Welcome to the Utah Society for Environmental Education (USEE) E-Newsletter! This publication exists to connect educators and our community with valuable news, information, and opportunities!
Whether you are an educator, business owner, agency personnel, or a concerned citizen…we hope that you will find something useful and interesting in each month’s publication!
In This Issue:
USEE News
Community Corner
Environmental Education News
Educator’s Corner
EE Jobs
USEE News
Upcoming Events
Project Learning Tree Secondary Educator Workshop
April 27, 2007 ~ Clearfield High School (11:30am – 3:30pm)
Join us for an exciting workshop featuring two Project Learning Tree secondary modules: Municipal Solid Waste and Places We Live. There is a $15 registration fee; all attendees receive copies of both activity guides. For more information or to register, contact Staci Strenkert at (801) 328-1549 or staci@usee.org. Space is limited, so register early!
News
Search for New USEE Executive Director
At the end of April, we must bid farewell to Jennifer Visitacion, our current Executive Director, who will be relocating to Syracuse, NY with her family. In the past three and a half years, Jen has done a phenomenal job in shaping USEE into the organization it is today, building a foundation with a strong vision, a vital mission, and exciting future ahead of us. To ensure that we build on our current momentum, we are also pleased to announce that USEE’s Board of Directors has appointed Adrienne Cachelin, USEE’s Past President, as the Interim Executive Director while we conduct a national search to fill this position. To view a detailed job description, please visit http://usee.org/USEE-ED2007.pdf.
Community Corner
Upcoming Events
Calling all Weed Warriors!
April 14 & 21, 2007 @ the Salt Lake REI Store
Myrtle spurge is a highly invasive garden plant rapidly spreading in our foothills and canyons. Help stop the spread by removing your spurge plants and trading them in at the Salt Lake City REI store for Utah native plants and water-wise perennials. Visit www.weeds.slco.org or call (801) 468-2861 for details.
Exploring Biodiversity in the Philippines ~ Utah Museum of Natural History
April 24, 2007 ~ SLC, UT @ the Main Library Auditorium (6:30pm)
Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, as well as thousands of insects and other invertebrates are found exclusively within the Philippines. Join Dr. Rickart for a discussion about the scientific exploration and conservation of biodiversity within the Philippines. Visit www.umnh.utah.edu for details.
5th Annual Fly with the Flock 5K Fun Run ~ Ogden Nature Center
May 12, 2007 ~ Ogden, UT (early bird registration May 1st)
Enjoy the great outdoors and a fun, physical morning at the Ogden Nature Center. The beauty of the wildlife sanctuary is the setting for this spirited 5K and is a great training run for the Ogden Marathon the following week. To register, visit www.ogdennaturecenter.org.
Annual Plant Sale ~ Wasatch Community Gardens
May 12, 2007 ~ Rowland Hall Lower School (8:00-1:00pm)
Heirloom, organic vegetable plants and drought-tolerant perennials! New, unique, and hard-to-find plants and garden goodies! Shopping help will be available from Plant Experts. Visit www.wasatchgardens.org for more information on this great sale!
Live Green Festival
May 12, 2007 @ Library Square in Downtown Salt Lake (10:00-6:00pm)
Learn about the various green resources in your community. This year's event features alternative transportation exhibits, sustainable building businesses, a locally-grown yard and garden sale, organic food vendors, an eco-friendly beer garden, live music, and more. Visit www.downtownslc.org/events/live-green.htm for details.
3rd Annual Swaner Nature Preserve Nature Festival Insert:
June 2, 2007 ~ Park City, UT @ the Basin Recreation Field House (11:00-3:00pm)
Craving information on local environmental issues? Want to turn trash into treasures; design a native, xeriscape garden; or learn the keys to wildlife photography while enjoying lively bluegrass music? The event is free & open to the public, and promises something for everyone. For details, visit www.swanernaturepreserve.org. Please walk, bike, carpool, or take the bus!
Community News
Flying WILD Bird Egg-ucation Gets Crackin’
Recently, the Division of Wildlife Resources and Tracy Aviary have teamed together on a program called Flying WILD. They have developed a “bird-specific” program teaching students all about our feathery avian friends from bird nests, bills, and eggs, to their migration patterns and impact on ecosystems. By fostering this knowledge in students, their hope is to create a connection with the world around them, as well as an awareness of conservation issues. To learn more about this program, email info@tracyaviary.org or DianaVos@utah.gov.
(Source: Deseret Morning News)
Did You Know..?
…That YOU can Start Saving Energy & Money Today..!
Questar
Thermwise (www.thermwise.com), offers cash rebates to residents and businesses that upgrade washers and dryers, add insulation, or replace windows, furnaces, boilers, or water heaters. Also available is a $25 home auditing program that assesses what things can be done to reduce your need for gas, like insulating or using a programmable thermostat. After implementing the audit recommendations, the $25 is refunded.
Rocky Mountain Power
• Cool Keeper gives you a small annual kickback ($20) to put a remote audit device on your AC unit that can then help reduce the regional energy load and avoid potential blackouts.
• FinAnswer program requires some technical analysis and can help you fund up to 50% of the upgrade to an energy efficient system.
• FinAnswer Express is a more prescriptive program and is useful for simple upgrades or more phased energy efficient upgrading.
• Cool Cash gives money to you when you buy a high efficiency evaporative or central air unit.
• Home Energy Savings is a program to help fund upgrades to the shell of your home (insulation).
• See You Later Refrigerator gives you cash for replacing an old refrigerator with an efficient one. (The best part about this is that they will pick up the old one!)
• Solar Incentive Program gives you $2/watt when you buy PV systems. (This in conjunction with the tax credits can make these systems more affordable!)
Visit http://www.rockymtnpower.net/Article/Article36338.html or call (888) 221-7070 for more details on these programs.
Tax Incentives
There are various state and federal Energy Tax Credits available to both residential and commercial systems. To learn more about these options, please visit www.geology.utah.gov/sep/incentives/index.htm.
(Information courtesy of Angela Dean, AMD Architecture www.amdarchitecture.com)
Environmental Education News & Events
Local
2nd Annual Westminster College Earth Day Festival
April 18, 2007 ~ Westminster Campus (12:00-2:00pm)
Come celebrate Westminster’s new environmental programs and partnerships! Don’t miss out on a day of celebration with food, music, and information from various local environmental groups. You might also find opportunities here for summer internships and jobs!
Earth Day Celebration ~ Ogden Nature Center (ONC)
April 21, 2007 (12:00-4:00pm)
Earth Day is a day of education, celebration, and action for the world in which we live. Expect earth-friendly vendors, exhibitors, entertainment, food, and activities at the ONC. Explore the trails, visit the picnic grove and Treehouse, and enjoy the views. Entrance is $1 per person, or free if you ride the bus or bike! For details, call (801) 621-7595.
Earth Jam 2007
April 22, 2007 ~ Liberty Park; Salt Lake City, UT (10:00-9:00pm)
Kick off Earth Day at Liberty Park and enjoy great music from folk and bluegrass to Rock and Jazz, dance to the beat of a drum circle, watch belly dancers perform, and check out all of the great information about Earth Day at this exciting event. For more information, visit www.earthjam.org.
Summer Programs Kick-Off ~ Stokes Nature Center (SNC)
April 28, 2007 ~ Logan, UT @ Stokes Nature Center
Help SNC celebrate the upcoming spring and summer by participating in a day filled with free crafts, activities, and programs. While enjoying these activities, you can check out what programs SNC has to offer this summer! Visit www.logannature.org for details.
Bear River Symposium & and Utah Nonpoint Source Pollution Conference ~ Call for Abstracts!
(Utah State University-Logan, UT)
Abstracts due May 11, 2007
This conference will be held on September 5-7, 2007, and will cover a range of interests in watershed science and management including special sessions on the Bear River Watershed and the Bear River Watershed Information System. They are now calling for abstracts for oral presentations and posters and should be submitted online at www.bearriverinfo.org. Scholarships are also available.
For a list of additional Earth Day 2007 events occurring in Utah, check out the Department of Environmental Quality’s website at www.deq.utah.gov/EarthDay/index.htm.
NATIONAL
Sign up for National Environmental Education (EE) Week!
April 15-22, 2007
Now in its third year, EE Week seeks to enhance the educational impact of Earth Day and create a full week of environmental education preparation, learning, and activities. Get involved and learn how to host a hike, coordinate a litter pick-up, or just download some classroom lesson plans by visiting http://www.eeweek.org today!
National Wildlife Week
April 21, 2007
During this week-long observance, you can help connect people with nature in your own neighborhood. Get a group of people together and make a difference for your community. Choose from environmental service projects to help create healthy habitats, connect people with nature, or design your own project. Visit www.nwf.org/nationalwildlifeweek/ to learn more!
Educator’s Corner
Professional Development/ Training Opportunities
The Grant Institute ~ Grants 101: Professional Grant Proposal Writing Workshop
May 16-18, 2007 ~ SLC, UT @ Westminster College
Looking for an intensive and detailed introduction to the process, structure, and skill of professional proposal writing? Here it is! Interested development professionals, researchers, faculty, and graduate students should register as soon as possible. All participants will receive certification in professional grant writing from the Institute. For more information call (888) 824-4424 or visit www.thegrantinstitute.com.
Sawtooth Science Institute (SSI) 2007 Workshops
Ongoing-Spring/Summer
Looking to expand your knowledge of moon craters, swamp creatures & desert wetlands, or high country plants in a beautiful Idahoan setting? If so, then look to SSI! SSI provides a wide array of workshops for just about anyone. Visit http://imnh.isu.edu/ssi/ for details.
EE Online Courses - Fundamentals of Environmental Education and Applied Environmental Education Program Evaluation
Summer and Fall 2007 Course Dates
The courses are designed to provide educators with the knowledge and skills to incorporate quality environmental education into their instruction and assist environmental educators and natural resource professionals in evaluating their education programs, respectively. Scholarships are also available. For more information, contact Angela Lemar Angela. Lemar@uwsp.edu.
Teacher Resources
New Biodiversity Online Secondary Module
Exploring Environmental Issues: Biodiversity is a new addition to the PLT collection for secondary students to investigate the environment. Educators and students get a broader view of concepts and larger connections - not just biological, but political, cultural, ethical, and economic as well. Educators can use online materials at www.plt.org/cms/pages/36_124_120.html.
Planet Earth - Earth Day Marathon
April 22, 2007
Planet Earth showcases global habitats from deep oceans to mountains in unparalleled detail. The 11-part series began airing on March 25th and concludes with an 11-hour Earth Day marathon showing each episode. Don’t miss it! http://dsc.discovery.com/guides/planetearth/planetearth.html
Grants & Awards
Gloria Barron Prize for Young Eco-Heroes
Deadline: April 30, 2007
Currently, the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes is seeking nominations for its 2007 awards. This award honors young people 8-18 years of age who have shown leadership and courage in public service to people and our planet. Each year, 10 national winners receive $2,000 to support their service work or higher education. Visit www.barronprize.org/ to nominate someone today!
PLT Expands Greenworks! Service-Learning Program
Deadline for proposals: April 30, 2007
This year, PLT is making $100,000 available for "learning-by-doing" environmental projects that:
- Partner PLT educators and their students with local businesses or community organizations
Combine academics with community service - Engage elementary through college-age students in active learning about the environment
- Provide opportunities for student leadership
For more information, visit www.plt.org/cms/pages/31_41_44.html.
2007 Presidential Awards For Excellence In Mathematics And Science Teaching (PAEMST) Seeks Nominations
Nomination Deadline: May 1, 2007
Each year, The White House recognizes outstanding mathematics and science teachers for the PAEMST. The program recognizes exemplary math and science teachers for their content knowledge and ability to show evidence of student progress in these areas. To nominate a 7-12th grade teacher, visit www.paemst.org.
Brower Youth Award
Deadline: May 15, 2007
The annual Brower Youth Award recognizes six young people for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and social justice advocacy. To learn more about this opportunity, or to apply, visit www.broweryouthawards.org/article.php?list=type&type=12.
Upcoming Art Contests & Challenges
- Earth Day Art Poster Contest (Entries due April 14, 2007)
K-5th graders are invited to combine their artistic talents with their love for the earth by entering the Ogden Nature Center's (ONC) Earth Day Art Poster Contest, themed “Take Action!” For guidelines, please call the Ogden Nature Center at (801) 621-7595.
Swaner Nature Festival Art Challenge (Submissions due May 4, 2007)
Fourth-12th grade Summit County students are invited to submit a piece of art with the theme “Swaner Nature Preserve throughout the Seasons.” The 12 winning pieces of artwork will be used to create a 2008 Swaner Nature Preserve calendar and appear on their website. Call or email Erin Spear at (435) 649-1767 or erin@swanernature.org with questions.
- Earth Day Photo Contest for Students (Deadline: May 9, 2007)
During Earth Day week, 5th-8th graders can participate in the Institute for Global Environmental Studies (IGES) photo contest by submitting their own photo of something that is changing in their local environment. Winners may receive cash, a commemorative photo, and the publication of his/her photo on the IGES website. Visit www.strategies.org/EarthDayPhoto for details.
- Breakfast with the Birds: Nature & Conservation (Deadline: June 8, 2007)
Tracy Aviary is currently seeking entries for a juried exhibition in conjunction with their annual Breakfast with the Birds fundraiser. Selected pieces will be auctioned off with a portion of the proceeds going to the artist. Open to artists of all ages. Submissions must reflect the theme of Nature and Conservation. Contact Themill@tracyaviary.org with questions.
EE Jobs
Executive Director ~ Utah Society for Environmental Education
Salt Lake City, UT (Open until filled)
Please visit http://usee.org/USEE-ED2007.pdf for a detailed job description, as well as instruction on how to apply.
Naturalist Training ~ Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center
Lake Superior in Finland, MN (Positions start in late August)
Please visit www.wolf-ridge.org/staff/positions.html for more information.
For a list of additional environmental education job/internship opportunities visit USEE’s EE Jobs page: http://usee.org/eeinfo/jobs.html.