World Wetlands Day
February 2nd marks the annual celebration of wetlands. Wetlands are one the most valuable ecosystems on the plant. They act as giant sponges or reservoirs which helps mitigate flooding. Our area is filled with wetlands and wetland areas that have been filled or dug out for building and other human purposes. Helping our students get acquainted with this feature of our local Earthscape is beneficial in understanding our local water system and interconnections between aquatic and land creatures.
The World Wetlands Day site has a wealth of links with ideas and activities to get your students energized about this ecosystem.
The SPLASH! site has some information about our local wetlands and other links for learning.
Celebrating Black Environmentalists
5 Black Heroes of the Environmental Movement
SF Environment-a long list of current and historic change makers
Op Ed: What the Climate Movement can learn from Black History
The Environmental Justice Movement is Rooted in Black History
Wangari Mathaai-The Green Belt Movement
Watch Wangari Maathai's "Taking Root with the link below. (1:20)
STEM Teaching Tools #79
How can we confront and dismantle systemic racism through science learning?
Science is often seen as objective and neutral; however, science is a subjective human endeavor shaped by issues of power and oppression. Science teaching and learning often leaves untouched a status quo that threatens the physical, emotional, psychological, and intellectual well-being of historically minoritized learners, especially students from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. Science educators must consider questions of racial injustice and anti-Blackness in the history of science, dominant assumptions about what counts as science, representations of who engages in scientific practices, and how we teach these topics.
STEM Teaching Tools- # 70
How can environmental educators practice intersectional environmentalism?
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities have histories of environmentalism and relationships with land that are often made invisible in environmental education. At the same time, BIPOC communities face disproportionate social and environmental injustices. Environmental educators must foreground the diverse ways that BIPOC’s lived experiences, community practices, adaptive resilience, and social justice movements can undergird environmentalism. This can help desettle white-dominant narratives and build relationships between humans and with the natural world.
To dig in further: STEM Teaching Tools Climate Learning
Oregon22 Making Tracks
The Crayfish Study by The River Mile
FREE: Investigating Crayfish Live Online Training -
April 24th, 9:00 - 1:30, and May 1st, 1:00 - 2:00
The River Mile is offering an upcoming opportunity to learn more about the Crayfish Study. and the educational resources and opportunities available.
Learn to engage grade 2-12 students in fascinating crayfish studies in this hands-on training. Gain the confidence to participate with The River Mile Network’s Crayfish Study to support important research by scientists and wildlife managers. Purpose of the Crayfish Study.
Ecology Opportunity for teachers from Diack Ecology Education!
These FREE opportunities aren't to be missed. The training sounds very fun and hands-on and it lends itself to identifying a project you'd like funding for to get your students outside on the regular in the name of science! The grant is the simplest grant to write I've seen in years...so check it out!
-->Free teacher training focused on field-based science inquiry-August 16-18, 2022 @ Silver Falls State Park. Check out the Flyer for more info.
-->And...
$2000-$4000 Grants for Teachers and Students for Field-based Ecology Research:
Get your students back outside with support from the Diack Ecology Education Program
Click here for Grant Details.
Contact Mike Weddle at mkweddle@comcast.net to register or for grant questions/submissions.
4J Climate Justice High School Students featured on the City Club Radio Show
In January, 4J Climate Justice Students had the opportunity to share their climate stories and ideas about integrating climate change across the subject areas K-12. Here's a link to hear what our students had to say.
The 4J Climate Justice Team is a network of students and staff across district. The team’s goal is implementing PK-12 climate education in schools within 4J, with a broader aim of sharing successful strategies statewide. They are currently focusing on ways to infuse climate education into existing K-12 curriculum across subjects, as well as ways to bring sustainable practices to all buildings in the district.
Join the 4J Climate Justice Team
The 4J Climate Justice Team is open to all 4J staff and students. (Note: Parents and interested community members will be included at a later date).
Our goal is to create learning opportunities regarding climate change for Pre-K through 12th grade students, as well as highlight/establish sustainable practices district wide and support student clubs in actionable projects. There are many ways to be involved with subcommittees-curriculum, student clubs, potential for several subgroups and many ways to be involved that may work for you.
We will meet via zoom the second Tuesday of each month. Our next meeting is Tuesday, February 8 @ 3:45.
Passcode: climate
And, if you can't make it, please use this link to join the team and tell us how you'd like to be involved in 4J Climate Justice work this year!
Climate change on your mind?
If you want to...
- include climate change in your teaching
- brainstorm ways to connect students to the climate crisis with hope and solution
- access resources regarding energy, water, climate
- start an Eco Club in your building
- support food waste in your building
- learn more about how to conserve resources
- engage your students in action projects
- access ideas to get your students outside regularly
...it's Eco Chick at your service!
Email me to set up a consultation meeting: shepard_t@4j.lane.edu
4J/EWEB Education Partnership
TOSA-Climate, Energy, Conservation
Email: shepard_t@4j.lane.edu
Website: https://bit.ly/4J-eep
Phone: 541.790.5533