A Winter Gathering: A Below Zero Workshop for Educators

Join us for a day of fun in the snow on February 17!

When the climate changes to a cold, snowy, rainy season, what happens to the wildlife?  Do most animals hibernate, migrate or change their behavior to survive? Does life stop under frozen ice or does a dynamic world exist in a modified habitat?

Below Zero answers all these questions and more as it takes a close look at life in Canada in the winter.

Geared for grades K-12, this workshop is designed for educators who want to awaken their learners to an appreciation of the uniqueness of the winter season, plant and wildlife adaptations, habitat and ecological principles, and responsible human actions. The accompanying guide offers 46 brand-new activities appropriate for K-12, youth and adult learners.

Participants will spend the day snowshoeing outdoors, lead by trained facilitators Monica Nissen and Lee-Anne Walker.

Where: Kimberley Nature Park - Meet at the Alpen Kaffee in Kimberley, 1690 Warren Avenue, no later than 9 am. Click here for a map.

When: Friday, February 17. 9 am - 2 pm.

To Register: Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

What to bring:

• Warm clothes (gore-tex or similar shell jacket and pants, extra fleece, wool sweater or down jacket). We recommend you dress in layers to allow for varying activity levels.
• A toque, mitts or gloves (bring an extra pair), and snow boots, hiking boots or gaitors
• Ski poles and snowshoes if you have them. If you don’t, we will have some you can borrow, but please let us know so we can be sure we’ll have enough.
• Bagged lunch and high-energy snacks (as litterless as possible please!)
• Water bottle or thermos
• Journal or clipboard with paper, and a pencil
• Binoculars and natural history field guide(s) (optional)

See our event poster below, or download a PDF version here.

This event is possible thanks to support from Columbia Basin Trust.

Request for Presentations: 2012 Project WET Conference

Submission Deadline: March 31, 2012

The Project WET USA conference team requests proposals for presentations from educators, policymakers, businesses, municipalities, program designers, implementers and practitioners, proposals that focus on school districts in partnership with local organizations to provide a community-based approach to water education and all others interested in water education.

The goal of the conference is to increase the knowledge and capacity of conference participants to effectively reach children, parents, educators and communities of the world with water education. In the interest of innovation, engaging and interactive presentations are encouraged.

Presentations must address one of the following strands:

Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) in Water Education
This strand will focus on increasing student success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and increase educators’ capacity to include STEM subjects in their curricula. Of particular interest are proposals that address integration of water-related topics and the implementation of STEM education in a manner that reflects the interdependence of the four STEM subjects, as well as proposals that focus on partnerships involving school districts, community colleges, four-year institutions, and business and industry to provide a comprehensive community-based approach to STEM and water education.

Pedagogy & Water Education
The Pedagogy and Water Education Strand provides the opportunity to examine best practices for integrating water-related environmental education into the PreK-16 educational system at the local, state and federal levels and improving environ- mental literacy across the nation.

ActionEducation™ & Water Education
What are the most successful methods for addressing the most important water challenges of the day with water education and action education? This strand includes a wide array of topics and strategies such as: Watersheds, Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in water, Risk (drought and floods), Weather and climate change, Ground water, Water and energy, Storm water and Water conservation.

Technology & Other Water Education Topics
  Converging web, mobile, and social technologies have generated a level of communication and interaction never before possible. The Technology in Water Education strand seeks to explore the transformational potential that these innovations hold for education and training, as well as share current research and best practices related to these developments.

Download the Presentation Request Form here.

Finding Balance: A Forum on Community, Environment and Economy

Economics meets the Environment in Invermere
Finding Balance Forum, March 2nd & 3rd
Register As Soon as Possible

“What’s the value of our environment as it relates to economics?” It’s a question that has garnered much attention in national and international media as of late.

Finding Balance is an event that discusses and connects economics with the environment and is being held in Invermere, BC on March 2 and 3. Finding Balance is an ‘Economic and Environmental Forum’ that brings economists, researchers and other innovators together with the public to discuss and review the environment and economics.  We’d be pleased if you could join us!

“There’s been an exceptional amount of interest in an event of this type in our region and we’re pleased to see how much attention the Forum’s already garnered,” said event organizer Juri Peepre.

The Forum is comprised of an evening keynote event at 7:30 PM, Friday March 2nd, and an all-day public seminar March 3.

Friday’s keynote event is presented by Mark Anielski, renowned speaker and authour of ‘The Economics of Happiness: Discovering Genuine Wealth’ and will be held at 7:30 pm at the Invermere Community Hall. Saturday’s event sees presentations from Dr. Richard Kool on “The Economics of ‘Local’ and the Positive Psychology of the ‘Nearby’”;  Amy Robinson presents Greening and Sustaining Small Business and the power of local business networks; and John Thompson hosts The Economic Impacts and Benefits of Protected Areas and their role in the larger economy. There will also be a panel discussion on building a conservation economy in the East Kootenays and Columbia Valley.

“There’s often a disconnect between the value of our environment and how it’s relevant to our communities. This forum aims to address the issue and seeks to provide clarity about the worth of where we live,” said Peepre.

Interest is high and capacity is limited and attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets for the event as soon as possible. To obtain tickets for the entire event or for select portions, visit www.Wildsight.ca.

The event is being hosted by Wildsight, an environmental group celebrating over 25 years of working for the environment with communities and people in Canada’s Columbia and Southern Rocky Mountain region.

To register visit http://www.wildsight.ca/findingbalance

For questions or requests for further information regarding the event, please contact:

Juri Peepre
250-688-1005    
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Green Learning announces new online community for teaching about climate change

Green Learning is very pleased to announce COOL 2.0, a powerful new online community for teaching and learning about climate change! COOL 2.0 gives you access to hundreds of teaching resources on energy, the environment, and sustainability. Look for resources created by Canadian teachers, GreenLearning Canada, and many of our partner ENGOs — among them, UNICEF Canada, Sustainability Frontiers, Biosphere, Wild BC, and Earth Day Canada. COOL 2.0 also provides you with a robust web 2.0 platform for customizing resources, creating assignments, and connecting with colleagues.

What can you do at cool.greenlearning.ca?

• Access lesson plans and activities, videos, research and data, and collaborative projects.
• Search for teaching resources by keyword, grade level, subject, province, language, and more.
• Use Teacher Space to tailor COOL 2.0 resources for your students.
• Create assignments that integrate blogs, mapping, online discussions, and media galleries.
• Exchange ideas in the Teacher Forum, meet colleagues, and team up to collaborate on class projects.

To create COOL 2.0, we initially hosted a design retreat with teachers, youth leaders, curriculum consultants, and ministry of education representatives from across Canada. With a design blueprint in hand, we then partnered with TakingITGlobal, a number of leading energy and environment education organizations, as well as Canadian ministries of education. Visit the COOL 2.0 Partners page for a list of current partners.

COOL 2.0 is free to teachers, thanks to generous support by TD Bank and the Suncor Energy Foundation. Log in to COOL 2.0 with your GreenLearning ID and password, or register on the COOL 2.0 homepage.

Discover the best in climate change education at COOL 2.0!

Living Within a Watershed: Creating Urban Water Systems That Go With The Flow

Join Waterlution for the first Future of Water Workshop of 2012!

Waterlution is seeking diverse, outstanding young leaders with a passion for water to attend as participants—download the complete application here!

When: March 9-11

Where: Maple Ridge, British Columbia

Who: Proven leaders aged 18-35 yrs

Overview: The objective of this weekend-long workshop is to explore the application of integrated watershed management best practices in Vancouver’s Lower Mainland. To build the capacity of communities to create healthy and productive communities while sustainably managing its watersheds and water resources by engaging tomorrow’s decision makers in experiential, meaningful exploration of sustainable urban praactices. Learn more at http://bit.ly/AiYlDg.

Deadline to apply: February 20, 2012—Apply now!</strong><./p>