This electronic newsletter is sent as a service to members of the Alaska Natural Resources and Outdoor Education Association. Share news of upcoming events, resources you have found, and other short messages that you would like to get out to your fellow environmental educators and ANROE members. To have an item included in the electronic newsletter, email it to Laurel_devaney@fws.gov. The next newsletter will come out during the week of December 19. Please send news!!
******************************************************************************
Workshops and Training Opportunities
1. Registration deadline January 17, 2012- Connecting People with Nature through Birds
******************************************************************************
Resources for Educators
2. Biologist in Training
3. Atlas of the Cryosphere
4. Climate Interpreter
- Global Experiment of the International Year of Chemistry-
- Encounters Radio Experiences in the North
******************************************************************************
Opportunities for Educators
- Application deadline January 10, 2012- Edward C. Roy, Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching.
8. Application deadline January 5, 2012- Einstein Fellowship
9. Application deadline January 15, 2012- Science and the Public Fellows Program
******************************************************************************
Opportunities for Students
10. Entry deadline December 15: Alaska Sealife Center’s Coastal America’s Ocean Art Contest
- Application deadline December 19- Space Camp Scholarships
12. Application deadline December 31: Apprentice Ecologist Initiative
- Application deadline January 15, 2012- Action for Nature Young Eco-Hero Awards
- Application deadline January 15, 2012- National Geographic Hands-on Explorer Challenge-
******************************************************************************
Programs
- Palmer: December 7- Alaskan Writer’s Series presents Sherry Simpson
- Anchorage: December 8- Winter Wildlife Around Anchorage and Christmas Count Preview Anchorage
- Anchorage: December 8- The Speed of Light
- December 10- Making Colorful Ice Luminarias Winter Workshop-
- Cordova/Valdez- December 17- Review of Cordova’s Winter Birds
- Anchorage: December 21: Alaska’s Energy Picture
****************************************************************************** ***********************************************
Workshops and Training Opportunities
1. Registration deadline January 17, 2012- Connecting People with Nature through Birds
Environment for the Americas and staff from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will offer the workshop, OUT8163: Connecting People with Nature through Birds, March 12–16, 2012 in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Florida. Participants will learn to teach others basic bird identification; explore a variety of programs that connect people to nature including citizen science and mist netting birds; discuss current bird conservation issues; and discover the possibilities of inspiring interest in birds through Flying WILD. http://www.birdday.org/education/training
****************************************************************************** ***********************************************
Resources for Educators
2. Biologist in Training – This program from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is designed to guide students through a hands-on exploration of aquatic habitats. The BiT Activity Booklet has been designed with the needs of upper elementary science teachers in mind. Activities offer different means of collecting, organizing, and analyzing biological information, and focus on the students’ use of observation skills to make their own discoveries. Additional resources include the BiT Activity Card geared towards younger students, extension activities, and more. The activities correlate to National Science Education Standards, and were developed by a team of teachers and environmental education experts.http://www.fws.gov/southeast/fisheries/BiT/
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
3. Atlas of the Cryosphere- allows visitors to explore and dynamically map the Earth’s frozen regions. Viewed from a polar perspective, the available scenes include snow cover, sea ice extent and concentration, and more. The atlas also allows users to save custom maps for use as images in other documents and to view monthly climatologies to see how and where the cryosphere shrinks and grows over the course of a year. http://nsidc.org/data/atlas/
************************************************************************************************************************************
4. Climate Interpreter- This website builds capacity among informal science educators and interpreters for communicating about climate change to public audiences. The website features past webinars as well as links to resources related to communicating about climate change with audiences in informal settings. Be sure to check out the resources and events pages. http://www.climateinterpreter.org/
****************************************************************************** ***********************************************
5. Global Experiment of the International Year of Chemistry- Celebrate the 2011 International Year of Chemistry by participating in a global chemistry experiment open to K-12 students and teachers. Participants explore water quality issues through four activities (pH of the Planet, Salty Waters, Solar Still Challenge, and Water: No Dirt, No Germs), then share their experiment results with the global science community. Each activity includes a teachers’ guide, a materials list, and more. http://water.chemistry2011.org/web/iyc
******************************************************************************
***********************************************
- Encounters: Radio Experiences in the North is a nationally-distributed public radio show about natural history in the North. Hosted by cultural anthropologist and award-winning writer Richard Nelson. and former NPR senior correspondent Elizabeth Arnold, the show mixes western science and native knowledge with unusual natural sound and a first person experience. Now, the program has expanded its website to include information for teachers and student researchers. www.encountersnorth.org/wildexplorer is a carefully researched, reliable, multi-media source for students and teachers looking for information on everything wild in the north – polar bears, moose, grizzlies, and more. There are slide shows, videos, short sound clips and of course the full length radio programs (29 minutes) that make excellent teaching tools. And it’s free!
************************************************************************************************************************************
Opportunities for Educators
7. Application deadline January 10, 2012- Edward C. Roy, Jr. Award for Excellence in K-8 Earth Science Teaching. This award from the American Geological Institute is designed to recognize one teacher of grades K-8 for his or her leadership and innovation in Earth science education. http://www.agiweb.org/education/awards/ed-roy/
******************************************************************************
***********************************************
8. Application deadline January 5, 2012- Einstein Fellowship- a paid fellowship for K-12 math, science, and technology teachers. Einstein Fellows spend a school year in Washington, D.C. serving in a federal agency or on Capitol Hill. The deadline for application is January.
http://www.trianglecoalition.org/einstein-fellows/einstein-fellow-application-process/application
************************************************************************************************************************************
9. Application deadline January 15, 2012- Science and the Public Fellows Program
provides funds and training to selected U.S. science and math teachers who serve under-resourced students, to enable interested and motivated students to perform independent scientific research. Fellows may serve up to four years. http://www.societyforscience.org/outreach
************************************************************************************************************************************
Opportunities for Students
- Entry deadline December 15: Alaska Sealife Center’s Coastal America’s Ocean Art Contest- There are five age categories to compete in: Grades K-2, Grades 3-5, Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, and university students. All entries will be displayed at the Alaska SeaLife Center. To see all submission guidelines go to http://www.alaskasealife.org/New/education/index.php?page=teacher-links.php. For more information, please call the Education Department at 907-224-6306 or email education@alasksealife.org. Please note for photography entries: prefer originals, but will still accept digital copies.
******************************************************************************
***********************************************
- Application deadline December 19- Space Camp Scholarships- Scholarships are available for students ages 9–18 to attend Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Full scholarships cover tuition, room, and board for any weeklong, age-appropriate camp and are good for one year. Transportation and incidentals are the responsibility of the scholarship recipient. Applicants may apply in one of four categories— Financial Need/Disadvantaged, Special Needs, Academic Achievement, or General. http://www.spacecamp.com/scholarships
************************************************************************************************************************************
12. Application deadline December 31: Apprentice Ecologist Initiative- engages youth, parents, and teachers from around the world in environmental stewardship and conservation projects. The goals of the initiative are to elevate young people (especially at-risk and low-income kids and teens) into leadership roles by engaging them in environmental stewardship projects, empower volunteers to rebuild the environmental and social well-being of our communities, and improve local living conditions for both citizens and wildlife. http://www.wildernessproject.org/volunteer_apprentice_ecologist.php
******************************************************************************
***********************************************
- Application deadline January 15, 2012- Action for Nature Young Eco-Hero Awards- seeks applications from students ages 8-16 for its International Young Eco-Hero Awards Program. The awards program recognizes the individual accomplishments of young people whose personal actions have significantly improved the environment. Projects must concern advocacy, environmental health, research, or protection of the natural world. http://www.actionfornature.org/eco-hero-awards/2011-application-guidelines
******************************************************************************
***********************************************
14. Application deadline January 15, 2012- National Geographic Hands-on Explorer Challenge- students 9-14 should write an original personal essay explaining how they explore your world; what it is about exploration that inspires and excites them, and document it by photo. http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/contests/explorer-trip-2012/
************************************************************************************************************************************
Programs
- Palmer: December 7- Alaskan Writer’s Series presents Sherry Simpson, Alaskan Author and writer of the recently published The Accidental Explorer and the 1998 collection of short stories The Way Winter Comes at 7pm at the Kellogg House on Spring Creek Farm, 6404 Lossing Road. All ages are welcome, light refreshments will be provided. Cost: Free, donations accepted
******************************************************************************
***********************************************
- Anchorage: December 8- Winter Wildlife Around Anchorage and Christmas Count Preview- is the topic for the Anchorage Audubon meeting at 7pm at the BP Energy Center. John Schoen (former Audubon Senior Scientist) will share a sample of his favorite wildlife photographs around the Anchorage area from fall thru early spring. He will also describe some of his experiences and techniques for capturing good wildlife images and discuss the many great
opportunities for viewing and photographing wildlife right in our backyard. Our December monthly meeting is also the final countdown to the 112th Audubon Society national Christmas Bird Count.
******************************************************************************
***********************************************
- Anchorage: December 8- The Speed of Light- is the program at the BLM Campbell Creek Science Center,5600 Science Center Drive, at 7pm Dr. Katherine Rawlins, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Alaska Anchorage, will guide you through the concepts of Einstein’s theory, as well as give you her take on the controversial OPERA experiment. Stargazing will follow if the skies are clear. For more information, call 267-1241.
******************************************************************************
***********************************************
- Anchorage: December 10- Making Colorful Ice Luminarias Winter Workshop- will be held at 3pm at the Alaska Botanical Garden Office, 3701 E. Tudor # 203 – in the Sunrise Plaza Office. RSVP Required – $25 pp ($20 for ABG Members).
************************************************************************************************************************************
- Cordova/Valdez- December 17- Review of Cordova’s Winter Birds (PWSSC and Audubon Program) 7:00pm – Meet at the Forest Service conference room upstairs. In Valdez, meet at PWS Community College. Join the PWSSC and Cordova Audubon Society for a photographic review of Cordova’s wintering birds given by Milo Burcham. Come, refresh your memory, and learn new ways to identify our local birds! There will also be a brief planning meeting for the annual Audubon winter Christmas bird count scheduled for Saturday, December 17th.
************************************************************************************************************************************
- Anchorage: December 21: Alaska’s Energy Picture- Kara Moriarty of the Alaska Oil and Gas Association and Chris Rose of the Renewable Energy Alaska Project will help answer questions about energy resources in Alaska. The program begins at 7pm on Wednesday December 21 at the BLM Campbell Creek Science Center (5600 Science Center Drive). Please call 267-1241 for more information.
************************************************************************************************************************************
If you would rather not receive this newsletter, send an unsubscribe message to news@anroe.org
*************************************************************************************************************************************
