What is Environmental Literacy? | Infographic
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Crossword | Friday, August 20th, 2021
Do you have what it takes to be a Green Guardian? Test your knowledge with our environmental literacy crossword!
A Review on IPCC’s AR6 Report
Earlier this month, the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released its Sixth Assessment Report on the latest scientific understanding of climate change, human’s role in it, and present and future implications. The facts were astounding.
Earlier this month, the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released its Sixth Assessment Report on the latest scientific understanding of climate change, human’s role in it, and present and future implications. The facts were astounding.
Some major points that were covered:
- Climate change is a universal problem and is affecting every country across the world
- Human activity has been the main cause of climate change
- We are far from meeting the Paris agreement targets of less than 1.5-2°C of warming
- An increase in global temperatures will cause detrimental effects on our climate
- There is an immediate need to reduce emissions and reaching net zero carbon emissions
The climate crisis is no longer about avoiding the effects of climate change, it’s about mitigating the environmental damage and human suffering that will follow. We need individuals in all industries and sectors to approach their work and everyday lives through an environmental lens and this will require a much deeper understanding of how natural and human systems interact. We need to rethink our siloed approach to education and integrate environmental education across all core subjects and disciplines in K-12 and higher ed.
We must advance environmental literacy for all. Our future depends on our ability to protect our environment. We’ve left our youth with a crisis, let’s at least provide them with the 21st-century skills needed to solve it. Join us as we advance environmental literacy, raise awareness of the climate crisis, and equip students in K-12 with the knowledge and tools to act as Green Guardians!
For an easy to navigate summary of the report and its findings check out Andra Yegohian’s brief overview here.
Relevant Links
IPCC Sixth Assessment Report for Educational Leaders
Despite the serious implications of [the report] findings, the K-12 education sector has a great opportunity to be a part of the most important teachable moment humanity has ever experienced: surviving and thriving in the climate era.
CAELI Community-based Partner Hub
The Hub promotes environmental literacy by building educator awareness of environmental education community-based partners and their products and services and fosters educator-partner relationships for increased student enrichment and engagement.
Bananas about Bananas Lesson Series Kit
Grades K-1: Through readings, activities, and discussions, students trace the journey of a banana from farm to home and beyond, consider its environmental impact, and envision a greener journey.
My Journey to Zero Waste Lesson Series Kit
Grades K-1: Through readings, activities, and discussions, students compare and contrast two birthday parties (one that generated a lot of waste and one planned around “zero waste”), consider the environmental impact of one’s personal waste, gain an understanding of the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and learn to practice zero waste in their own lives.
Youth Climate Action Organizations
Check out the top youth organizations fighting for climate action and promoting environmental literacy!
Download and share the 15 Actions for Green Living checklist!
News and Events
CalNat Coastal Institute at Camp Ocean Pines immersion course
Aug. 22, 2021 California Naturalist
This residential immersion program includes seven days of field trips and lectures from enthusiastic leaders with decades of experience in the field.
Marine Naturalist Teachers’ Program
Aug. 23-27, 2021 The Whale Museum
This is a dynamic and high-quality virtual program for K-12 teachers with the objective of providing a learning experience that enhances your knowledge and classroom lessons.
Webinar: Building on Student and Community Assets to Achieve Equity in STEM Education
Aug. 25, 2021 STEMscopes
This interactive webinar will engage participants in a discussion about the inequities observed in our STEM classrooms and how we can address contemporary issues of inequity through collaboration with school leaders, parents, and the community to “build back better.”
11 Biggest Environmental Problems Of 2021
Aug. 05, 2021 Earth.org
The climate crisis is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, and we are not ready for it. While the crisis has many factors that play a role in its exacerbation, there are some that warrant more attention than others. Here are some of the biggest environmental problems of our lifetime.
Green-Books.org Promotes Environmental Education in Schools Across Indonesia
Aug. 06, 2021 Fair Planet
Green-Books.org is an educational project that introduces environmental topics in schools across the Indonesian archipelago. It does so through the work of environmental and educational experts who create interactive activities for children and teach them how to protect nature.
Monday’s IPCC report is a really big deal for climate change. So what is it? And why should we trust it?
Aug. 06, 2021 The Conversation
On Monday, an extremely important report on the physical science of climate change will be released to the world. Produced by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the report will give world leaders the most up-to-date information about climate change.
OPINION: Indigenous knowledge is essential to solving the climate crisis
Aug. 09, 2021 Thomson Reuters Foundation News
This year we have seen the deadly impacts of climate change hit places that were not prepared: historic raging wildfires and megadroughts in the Western United States, heatwaves in Canada, floods in Germany and China, hurricanes in the Caribbean.
My Animal Friends
Students follow the story of Timor, a “bug enthusiast”, who rescues a monarch caterpillar from his backyard and takes it to school to try to save it.
Unit Overview
Through readings, activities and discussions, students follow the story of Timor, a “bug enthusiast”, who rescues a monarch caterpillar from his backyard and takes it to school to try to save it. Students will consider the environmental impact of pesticides and habitat loss on pollinators and learn what they can do to help protect and increase the population of monarch butterflies.
Grades
- Kindergarten
- Grade 1
- Grade 2
Lesson Type
In-class or online lesson, PBL activity
Environmental Topics
Biodiversity, Ecosystems, Environmental Justice, Green Guardianship, Sustainable Human Development
Environmental Literacy Core Principles
For a summary of the environmental literacy principles and concepts embedded in this lesson series, please visit Green Guardians Environmental Literacy Core Principles.
Standards
ELA: RL.K.1, RL.K.2, SL.K.1, SL.K.2, SL.K.3, SL.K.5, SL.K.6, W.K.2, W.K.7, RL.1.1, RL.1.2, SL.1.1, SL.1.2, SL.1.3, SL.1.5, SL.1.6, L.1.4, L.1.5, W.1.2, W.1.8, RL.2.1, RL.2.3, RL.2.7, W.2.2, W.2.8, SL.2.1, SL.2.2, SL.2.3, SL.2.5, SL.2.6
Math: K.CC.A.1, K.CC.A.3, K.CC.B.4, K.CC.B.5, K.OA.A.2, 1.OA.C.5, 1.OA.C.6, 2.OA.A.1, 2.OA.B.2
Science: K-LS1-1, 1-LS1-2, 2-LS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3
Guides
This project may easily be extended into optional family discussions and activities around monarch butterflies and other pollinating insects (like bees) and the challenges facing them. To facilitate this engagement, a family guide (in English and Spanish) has been created which teachers may choose to forward to interested parents and guardians.
Lessons
Three lessons of 30-40 minutes each and an optional project.
Lesson 1: Timor and the Caterpillar
Through a story and related activities, students discuss the characteristics of monarch butterflies and define life cycle. They observe the metamorphosis of caterpillar to butterfly and learn what monarch butterflies need to live.
Lesson Materials
Lesson 2: Butterfly Research
Through a story and related activities, students learn about pollination and the interdependency of living things. They learn of the dangers facing monarchs today, especially weedkiller and bug spray. They begin to think of ways they can help save monarch butterflies.
Lesson Materials
Lesson 3: Help My Animal Friend
Through a story and related activities, students pose questions along with the characters about monarch butterfly waystations and discuss how they can put one on their school grounds.
Lesson Materials
Project: Our Butterfly Waystation
In this project, students will design and plant a monarch butterfly waystation and make a plan to manage it.
Lesson Materials
Making Environmental Education Relevant for Students
Contextual-based learning is a teaching strategy that helps teachers relate subject matter content to real-world situations and encourages students to recognize the connection between the knowledge gained in the classroom and its application to their daily lives.
Contextual-based learning is a teaching strategy that helps teachers relate subject matter content to real-world situations and encourages students to recognize the connection between the knowledge gained in the classroom and its application to their daily lives. Teachers should integrate environmental education through contextual-based learning because it connects content to real-life and “centers on the belief that both the social context of the learning environment and the real, concrete context of knowing are pivotal to the acquisition and processing of knowledge.” (Source: Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, 2012).
A few of the strategies behind contextual-based learning include:
- Problem-based learning
- Cooperative learning
- Project-based learning
Learn more about the connection between environmental education and contextual-based learning on our blog!
Relevant Links
CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub
The Hub promotes environmental literacy by building educator awareness of environmental education community-based partners and their products and services and fosters educator-partner relationships for increased student enrichment and engagement.
California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI)
The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), led by Ten Strands, works statewide with guidance from a leadership council to create systems change in support of environmental literacy with a focus on access, equity, and cultural relevance for all students.
Ten Strands weaves stakeholders and strategies together into strong, focused education partnerships, with the goal of raising environmental literacy by providing high-quality environment-based learning and hands-on education to all California K–12 students. Ten Strands acts as an incubator and a catalyst to create collaborations, build capacity, and transform systems to increase their impact and sustainability.
PBS Grade K-2 Lesson: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
In this media-rich lesson featuring LOOP SCOOPS videos, students consider how the concept of “needs” vs. “wants” can help them think about ways to protect Earth’s natural resources by reducing, reusing, and recycling materials.
LEGO Grades 1-5 Lesson: Sort to Recycle
Students design a device that sorts objects using their physical properties, including shape and size.
CELF Grade 2 Project: Composting
Students start a composting program in the school in partnership with a local community garden. Students will also create a presentation to share with the school to raise awareness on the issues of waste.
Human Impact on the Elkhorn Slough and its Watershed
The multiple piece lesson focuses on observing human impacts on the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed and then applying that information to management questions.
Living with the Land: An Environmental Study through Ohlone Worldview
Living with the Land allows students to explore human relationships with the natural world from the perspective of Ohlone indigenous knowledge and contrasting western science approaches. By observing the wetland’s past and present, students learn about what wetlands provide and how humans impact this habitat.
News and Events
Climate Change Impacts on California Biodiversity
Aug. 12, 2021 California Native Plant Society
This lecture will provide an overview of the science behind species distributions, and our projections and evidence of how plants are shifting in response to climate change, followed by a discussion about implications for conservation.
What We Learned: Climate and the Environment with Director Debbie Raphael
Aug. 12, 2021 Manny’s
Climate change is here and making an impact in our daily lives. Now, as we return to relatively normal life, have we learned anything about our relationship with the environment and the opportunities to save it?
7th Annual UMD Environmental Justice and Health Disparities Symposium
Aug. 19, 2021 Community Engagement, EJ, & Health (CEEJH)
This event will convene numerous community members, nonprofit organizers, and researchers for an in-depth examination of ongoing environmental justice and health disparity issues affecting the DC-Maryland-Virginia region.
How Can We Learn When Our Earth is Burning?
Aug. 03, 2021 The 74
This July, air quality worsened from Oregon to Maine as wildfire smoke traveled across northern states. New Yorkers woke up to an orange sun, and Utah’s worst drought turned deadly as a sandstorm blocked visibility on a major highway.
How to make our cities greener, healthier, wilder, and fairer
Aug. 05, 2021 World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is collaborating with the Government of Colombia on BiodiverCities by 2030, a new global initiative to support city governments, businesses, and citizens to create an urban development model that works in harmony with nature.
As Enviro Education Tries To Keep Up With the Times, Govt Plans Stay Unclear
Aug. 05, 2021 The Wire
At present, Indian schools teach the environment as an infused subject. Several organizations are working to inculcate ideas about the environment and sustainable living among children. But the question remains: how far can these efforts go without the right policy?
How to cultivate environmental awareness at schools
Aug. 05, 2021 Nation of Change
How to tell children about ecology to show them respect for the environment and not turn such a lesson into a routine? Let’s take a deeper look at some options and how anyone can apply them in real life and class.
How joining a climate program could save Western Pennsylvania kids’ lives and lungs
Aug. 05, 2021 EHN
As Pennsylvania moves to join a regional greenhouse gas initiative, experts say it will also reduce toxics, foster healthier kids, and save the state billions. But GOP policymakers and industry groups remain opposed.
California’s Farmers Face Unprecedented Water Restrictions
Aug. 05, 2021 Gizmodo
The State Water Board moved to stop some Central Valley farmers from irrigating their crops with water diverted from rivers and streams.
This new technology could help cool people down—without electricity
Aug. 05, 2021 National Geographic
As climate change brings more extreme heat, air conditioning use is going to skyrocket, baking the planet even more. What if there were a way to cool without making warming worse?
Benefits of Contextual-Based Learning
Environmental education is rooted in teaching students about understanding the connection between natural and human systems, identifying environmental issues, problem-solving solutions, and taking actions that promote both individual and systemic change.
Environmental education is rooted in teaching students about understanding the connection between natural and human systems, identifying environmental issues, problem-solving solutions, and taking actions that promote both individual and systemic change. Teaching environmental education is often centered around creating awareness of environmental challenges in the community we live in and participating in activities that further student’s understanding of the world around us. Teachers should integrate environmental education through contextual-based learning because it connects content to real-life and “centers on the belief that both the social context of the learning environment and the real, concrete context of knowing are pivotal to the acquisition and processing of knowledge.” (Source: Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning, 2012).
One of the main ways that environmental education serves as a useful medium for contextual-based learning is that it is often introduced to students through a multi-disciplinary approach that is more reflective of the world we live in. Through this approach, teachers create lesson plans that cover a multitude of subjects, such as science, English, and math with an environmental topic as the foundation. This allows them to dive deep into the issue and uncover how it relates to their lives.
For example, if a kindergarten lesson investigates how human’s need for water impacts the environment, students can observe and analyze how humans use water through a series of images. They can also watch a video explaining irrigation and discuss with their classmates and teacher how humans affect the environment with their use of water. Students can then discuss the ways that human over-consumption of water affects local flora and fauna that also rely on water to thrive. Finally, students can identify ways that they can decrease their water consumption and begin working towards a solution. In this example, students cover a range of instructional standards and learn about a situation relevant to many students who live in drought-prone areas such as California. Teachers may even explore the outdoors with their students and observe the effects of drought first-hand. Contextual-based learning allows students to see environmental education in a way that is applicable to their daily lives.
A few of the strategies behind contextual-based learning include:
- Problem-based learning: an approach that engages learners in problem-solving investigations that integrate skills and concepts from many content areas. This approach includes gathering information around a question, synthesizing it, and presenting findings to others (Moffitt 2001).
- Cooperative learning: an approach that organizes instruction using small learning groups in which students work together to achieve learning goals (Holubec 2001).
- Project-based learning: an approach that focuses on the central concepts and principles of a discipline, involves students in problem-solving investigations and other meaningful tasks, allows students to work autonomously to construct their own learning, and culminates in realistic products (Buck Institute for Education 2001).
Green Guardians’ mission is to advance environmental literacy by providing teachers with the tools and resources to implement environmental education into their classroom curriculum. This year, in association with California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), Green Guardians has created the CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub (the Hub). The Hub is a directory of environmental education community-based partners for teachers, and administrators to identify and facilitate local and culturally relevant environmental-based programs for students. Additionally, through strategies such as contextual-based learning, Green Guardians has developed lessons that cover a wide range of environmental topics such as resource conservation, waste management, and pollution while addressing state instructional standards in English language arts, science, and math. The first two lessons are Bananas About Bananas and My Journey to Zero Waste.
Bananas About Bananas advances environmental literacy through a series of 3 lessons based on English language arts standards and science and is best suited for Kindergarten and First-grade learners. Through readings, games, and discussions, students trace the journey of a banana from the farm to the home and beyond! Students consider the environmental impact of the banana’s journey and envision a greener approach.
My Journey to Zero Waste is focused on waste management and the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle). The lesson series teaches environmental literacy for Kindergarten and Grade 1 through 5 lessons based on English language arts, math, and science standards. In the lesson, students explore their environmental impact through two birthday parties and the subsequent waste that is created or not created in each.
Teaching environmental education is attainable for all teachers, especially those who are equipped with the resources needed to integrate the subject into their curriculum. Teachers can sign up to be a part of our teacher network where we share new lesson plans (as well as pilot programs for teachers to participate in), updates on the Hub, environmental education news, and resources that help advance environmental literacy.
Sign up today to become a part of our Green Guardians Teacher Network!
Professional Development Programs
Environmental Educator Certification Program
California’s Environmental Educator Certification Program (EECP) draws together stewards and educators of the environment into a structured and effective initiative. Certification is a public declaration that a certain individual meets a stringent level of requirements and has a specific set of skills. The EECP enhances the legitimacy of the EE profession by building a uniform foundation in effectively teaching about the environment. Additionally, through participation in the certification program, educators increase their knowledge and skills, expand their professional network, enhance their resumes, and make important connections across the state.
Environteers.org and Environteers Weekly Update
The Environteers.org website and Weekly Update feature and promote all 102 environmental entities in Santa Cruz County. They both publicize environmental education activities and volunteer opportunities with the mission of making it easy to keep informed and in action protecting and restoring our environment. Environteers.org provides the most comprehensive resources for environmental information and action in Santa Cruz County.
Relevant Links
CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub
The Hub promotes environmental literacy by building educator awareness of environmental education community-based partners and their products and services and fosters educator-partner relationships for increased student enrichment and engagement.
California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI)
The California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI), led by Ten Strands, works statewide with guidance from a leadership council to create systems change in support of environmental literacy with a focus on access, equity, and cultural relevance for all students.
Ten Strands weaves stakeholders and strategies together into strong, focused education partnerships, with the goal of raising environmental literacy by providing high-quality environment-based learning and hands-on education to all California K–12 students. Ten Strands acts as an incubator and a catalyst to create collaborations, build capacity, and transform systems to increase their impact and sustainability.
PBS Grade K-2 Lesson: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
In this media-rich lesson featuring LOOP SCOOPS videos, students consider how the concept of “needs” vs. “wants” can help them think about ways to protect Earth’s natural resources by reducing, reusing, and recycling materials.
LEGO Grades 1-5 Lesson: Sort to Recycle
Students design a device that sorts objects using their physical properties, including shape and size.
CELF Grade 2 Project: Composting
Students are going to start a composting program in the school in partnership with a local community garden. Students will also create a presentation to share with the school to raise awareness on the issues of waste.
Human Impact on the Elkhorn Slough and its Watershed
The multiple piece lesson focuses on observing human impacts on the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed and then applying that information to management questions.
Living with the Land: An Environmental Study through Ohlone Worldview
Living with the Land allows students to explore human relationships with the natural world from the perspective of Ohlone indigenous knowledge and contrasting western science approaches. By observing the wetland’s past and present, students learn about what wetlands provide and how humans impact this habitat.
Copyright © Green Guardians Inc.
Crossword | Friday, August 6th, 2021
Do you have what it takes to be a Green Guardian? Test your knowledge with our environmental literacy crossword!
Environmental Literacy and Resource Conservation
This week, we are excited to highlight classroom lessons, experiential learning programs, and other resources surrounding the topic of land resource conservation. Our goal is to share tools that will improve student’s understanding of resource conservation and encourage environmental literacy.
This week, we are excited to highlight classroom lessons, experiential learning programs, and other resources surrounding the topic of land resource conservation. Our goal is to share tools that will improve student’s understanding of resource conservation and encourage environmental literacy.
Conservation can be defined as “the care and protection of the earth so it can persist for future generations through using natural resources responsibly” (Source: Educators 4 Social Change). It’s important to teach students about resource conservation because:
- They develop a greater appreciation for the natural resources used in their daily lives
- They feel more connected to nature and see themselves as having a role in its future
- They learn how to protect the land they live on and its natural resources
Learn more and see related lessons, projects, and additional resources on our blog!
Are you ready to take action and help advance environmental literacy for students? Sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest environmental education news and resources! SIGN UP HERE
Relevant Links
Programs
The Bay Discovery program brings students to the shoreline to gain a deeper understanding of San Francisco Bay, local wetlands, and our rich relationship to them. Save The Bay’s field staff lead students in educational activities that teach about the history and ecology of wetlands, as well as restoration activities that exhibit the positive impact we can have on our environment. After learning about threats such as climate change, pollution, and invasive species, participants engage in activities to restore the shoreline and improve habitat for a healthier, more sustainable San Francisco Bay for now and generations to come.
CA Department of Fish and Wildlife | Trout in the Classroom
Through a classroom experience of hatching fish eggs and coordinated activities, students experience first-hand the value of aquatic environments, the balance that must be met to maintain and preserve California’s fisheries and aquatic habitats, and how their personal actions affect these valuable resources. Instructors and their students set up an aquarium in the classroom, receive fish eggs under a special CDFW permit, and observe the fish as they hatch and develop.
Farm Discovery at Live Earth | Farm Field Trips
Through sustainable farming and hands-on nutrition education, Farm Discovery field trip participants learn how caring for themselves can also support healthy ecosystems, economies, and communities. Farm Discovery field trips (conducted throughout the school year) expand student understanding of environmental issues, farming, and nutrition through experiential activities on a working organic produce farm.
Human Impact on the Elkhorn Slough and its Watershed
The multiple piece lesson focuses on observing human impacts on the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed and then applying that information to management questions.
Living with the Land: An Environmental Study through Ohlone Worldview
Living with the Land allows students to explore human relationships with the natural world from the perspective of Ohlone indigenous knowledge and contrasting western science approaches. By observing the wetland’s past and present, students learn about what wetlands provide and how humans impact this habitat.
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History | Nature Rangers
Students practice being naturalists by making observations and comparing natural communities and different ecosystems as they go on a 2-mile hike through Pogonip Open Space Preserve. Thinking about nature as a system, physically connecting these ecosystems by walking through them and collecting data to compare them, help students better understand the environment and begin to realize they too are part of natural systems.
CA State Parks | PORTS On-Demand
Programs span across a variety of topics ranging from marine conservation to desert habitats, giant Sequoias to mysteries of the deep sea, and the snowy caps of the Northern Sierra to the sunny shores of Southern California. In addition to exploring natural resources and science, PORTS offers the opportunity to connect with our cultural and historic resources as well including restored indigenous heritage sites and preserved Gold Rush communities among countless others.
NatureBridge | School & Group Environmental Science in Yosemite National Park
Students spend their days immersed in nature, living and learning alongside their peers. Led in small groups by experienced educators, students engage in scientific principles firsthand, explore ecological concepts, collaborate with their classmates, and apply their learnings in real-time, all while discovering the joy of the outdoors.
Professional Development Programs
Environmental Educator Certification Program
California’s Environmental Educator Certification Program (EECP) draws together stewards and educators of the environment into a structured and effective initiative. Certification is a public declaration that a certain individual meets a stringent level of requirements and has a specific set of skills. The EECP enhances the legitimacy of the EE profession by building a uniform foundation in effectively teaching about the environment. Additionally, through participation in the certification program, educators increase their knowledge and skills, expand their professional network, enhance their resumes, and make important connections across the state.
Environteers.org and Environteers Weekly Update
The Environteers.org website and Weekly Update feature and promote all 102 environmental entities in Santa Cruz County. They both publicize environmental education activities and volunteer opportunities with the mission of making it easy to keep informed and in action protecting and restoring our environment. Environteers.org provides the most comprehensive resources for environmental information and action in Santa Cruz County.
Applicable Lesson Plans
News and Events
Urban Nature-Based Early Childhood Education
Aug. 02-23, 2021 Urban Ecology Center
This course will scaffold experiences that show you how to accomplish early childhood learning goals through nature-based experiences and outdoor exploration.
Intro to Electric Vehicle Lessons for Schools: Southern California
Aug. 11, 2021 Ecorise
This interactive workshop will provide an opportunity for teachers to experience lessons related to their scope and sequence and explore the curriculum and resource platform.
Communicating Climate Change
Aug 14-15, 2021 Genspace NYC
Gain skills to connect with people from all walks of life about your science and climate change in a compelling and meaningful way.
These 10 States Are Leading Solar Energy Installation in 2021
Jul. 21, 2021 EcoWatch
Solar energy has been among the fastest-growing sources of power generation in the U.S. in recent years, catapulting from 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of generation in 2010 to over 90.1 billion kWh in 2020…
Scientists understood physics of climate change in the 1800s – thanks to a woman named Eunice Foote
Jul. 22, 2021 The Conversation
Long before the current political divide over climate change, and even before the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), an American scientist named Eunice Foote documented the underlying cause of today’s climate change crisis.
Catching fire: AI is helping scarce firefighters better predict blazes
Jul. 22, 2021 Thomson Reuters Foundation News
With climate change driving worsening U.S. wildfires, machine learning and statistical models let firefighters map out ahead of time how and where blazes might spread.
Global restoration now has an online meeting point
Jul. 23, 2021 Mongabay
Restor is a map-based, open-source platform created so that people can better plan, manage and monitor restoration projects. The locations of more than 50,000 restoration and conservation initiatives are now registered on the platform.
Is Climate Change Reshaping The Future of International Diplomacy?
Jul. 27, 2021 Earth.org
Could the environmental crisis be one of such massive proportions that it transcends political squabbles, and even become a tool for international peacebuilding?
Why climate change education needs more empathy
Jul. 28, 2021 OUPblog
As citizens of this planet, we remain at an impasse when it comes to drastically changing the course of our environmental futures. At the heart of this impasse are climate change and the future of human and more-than-human survival.
Honeybees are transforming the lives of mangrove farmers in Viet Nam – here’s how
Jul. 29, 2021 World Economic Forum
Climate change is forcing farmers to adapt and find sustainable farming techniques. To close employment gaps, local farmers have been training as beekeepers since 2017. The project aims to protect at least 129,000 people through mangrove regeneration by 2022.
Crossword | Friday, July 30th, 2021
Do you have what it takes to be a Green Guardian? Test your knowledge with our environmental literacy crossword!
Land Resource Conservation | Programs and Resources
Many students today don’t realize the great impact our actions have on our natural environment. With technology playing such a dominant role in students’ lives, many feel disconnected from nature as they experience much of the world through a screen.
Many students today don’t realize the great impact our actions have on our natural environment. With technology playing such a dominant role in students’ lives, many feel disconnected from nature as they experience much of the world through a screen. This issue is often referred to as “Nature Deficit Disorder” and one way we can combat it is through educating students about nature and the impact they have on our resources with their everyday actions (Source: Natural Habitat Adventures)
“We rely on wilderness not only to inspire and enjoy but also to protect our watersheds, clean the air we breathe, and provide a home for the diverse species that enrich our world.”
NRDC.org
We are highlighting the importance of teaching resource conservation because it is a crucial topic that students should be aware of as we face the climate crisis in our midst. Conservation can be defined as: “the care and protection of the earth so it can persist for future generations through using natural resources responsibly” (Source: Educators 4 Social Change). Today we are focusing on the subdomain of land resource conservation, which focuses on protecting wildlife and untouched land from the “threats of industrial development, commercial exploitation, pollution, and climate change” (Source: Natural Resource Defense Council).
Why Should Students Learn About Land Resource Conservation?
- Students who learn about resource conservation recognize how individual actions affect our larger society and environment
- They develop a greater appreciation for the natural resources used in their daily lives
- They feel more connected to nature and see themselves as having a role in its future
- They learn how to protect the land they live on and its natural resources
What are the Benefits of Teaching Land Resource Conservation?
- Teachers can prepare students to take action as the next generation who will be at the peak of climate change’s effects on our environment
- Teachers can connect the world of technology to the natural environment to engage student’s interest in how our use of a land’s natural resources directly relates to the use of technology
- It can be fun and engaging for students to see local contributions to resource conservation
- Teachers can encourage engagement in resource conservation from students beyond the classroom
What are Environmental Education Programs Doing in Land Resource Conservation?
The Bay Discovery program brings students to the shoreline to gain a deeper understanding of San Francisco Bay, local wetlands, and our rich relationship with them. Save The Bay’s field staff lead students in educational activities that teach about the history and ecology of wetlands, as well as restoration activities that exhibit the positive impact we can have on our environment. After learning about threats such as climate change, pollution, and invasive species, participants engage in activities to restore the shoreline and improve habitat for a healthier, more sustainable San Francisco Bay for now and generations to come.
CA Department of Fish and Wildlife | Trout in the Classroom
Through a classroom experience of hatching fish eggs and coordinated activities, students experience first-hand the value of aquatic environments, the balance that must be met to maintain and preserve California’s fisheries and aquatic habitats, and how their personal actions affect these valuable resources. Instructors and their students set up an aquarium in the classroom, receive fish eggs under a special CDFW permit, and observe the fish as they hatch and develop.
Farm Discovery at Live Earth | Farm Field Trips
Through sustainable farming and hands-on nutrition education, Farm Discovery field trip participants learn how caring for themselves can also support healthy ecosystems, economies, and communities. Farm Discovery field trips (conducted throughout the school year) expand student understanding of environmental issues, farming, and nutrition through experiential activities on a working organic produce farm.
Human Impact on the Elkhorn Slough and its Watershed
The multiple piece lesson focuses on observing human impacts on the Elkhorn Slough and its watershed and then applying that information to management questions.
Living with the Land: An Environmental Study through Ohlone Worldview
Living with the Land allows students to explore human relationships with the natural world from the perspective of Ohlone indigenous knowledge and contrasting western science approaches. By observing the wetland’s past and present, students learn about what wetlands provide and how humans impact this habitat.
Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History | Nature Rangers
Students practice being naturalists by making observations and comparing natural communities and different ecosystems as they go on a 2-mile hike through Pogonip Open Space Preserve. Thinking about nature as a system, physically connecting these ecosystems by walking through them and collecting data to compare them, help students better understand the environment and begin to realize they too are part of natural systems.
CA State Parks | PORTS On-Demand
Programs span across a variety of topics ranging from marine conservation to desert habitats, giant Sequoias to mysteries of the deep sea, and the snowy caps of the Northern Sierra to the sunny shores of Southern California. In addition to exploring natural resources and science, PORTS offers the opportunity to connect with our cultural and historic resources as well including restored indigenous heritage sites and preserved Gold Rush communities among countless others.
NatureBridge | School & Group Environmental Science in Yosemite National Park
Students spend their days immersed in nature, living and learning alongside their peers. Led in small groups by experienced educators, students engage in scientific principles firsthand, explore ecological concepts, collaborate with their classmates, and apply their learnings in real-time, all while discovering the joy of the outdoors.
Professional Development Programs
Environmental Educator Certification Program
California’s Environmental Educator Certification Program (EECP) draws together stewards and educators of the environment into a structured and effective initiative. Certification is a public declaration that a certain individual meets a stringent level of requirements and has a specific set of skills. The EECP enhances the legitimacy of the EE profession by building a uniform foundation in effectively teaching about the environment. Additionally, through participation in the certification program, educators increase their knowledge and skills, expand their professional network, enhance their resumes, and make important connections across the state.
Environteers.org and Environteers Weekly Update
The Environteers.org website and Weekly Update feature and promote all 102 environmental entities in Santa Cruz County. They both publicize environmental education activities and volunteer opportunities with the mission of making it easy to keep informed and in action protecting and restoring our environment. Environteers.org provides the most comprehensive resources for environmental information and action in Santa Cruz County.
Applicable Lesson Plans
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