:
Learning about John Muir's life can serve as a launching pad to science-based
environmental studies through plant and animal habitats, ecosystems,
earthquakes, avalanches, glaciers, geology, weather, biodiversity,
and forests, as we discover that, as John Muir said, “When
we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything
else in the universe.”
The
National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) <http://www.nbii.gov> is
a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data
and information on the nation's biological resources. The NBII links
diverse, high-quality biological databases, information products,
and analytical tools maintained by NBII partners and other contributors
in government agencies, academic institutions, non-government organizations,
and private industry. NBII partners and collaborators also work on
new standards, tools, and technologies that make it easier to find,
integrate, and apply biological resources information. Resource managers,
scientists, educators, and the general public use the NBII to answer
a wide range of questions related to the management, use, or conservation
of this nation's biological resources. California
Information Node (CAIN) has specific California information.
WOW! Whata great resource this is! TONS of teaching resources, curricula,
field trips, activities, lesson plans and resources organized by grade
level and by subject.
Natural
History of California The natural landscape of California is
incredibly diverse, from the deserts of southwestern California,
to the chaparral-covered hills of the coast, to the redwood forests
of the north and the pine and fir forests of the Sierra Nevada, just
to mention a few. This
great website from Palomar College has links to a variety of resources
about California Natural History, including General Natural History,
Plants, Animals, Marine Life, Geology, and Books
Nature Serve
Welcome to NatureServe, a source for authoritative conservation
information on more than 50,000 plants, animals, and ecological
communities of the United States and Canada. NatureServe provides
in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes
common plants and animals too.
Nearctica - Nearctica
brings you the best of the natural world on the web combining links
to other sites with
original material.
Southern California - Coast, Mountains and Deserts
The
California Chaparral Field Institute - publishers of Fire,
Chaparral and Survival in Southern California Of all the
distinct, natural communities in California, only one is found
throughout and only one can be said to represent the state’s
most characteristic wilderness: chaparral, a semi-arid, shrub dominated
association of plants shaped by summer drought, winter rain and
intense, unforgiving wildfire. It is within the chaparral
where California will find its best and perhaps last chance to
reclaim its wildness and preserve the quality of life made possible
by the region's natural, open spaces.
Field Guide
for the Californias - San Diego County and Baja - from the
San Diego Natural History Museum. Include species checklists and
essays - a great resource!
Theodore Payne Foundation
for California Native Flowers and Plants is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to the understanding and preservation of California native
flora. Offers classes and Garden Tours and has information on gardening
with California Natives. Located in Sun Valley, California
Central California - Coast / Valley / Sierra
The
Bay Classroom is
a great tool for anyone interested in learning about San Francisco
Bay and includes activities, actions and free downloadable curriculum
for teachers. From Save
the Bay.
Cornflower Farms Cornflower
specializes in California Natives, water wise plants, perennials,
restoration and revegetation plant materials (trees, shrubs, grasses,
wetland species, etc.) for most of the major plant communities in
California, specialty
plant applications including beneficial insect plants for agriculture
and butterfly and hummingbird plants; 2nd Saturday sales–monthly
educational days for the general public.
Elkhorn Slough harbors
the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of San
Francisco Bay. This ecological treasure at the center of the Monterey
Bay coastline provides habitat for plants and animals, including
more than 340 species of birds, and is a major fish nursery for the
region. Great articles about local natural history and scientific study
such as Monitoring earth's
crust at ESNERR, Lichen Lore,
Insects of Elkhorn Slough, Threatened
amphibians in local ponds,
Life below the mudflats: invertebrates, Elkhorn Slough as fish
nursery,
Sharks
and rays of Elkhorn Slough, Getting to know our local wasps,
The life cycle of the Oak
Moth, The slough's fascinating human
history,
Fungus Foray, Resources for the desalination debate,
Creating habitat with a Mud Stomp, and Stewardship on ESF lands.
The Marine Mammal
Center is a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates
and releases injured, sick and orphaned marine mammals (seals,
sea lions, dolphins, porpoises, whales and sea otters) along a
six hundred mile stretch of the California coast, from Mendocino
through San Luis Obispo counties. The Marine Mammal Center works
toward this end: Through rescue and humane treatment of ill, injured,
or orphaned marine mammals, to return healthy animals to the wild;
Through scientific inquiry, to increase knowledge of marine mammals,
their health and their environment and assure their long-term survival;
Through education and communication, to increase appreciation of
marine mammals, foster informed decision-making affecting them,
and inspire action to protect
the marine environment.
Mono Lake Committee - Eastern
Sierra natural history, outings, preservation, education
The Monterey Bay
Aquarium: The mission of the non-profit Monterey Bay Aquarium
is to inspire conservation of the oceans. We envision a world in
which the oceans are healthy, and people are committed to protecting
the integrity of Earth's natural systems, which sustain us all.
To help make this vision a reality, we create exhibits, programs
and publications that introduce people from all walks of life to
the wonders of the marine world—from Monterey Bay to the
vast oceans beyond. Stewardship begins with inspiration, and we
offer enjoyable and enlightening experiences to inspire a love
and understanding of nature. Effective conservation efforts have
their roots in science, and we work to advance conservation through
education and research. We help people discover their connection
with natural systems and take their next steps in becoming active
ocean stewards.
The Santa Cruz Predatory
Bird Research Group (SCPBRG) was formed in 1975 to restore
an endangered peregrine falcon population in California. The
peregrine falcon was removed from the federal endangered species
List in 1999 and we are proud to have played a leading role
in that success. It is doubtful that SCPBRG founders
Drs. Roush and Norris could ever have imagined the tiny group
they formed in response to the near extinction of the peregrine
falcon in California would last so long and accomplish so much. Today,
we are a problem-solving resource to government, corporation,
and university researchers who require our unique expertise
with birds of prey management.
Sierra
Nature Notes - online journal of Natural History News in
the Sierra Nevada. With current articles, archives, bookshelf
with reviews, "Naturalist's Notebook" where you can
write in your own nature experiences, Sierra links and news,
and information on the Sierra Nevada Bird Project.
Sierra Wild Bear website
- great biological, conservation and safety information about Sierra
Black Bears. From the Sierra Inter-agency Black Bear Group.
Valley Wild - Kern
River Valley - great info about ecosystems, wildlife, plants of
the region
Ventana Wilderness Society Perpetuating
plant and animal species native to the central California coast,
through wildlife and habitat reintroduction, restoration, research
and education. Information on Condors and Eagles and
other restoration projects.
Northern California - Coast / Redwoods / Klamath / Valley
/ Cascades
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory The
mission of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory is to study migrating
birds of prey along the Pacific coast and to promote public awareness
of the state of raptor populations. The GGRO is dedicated to the
conservation of raptors and to community involvement in wildlife
research.
The Marine Mammal
Center is a non-profit organization that rescues, rehabilitates
and releases injured, sick and orphaned marine mammals (seals,
sea lions, dolphins, porpoises, whales and sea otters) along a
six hundred mile stretch of the California coast, from Mendocino
through San Luis Obispo counties. The Marine Mammal Center works
toward this end: Through rescue and humane treatment of ill, injured,
or orphaned marine mammals, to return healthy animals to the wild;
Through scientific inquiry, to increase knowledge of marine mammals,
their health and their environment and assure their long-term survival;
Through education and communication, to increase appreciation of
marine mammals, foster informed decision-making affecting them,
and inspire action to protect
the marine environment.
For kids
ages 6-13, there is a website called the Family Guide to
Mars. It includes a collection of puzzles, pictures, poetry,
and projects, all designed to stimulate enjoyable co-learning,
inquiry-based
experiences between kids aged 6-13 and the caring adults
in
their lives. Go to http://www.spacescience.org/marsguide/1.html
Dakota Skies
Astronomy Monthly News Despite the name this is a great site
for information on California skies thanks to AEOE member Chris
Milly Milford.
Night
Sky Magazine - from the publishers of Sky
and Telescope - Backyard Astronomy for Everyone
- the magazine created for beginning stargazers. Check out their "What's
Up?" page to see what you can
see tonight. Be sure to check out the very useful article "Dabbling
with the Dippers" which illustrates how you can use the Big Dipper
to orient yourself to many other constellations!
Star Awards -
best astronomy sites on the web, according to the Griffith Observatory
Star Date Online StarDate
is the public education and outreach arm of the University of Texas
McDonald Observatory. Star Date radio
programs air daily on more
than 500 stations. And our popular
bimonthly
astronomy magazine is the perfect skywatching companion for amateur
astronomers or anyone interested in celestial events and space
exploration. We also offer astronomy
resources to teachers, the
media, and the public.
The Nine Planets is
an overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge
of each of the planets and moons in our solar
system. Past generations of people found beauty and a sense
of wonder contemplating the night sky. Today's scientific knowledge further enhances
and deepens that experience. And you can share in it by simply going out in the
evening and looking up.
Strange Moonlight Interesting article covering rods and cones and the blind spot that allows you to play "Disappearing Heads" on night hikes ("It's not scary, it's science!") from Science@NASA. By the way, even though this article is about full-moonlight, it's really too bright to make heads disappear in the moonlight - you have to get under a tree on those nights.
Energy Quest Energy
Quest is the award-winning energy education website of the California
Energy Commission.
Green-E Energy
Education Children are our future! Green-e has developed
a list of helpful links for teachers and students to learn
about the importance of renewable energy. Educating students about the
environmental costs of energy use is one of the best ways to make them
aware of important role individuals can play in creating a cleaner, healthier
world. Helping children understand all aspects of our energy sources
will educate them about energy use at home and at school.
The Electronic Naturalist is
an online education program providing a weekly environmental education
unit. Each free
weekly unit includes information on animals, plants, and environmental
issues, has 2 reading levels, Spanish versions, interdisciplinary
activities, and email access to professional naturalists. Please
take a look at our site at www.enaturalist.org and
see how it can be a valuable free resource for both teachers and
students.
Institute for Earth Education -
Steve Van Matre - Acclimatization, Acclimatizing, Sunship Earth,
Earthkeepers, Earth Education, a New Beginning - Earth Education
Foundation (Every environmental educator should read Earth Education,
A New Beginning, even if you disagree with it. It gives a different
perspective on how EE should be done.) Many useful ways to teach concepts,
and entire well-designed curricula.
"Keeping
the Magic Alive" - outline for Steve van Zandt's excellent
workshop on OE Techniques, given at Jones Gulch, Malibu, and Westminster
Woods - don't miss this great workshop at future AEOE conferences! The
Banana Slug String Band Educators Page has this and also PDF files
of some of the Slugs' workshops - check it out!
Project Learning Tree - Go to a free
training and get this free resource - a great collection of activities
and lessons for teaching EE concepts
Project WET -
Go to a free training and get this free resource - a great collection
of activities
and lessons for teaching EE concepts
Project Wild - Go to a free
training and get this free resource - a great collection of activities
and lessons for teaching EE concepts
Project
Wild Aquatic "Aquatic WILD, revised in 2000, is an award winning
K-12, interdisciplinary, conservation and environmental education program
emphasizing aquatic wildlife." Good collection of activities to
incorporate into your curriculum. Get
a free curriculum guide through an online workshop!
Rainforest
Alliance Learning Site: Connecting Kids to Conservation The site
not only provides complete and FREE lesson plans for kindergarten
through eighth grade which adhere to national learning standards
for teachers and administrators who want to incorporate conservation
in the classroom, but also many supplemental materials such as presentations,
stories, activities and more. All of the curriculum on the Learning
Site is based on the on-the-ground conservation work of our partners
groups in Latin America. The site's monthly newsletter, already with
over 580 subscribers, allows teachers and all those interested in tackling
environmental issues by educating our youth -- to read classroom success
stories, teachers' suggestions and new resources available on the Learning
Site. The Rainforest Alliance curriculum is unique in that it teaches
science, math, language arts and social studies essentials while addressing
the National Standards for Learning. The multidisciplinary curriculum
presents information on forests, wildlife and local communities, and
provides a global perspective on the importance of protecting the world's
natural resources, while giving students opportunities for direct action. All
information is provided free of charge.
Through this education program, students explore six of the Rainforest Alliance's
ongoing conservation initiatives in Latin America. For example, kindergarteners
come to understand more about the connection between rainforests and their supermarket
as they learn about Colombia's Cachalú Biological Reserve. The jaguars,
manatees, howler monkeys and loggerhead turtles that inhabit the mystical Maya
forests of Belize are sure to intrigue first graders. In second grade, children
compare the rich culture of the indigenous Yanomami with settlers seeking a better
life in the Amazon. Third and fourth grade students learn how chocolate is helping
to protect forests in Ecuador. Fifth and sixth graders study the connection between
coffee and the migratory songbirds that visit their own backyards each spring.
And, seventh and eighth graders learn about Honduran banana communities and the
fascinating wildlife they protect by farming more sustainably.
Windows
on the Wild - WOW! An environmental education program
of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The goal of WOW is to educate
people of all ages about biodiversity issues and stimulate
critical thinking, discussion, and informed decision
making on behalf of the environment.
Birds
All
About Birds - Great information about how and where to bird, and
Cornell's Online
Bird Guide with detailed species information, photos, and songs!
Audubon California - Our developing
network of nature centers focuses on connecting people with nature
where they live - in their own backyards. bringing nature
to children's everyday lives.
The Bird Site of
the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Contains a wealth
of information about bird evolution & diversity, anatomy & physiology,
adaptations & behavior, flight mechanics, and conservation. The
material is appropriate for educators and students of all ages.
BirdSource "Birding with
a Purpose" partnership between ordinary birders and scientists for
data collection and study. Be part of nationwide bird studies!
New! Flying WILD,
a new program of the Council
for Environmental Education (who also
bring you Project WILD, and WET in the City), introduces students
to bird conservation through standards-based classroom activities
and environmental stewardship projects. Flying
WILD encourages schools to work closely with conservation organizations,
community groups, and businesses involved with birds to implement
school bird festivals and bird conservation projects.
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory The
mission of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory is to study migrating
birds of prey along the Pacific coast and to promote public awareness
of the state of raptor populations. The GGRO is dedicated to the
conservation of raptors and to community involvement in wildlife
research.
Project Feeder Watch -
Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders
at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales
in North America. FeederWatchers periodically count the highest numbers
of each species they see at their feeders from November through early
April. FeederWatch helps scientists track broadscale movements of
winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution
and abundance. From the Cornell
Lab of Ornithology. Some great Teaching
Resources are linked.
The Santa Cruz Predatory
Bird Research Group (SCPBRG) was formed
in 1975 to restore an endangered peregrine falcon population in California.
The peregrine falcon was removed from the federal endangered species
List in 1999 and we are proud to have played a leading role in that
success. It is doubtful that SCPBRG founders Drs. Roush and
Norris could ever have imagined the tiny group they formed in response
to the near extinction of the peregrine falcon in California would
last so long and accomplish so much. Today, we are a problem-solving
resource to government, corporation, and university researchers who
require our unique expertise with birds of prey management.
Ventana Wildlife Society Perpetuating
plant and animal species native to the central California coast,
through wildlife and habitat reintroduction, restoration, research
and education. Information on Condors and Eagles and
other restoration projects.
The Classroom
Aquarium Education Project is offered statewide in partnership
with regionally-based community organizations. While the program
has several names around the state, the essential learning elements
and student experiences are similar. Instructors and their students
set up an aquarium in the classroom, receive fish eggs under
a special Department of Fish and Game permit, and observe the
fish as they hatch and develop. The experience may culminate
in a field trip to a local stream or river where the fish are
released. This is a hands-on, interdisciplinary project for grades
K - 12. The prerequisite training workshops are held at locations
throughout the state. Completion of a training workshop is required
to receive eggs. Teacher training workshops are offered at least
once a year in each region. This program has also been know as
Salmonids in the Classroom, Trout in the Classroom, Steelhead
in the Classroom, Salmon and Trout Education Program.
Project
WILD Aquatic: Aquatic WILD, revised in 2000, is an award
winning K-12, interdisciplinary, conservation and environmental
education program emphasizing aquatic wildlife. Aquatic WILD
workshops provide the Project WILD Aquatic K-12 Activity Guide
free to workshop participants. The Aquatic WILD program focuses
on the world of water, the habitat and the wildlife it supports.
Water-related issues are and will continue to grow more critical
as we move through the 21st century. The resolution of these
and other wildlife habitat issues will require knowledge of water
and the life that depends upon it. The influences of the aquatic
environment, both fresh and salt, extend to include the total
watershed. In fact, almost everything that influences a stream’s
ecological health occurs on the land.
The Urban
Fishing Program, which was started in 1993, serves
Californians living in the Sacramento, San Francisco and Los Angeles
metropolitan areas. The program's Fishing in the City Clinics gives
city dwellers an opportunity to learn how to fish, and to fish
close to home. It
also gives participants an opportunity to borrow rods, bait and
tackle through the Tackle Loaner Program.
Insects, Arachnids, and other Invertebrates
(also see section on Soils and Decomposers)
The Bee Works: The Bee Works promotes global discussions of pollinator
importance by offering educational products, conducting pollinator
surveys and pollinator restoration services to help restore
our fragmented planet
Coevolution Institute The
Coevolution Institute's mission is to improve the health and survival
of all species by promoting the importance and wonder of insects
and related animals, and by protecting their habitats.
Insight
into Insects page from the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
(ENC) with loads of buggy links
and lessons!
Life
in a Pine Cone - This exercise focuses on a little-known microhabitat
-- the pine cone. A pine cone's primary function is, of course,
reproduction ... housing the seeds of the next generation of conifer
trees. However, pine cones are also the basis of a food web that
provides both resources and living space for a wide variety of
small arthropod species. The procedure outlined in this lesson
is designed to examine this microhabitat and compare its community
diversity
among different species of conifers and habitats. From the Middle
School Math and Science Collaborative
Monarch
Butterfly information, links and lessons from the Eisenhower National
Clearinghouse (ENC)
What's That Bug? Send in a photo or description of interesting "bugs" you find, and they will try to identify it for you. Archives with photos of various species.
The Xerces Society: The Xerces Society is an international non-profit
organization that protects the diversity of life through the conservation
of invertebrates. The Society advocates for invertebrates and their
habitats by working with scientists, land managers, educators, and
citizens on conservation and education projects. Its core programs
focus on endangered species, native pollinators, and watershed health.
Mammals
North American Mammals - Smithsonian Institution's searchable database
of all living mammals of North America.
Hibernation resources
from the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse
(ENC)
North American Bear Center Our
focus is to improve the understanding and appreciation of North American
Bears, their role in the ecosystem, and their relationship to humans
through education, research and rehabilitation.
Sierra Wild Bear website
- great biological, conservation and safety information about
Sierra Black Bears. From the Sierra Inter-agency Black Bear Group.
The
Bay Classroom is
a great tool for anyone interested in learning about San Francisco
Bay and includes activities, actions and free downloadable curriculum
for teachers. From Save the
Bay.
California
Marine Life Identification This marine biology DVD video
for scuba divers is your ultimate guide to the marine life
found off the California coast. In this fast moving video,
you'll learn how to identify many of the most common
marine creatures seen underwater off the California coast.
More than 80 species of marine plants and animals are included
in this program.
The Marine Mammal
Center is a non-profit
organization that rescues, rehabilitates and releases injured,
sick and orphaned marine mammals (seals, sea lions, dolphins,
porpoises, whales and sea otters) along a six hundred mile
stretch of the California coast, from Mendocino through San
Luis Obispo counties. The Marine Mammal Center works toward
this end: Through rescue and humane treatment of ill, injured,
or orphaned marine mammals,
to return healthy animals to the wild; Through scientific inquiry, to increase
knowledge of marine mammals, their health and their environment
and assure their long-term survival; Through education and communication,
to increase appreciation of marine mammals, foster informed decision-making
affecting them, and inspire action to protect
the marine environment.
National Marine Mammal
Lab The National Marine Mammal Laboratory (NMML) conducts
RESEARCH on marine mammals worldwide, primarily coastal
California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. See the California
Current section for most information about species we might
see here. Their Education
Web is a good source of information.
Sea Otters from
the USGS Western Ecological Research Center (WERC) Research
and links to other Sea Otter sites as well. You otter check it
out. (sorry)
California Reptiles and
Amphibians This site intends to promote an appreciation
and understanding of the amazing diversity of wild reptiles and
amphibians (herps) occuring in California, and the natural environment
which supports them, and to and to help identify native California
herps.
California's
Wildlife - Reptiles California Wildlife Habitat Relationships
System. Species, habitat, life history information and references.
Sea Turtle Restoration Project,
Forest Knolls, California. The Sea Turtle Restoration Project (STRP)
fights to protect endangered sea turtle populations in ways that
meet the
ecological
needs of
the sea turtles and the oceans and the needs of the local communities
who share the beaches and waters with these gentle, beautiful creatures.
Lots of teacher resources!
CalFlora - great database
of information and photos of California's plants. Calflora provides information
on wild California plants for conservation, education, and appreciation.
California Native Grass Association The
Mission of the California Native Grass Association is to develop, promote,
preserve and restore native grasses and grassland ecosystems of California.
Includes a guide to California
grasslands and information on restoration, identification and a great
educational
video about native grasses.
The
Ecological Farming Association (EFA) is a non-profit educational
organization that advances ecologically sound and economically viable
agriculture. EFA can be traced back to 1981, when a group of California
farmers sought alternatives to fossil fuel and chemical intensive farming
methods. What began as a single gathering of a few farmers has grown
into a series of education programs spanning over two decades. EFA’s
education programs have reached more than 40,000 participants during
25 years. Through consistent quality of programs, EFA has developed a
far reaching
network of people and businesses committed to sustainable agriculture. Our programs
bring together a diversity of stakeholders in California food production to promote
grassroots leadership and regional solutions to decrease the negative impacts
of industrial agriculture on environmental and community health.
National Arbor Day Foundation -
Our Mission: We help people plant and care for trees and encourage the
celebration of Arbor Day to advance global environmental stewardship
for the benefit of this and future generations. Our Vision: We envision
a world where trees and forests are abundant, healthy, and sustainable,
and highly valued by all people.
Wild By Nature -
a nonprofit corporation devoted to environmental education for youth
.Our mission is to teach suburban school children and their teachers
about local neighborhood endangered species and threatened habitats.
Our purpose is to give them the academic tools to select, adopt, and
protect any local species, then to appreciate the global implications
of its ecosystem. Our grand design is to encourage every school in the
nation (approximately 125,000) to adopt a local endangered plant or animal
species.
Gardening with Children / Native Plants
/ Sustainable Landscaping
Be Water Wise - Native
and "California Friendly" plants for gardens,
other water saving tips
California School Garden Network – www.csgn.orgThe CSGN Network's mission to create and sustain California school gardens to enhance academic achievement, a healthy lifestyle, environmental stewardship and community and social development.
The CSGN will be publishing Gardens for Learning: Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden in Fall of 2006. It will be available online and in hard copy. Request your free packet of garden startup information for California schools: the California Department of Education School Garden Resource Packet. This resource contains over ten items, including Life Lab Science Program’s"Getting Started: A Guide for Creating School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms." To receive your free copy, send your mailing address to Deborah Tamannaie.
Cornflower
Farms Cornflower specializes in California Natives, water
wise plants, perennials, restoration and revegetation plant materials
(trees, shrubs, grasses, wetland species, etc.) for most of the
major plant communities in California, specialty plant applications
including beneficial insect plants for agriculture and butterfly
and hummingbird plants; 2nd Saturday sales–monthly educational
days for the general public.
Las Pilitas Native
Plant Nurseries (both Northern and Southern California locations)
Lots of great articles, information, and links beyond gardening.
LifeLab -
Life Lab Science Program is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization
and has been working in the field of science and environmental
education for over twenty years. With our award winning curricula
and programs, the organization helps schools develop gardens where
children can create "living laboratories" for the study
of the natural world. Since we developed the first Life Lab school
garden in Santa Cruz in 1978, we have worked with over 1000 schools
across the United States.
Rodale
Institute - Regenerative Education and Training"Healthy
soil, healthy food, healthy people" Communicating
that message is what The
Rodale Institute is all about! We are
dedicated to working with people worldwide to achieve a regenerative
food system that renews environmental and human health. Using
education and training, we share information regionally, nationally,
and internationally with everyone from farmers to the general
public and children.
School
Garden Wizard - step by step guide, from getting approval
and planning to growing to lesson plans
Theodore Payne Foundation
for California Native Flowers and Plants
is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the understanding
and preservation of California native flora. Offers classes
and Garden Tours and has information on gardening with California
Natives.
Located in Sun Valley, California
Oaks and Oak Woodlands
California Oak Foundation -
Founded in 1988, the California Oak Foundation (COF) is a
501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization committed to
preserving the state's oak forest ecosystem and its rural
landscapes. COF advocates for curbing urban sprawl and creating
livable cities.
Oak
Woodlands - An Introduction and Overview - from the Hastings
Reserve, a Biological Field Station of the University of California,
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Natural Reserve System. Includes
Illustrated Guide to California's Oaks and a key to oaks.
University of California Integrated
Hardwood Range Management Program - Developing alternative land
use planning and range management strategies to ensure multiple use
of hardwood rangelands while improving oak regeneration and maintaining
diverse wildlife habitat. Links to research, books and other resources
on oaks and oak woodlands, included the latest updates on Sudden Oak
Death Syndrome.
White Paper on Fire in Oak Woodlands Available on Web
Following the devastating fires in Southern California last fall, and the widespread
demand for information from affected residents, the IHRMP decided it would
be very useful to have consolidated information about fires in oak woodlands.
As a result, a White Paper on this subject was prepared. This 6000-word document
is targeted for landowners, resource managers, and policy makers, as well as
the interested public. It provides a broad overview and addresses several limited,
but important, subject areas including historical fire patterns, prescribed
fire, the effects of fire on oaks and ecological processes in oak woodlands,
what can be done to help prevent future fires, and what landowners can do following
fire to help the land and associated resources recover. We hope this information
will help a variety of people understand fire in oak woodlands and assist them
in developing strategies to minimize its negative effects. We plan to print
and distribute hard copies of this document in the near future but in the interim,
you can view and download it on the IHRMP web site (http://danr.ucop.edu/ihrmp/).
Permaculture
Permaculture.net This
is an amazing resource with articles, resources, courses and internships,
and much more.
The Permaculture
Institute of Northern California The Permaculture Institute
of Northern California (PINC) is an educational organization providing
courses and workshops that enable people to develop the skills
necessary to live a more sustainable life on the planet.
Permaculture:
A Beginner's Guide a powerpoint type slide show with illustrations.
http://www.gburnett.unisonplus.net/Perma/ seems to be offline -
try getting the book here: http://www.spiralseed.co.uk/page4.html
Action for
Nature encourages young people to take personal action to make
this world a better place for humans and nature. Publishers of the
book "Acting For Nature"
Adopt-a-Watershed Adopt-A-Watershed
is a K-12 school-community learning experience. Adopt-A-Watershed uses
a local watershed as a living laboratory in which students engage in
hands-on activities, making science applicable and relevant to their
lives. It weaves education with the community developing collaborative
partnerships and reinforcing learning through community service.
Communicating Ecosystem Services combines
sound ecological expertise with outreach and communications tactics to
develop a set of scientifically based "tool kits" about key
ecosystem services. A joint effort of the Ecological
Society of America and the
Union of Concerned Scientists. "The
project goal is to increase the public's awareness of the importance
of ecosystem services. We have developed a series of Tool Kits for scientists
and other professionals like you to do just that." Tool kits include
Pollination and Water Purification, and Forest Carbon Storage and Flood
Damage Control tool kits are coming soon.
Earth911.org - Information on
recycling, including old computers and cell phones, hazardous waste disposal,
composting and much more!
"Earth:
A Graphic Look at the State of the World" has just been published
by the Global Education
Project, a non profit educational foundation in British Columbia.
Viewable on line at: www.theglobaleducationproject.org,
this comprehensive resource summarizes the conditions of the world's
ecology and humanity and how they effect each other. Visually and factually
stunning, this publication is a valuable tool for anyone teaching about
or striving to understand the world's complex environmental and humanitarian
challenges. The 27" x 36" full colour wall poster showcases
an unparalleled collection of over 100 charts, 15 maps, and explanatory
text, all rigorously referenced to reliable sources. It is an extraordinarily
holistic and integrated overview, connecting a maze of apparently disparate
issues such as wealth distribution and climate change, oil supply and
food production, global warming and global fisheries, population and
bio-diversity. Information, maps and graphics from the poster are also
accessible on the accompanying website at www.theglobaleducationproject.org
Ecology.info Welcome to ECOLOGY.INFO,
the English language service of Ecology Online! We publish high-quality,
up-to-date reviews about ecology, natural history and the environment. Our
reviews are revised and updated online as soon as results of new scientific
research become available. In this way, they are superior to paper-based
publications, such as books and journals, which become out-of-date soon after
publication.
Earth Charter The Earth
Charter is an authoritative synthesis of values, principles, and aspirations
that are widely shared by growing numbers of men and women in all regions
of the world. The principles of the Earth Charter reflect extensive international
consultations conducted over a period of many years. These principles
are also based
upon contemporary science, international law, and the insights of philosophy
and religion. Successive drafts of the Earth Charter were circulated
around the world for comments and debate by nongovernmental organizations,
community groups, professional societies, and international experts in
many fields.
Extreme
Ecosystem: Bacterial interdependence found in the mud of Mono
Lake! (NASA story, May 13, 2004)
Kids Do Ecology from
UCSB's National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)
The Natural Step - The Natural
Step provides a visionary blueprint for a sustainable world. Our upstream
approach means we address problems at the source and turn them into opportunities
for innovation. As an international advisory and research organization,
we work with some of the largest resource users on the planet to create
solutions, models and tools designed to accelerate global sustainability.
Rainforest
Alliance Learning Site: Connecting Kids to Conservation The
site not only provides complete and FREE lesson plans for kindergarten
through
eighth grade which adhere to national learning standards
for teachers and administrators who want to incorporate conservation
in the
classroom, but also many supplemental materials such as presentations,
stories,
activities and more. All of the curriculum on the Learning Site
is based on the on-the-ground conservation work of our partners
groups
in Latin America. The site's monthly newsletter, already with
over 580 subscribers, allows teachers and all those interested
in tackling
environmental issues by educating our youth -- to read classroom
success stories, teachers' suggestions and new resources available
on the Learning
Site. The Rainforest Alliance curriculum is unique in that it teaches
science,
math, language arts and social studies essentials while addressing
the National Standards for Learning. The multidisciplinary curriculum
presents information on forests, wildlife and local communities, and
provides a global perspective on the importance of protecting the world's
natural resources, while giving students opportunities for direct action.
All information is provided free of charge.
Through this education program, students explore six of the Rainforest
Alliance's ongoing conservation initiatives in Latin America. For example,
kindergarteners come to understand more about the connection between
rainforests and their supermarket as they learn about Colombia's Cachalú Biological
Reserve. The jaguars, manatees, howler monkeys and loggerhead turtles
that inhabit the mystical Maya forests of Belize are sure to intrigue
first graders. In second grade, children compare the rich culture of
the indigenous Yanomami with settlers seeking a better life in the
Amazon. Third and fourth grade students learn how chocolate is helping
to protect forests in Ecuador. Fifth and sixth graders study the connection
between coffee and the migratory songbirds that visit their own backyards
each spring. And, seventh and eighth graders learn about Honduran banana
communities and the
Alibris: Children's
Nature & Ecology Books - purchasing books through
this link to Alibris will give AEOE a percentage of the sales - they have
new, used and rare books
at great prices, and you'll be helping AEOE! Find children's nature books through
these searches: Juvenile
Nonfiction: Nature, or Juvenile
Fiction: Nature and the Natural World, or try some of these subject searches: Outdoor
Education, Nature
Education, Nature
Study, California
Ecology. Once you find
a book you like, click on "more like this" to unearth forgotten
treasures! Add California, Young Adult, or Juvenile to any of these
subject categories to further limit results. See "related subjects" or "subcategories" for
more links. Have fun!
CDE
site with a search engine for books that tie into California State Science
Standards. For example, I did a search for
books with the keyword "environment," grade level 3-5, read-aloud,
Science, and another for "environment," all
grade levels, all classifications, all subject areas.
Visit
Powell's, the "Scenic City of Books" - Legendary independent
bookstore with new, used, rare books online. - purchasing books through
this link to Powell's will give AEOE a percentage of the sales - they have
new, used and rare books
at great prices, and you'll be helping AEOE! See Powell's Children's
Literature for the Trail Bookshelf put together from books recommended
by AEOE!
Songs
for Environmental Education! This is a master resource - with links
to research about music and learning, articles, lesson ideas, performers
and more.
AEOE
Institutional members -
check them out!