News
Go FishIN
Go FishIN participated in the Indiana Smallmouth Conservation Fishing Expo at the Johnson County Fairgrounds January 12 and 13th. We will be giving a presentation at the Indiana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) meeting at Clifty Falls State Park in February. AFS is an organization of professional fisheries biologists and we are looking forward to updating them on the Go FishIN program and getting their feedback on aquatic education needs in Indiana.
We are looking forward to showcasing our 2 new activities at the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers conference in Indianapolis. If you are attending HASTI please come to our sessions: Wabash Adventure and Do Fish Hear You Coming?.
We are developing our 2008 calendar – if you are interested in having a Go FishIN workshop please get in touch with us soon (gofishin@dnr.in.gov).
SAVE THE DATES: We are also starting (already!) on plans for the 2008 State Fair - when you buy your 2008 calendar put a reminder in August to save days for volunteering at the Fishing Pond! This year’s fair is August 6-17, 2008.
Hoosier Riverwatch
Hoosier Riverwatch would like to welcome Katie Hodgdon as the new Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator. Katie hails from Northern Virginia, but recently moved to Indiana from Michigan, where she worked with the American Youth Foundation. Katie’s expected first day is January 14.
Riverwatch is preparing to hold a new Volunteer Instructor training in Spring of 2008. (These Instructor training workshops are only held once every 2 years.) If you are interested in becoming a member of our training team, check out our “job description” and application form here – and be sure to contact us with questions! The deadline has been extended to January 31st.
Project Learning Tree
As one of the state programs with a signed Memorandum of Understanding with the National PLT office, Indiana PLT will be receiving a $5,000 grant to “help us do what we need to do.” One of the things I feel we need to do is bring PLT into more colleges and universities in Indiana, especially into teacher training and methods courses. We will be designing and implementing workshops specifically for faculty in pre service teacher education in 2008. To quote a faculty member from Spelman College in Georgia, “This is the most comprehensive set of curriculum materials that I’ve seen in a long time.” If you are a pre service faculty member and have not yet seen the new Project Learning Tree materials, which include differentiated instruction, technology connections and reading connections, I encourage you to attend one of the workshops. The workshops are in the planning stage right now. Notification will be sent when workshops are scheduled.
The Indiana Urban Forest Council is sponsoring the 2008 Arbor Day Poster Contest. Fifth grade classrooms across Indiana are invited to submit posters with the theme “Trees are Terrific . . . Inside and Out.” Indiana will be divided into four regions. Each school will submit its winning poster and will enter the judging for the region. Each regional winner will receive a $300 savings bond and will have their poster on a 25’ X 12’ billboard in their local area. Each regional winner will then go on to compete at the state level with judging occurring at the 2008 Flower and Patio Show in March. The winner of the state contest will be honored at the Indiana State Museum during the Arbor Day celebration on April 25. A packet of classroom activities designed to increase understanding of how trees grow and function is available to complement the poster contest. For a set of the activities and more information on participating in the poster contest contact Ashley Mulis at the Indiana Urban Forest Council: 317-489-8775 or director@iufc.org.
Project WET
Sadly, Project WET is saying good-bye and good luck to Jules Erwin who served as the Project WET Assistant over the past four months. Jules is leaving the NREC team to pursue her Masters in Outdoor Recreation at Indiana University. We thank Jules for her hard work and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors!
Indiana Project WET is excited to welcome Mary Holland as the new Project WET Assistant. Mary is a licensed Indiana teacher for elementary (1-6), science (5-9), and social studies (5-9) and brings with her many years of teaching in the classroom! She also currently volunteers her time as the coordinator for the Eden Outdoor Lab at Eden Elementary School and as an educator for Partners for Animal Welfare Society. Please join me in welcoming Mary to the NREC!
Indiana Project WET is busy making plans for the new year! 2008 is already shaping up to be a great year filled with fun, educational and hands-on workshops for educators. We are in the process of developing some new partnerships, enhancing existing partnerships and developing new workshops! Please be sure to check out our calendar of events to learn more about what 2008 has in store for you!
Project WILD
The 2008 Project WILD calendar is already full of great offerings – see the attached list for a few of the highlights. New areas of emphasis for workshops include peregrine falcons, monarch butterflies, and a unique partnership with Project WET, Project WEBFOOT and Ducks Unlimited. Perhaps the most exciting news is that WILD will be conducting an assessment of the program during 2008 and 2009. Thanks to the national WILD office for selecting Indiana Project WILD for this grant opportunity! As always, please feel free to contact Mary Hayes to suggest workshops or for general questions about teaching Indiana wildlife. projectwild@dnr.in.gov or 317-549-0348.
News Beyond the Projects and Programs
Be sure to check the NREC web site for complete workshop information. Just click on NREC Events and then program logos for lists of upcoming workshops.
For you book lovers, there is a new on-line book club started by the Environmental Education Association of Indiana. Members choose and read a book on the environment or education and discuss it through email. The first book is Rachel Carson’s “The Sense of Wonder” and discussion begins on Jan. 15. To join, or for more information contact Paul Steury at pauls@goshen.edu or 260-799-5869.
The Indiana State Museum opens a new exhibit on March 1 which will focus on Indiana wildlife. Entitled Footprints: Balancing Nature’s Diversity, it will look at Indiana’s wildlife diversity and management from Ice Age times to present day. To learn more go to http://www.indianamuseum.org/.
