AEOE 2007 Statewide Spring Conference:Connecting with Community Sierra Outdoor School, Sonora, CA April 27-29, 2007 Workshop Descriptions(by strand) |
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Workshops subject to change, last minute cancellations, revisions and additions
Building Community within Student Populations
Teambuilding Treasures – Holly Austin, Cuyamaca Outdoor School – Are you looking for a fun way to help your students get to know each other and work together as a team? This workshop will describe a social growth program called "I C.A.R.E." and teambuilding activities to support it. "I C.A.R.E." stands for Integrity, Cooperation, Attitude, Respect, and Esteem. After a brief talk about the program, participants will have the opportunity to get involved with hands-on activities and stories that teach the theme. You will find these activities to be effective on the trail, in the cabin, and even in the classroom.
Fostering a Sense of Community Experientially – Jeff Jacobs, Cal Poly State University - What to do and share so students and staff, within minutes, will feel like they belong. This unique and interactive session will help attendees foster a sense of community with a broad range of groups. Participants will walk away with multiple action steps that they can implement immediately, that will improve and enhance a sense of community within their community.
The Ultimate First Impression, Wowing Them With Your Intro Hike – Shea McKusick, Exploring New Horizons – The most important moments with your kids are in the first hour. This workshop is primarily for beginner naturalists who want to connect with their kids from the get go. Get ideas on how to build instant community and rapport in order to 1) enhance the magic of the week, 2) develop a theme in your teaching and 3) prevent problems with behavior.
Interconnections of Interacting – Tara Murgatroyd, YMCA Camp Marston and Raintree Ranch - This workshop will deal with integrating the concepts of group dynamics (students working together as a team) using activities that fit into the science concepts covered in the typical residential outdoor education experience. We will look at the idea of incorporating teambuilding into science classes or science into teambuilding classes. This workshop will be highly hands through participating in many fun challenges.
Dining Hall Program, Procedures, Etiquette and MORE! – Steven Murphy, Oak Glen Outdoor School and Mataguay Scout Ranch Too many Students, Too Little food?... Learn some skills for your camp’s largest program area, THE DINING HALL! This workshop will focus on group management before, during and after meals, serving styles, food conservation, table conversations, mealtime entertainment, cleanup, remote meals, and other aspects. Your camp revolves around the kitchen and its food, shouldn’t your program as well? BUT WAIT!! There’s more. Also learn some table games, manners, and some food handling health and safety.
Upgrade to Team Challenge 2.0: Adding Outdoor Elements to Enhance a Teambuilding Experience – Scott Reis, Sierra Outdoor School- This workshop will focus on creating (or adding on to) your low ropes course touching on (1) how to decide which elements to build, (2) considerations that go into building, such as industry standards and placement, (3) how the elements work. We will actually try out some of the elements around the Sierra Outdoor School Campus.
Teambuilding: The Art of Processing (double) – Zephyr Sincerny, Yosemite Institute – This workshop will focus on various front-loading and de-briefing strategies with the goal of helping facilitators become more effective with the teambuilding activities they use. Participants will learn a simple framework they can use to facilitate any challenge activities by participating in three initiatives. Each initiative will demonstrate different set up and processing techniques. The framework will make students' experiences more powerful. Active workshop intended for experienced educators. Handout included. (double)
Connecting with Community through Teaching
Beyond Dirt Made My Lunch: Integrating Music in Environmental Education Lessons – Miriam Ban, San Mateo Outdoor Education –At San Mateo Outdoor Education the music of Steve Van Zandt and the Banana Slug String Band is an integral part of our environmental education lessons. In this workshop we will share some of our best techniques for incorporating music into lessons including: using songs to introduce concepts and set up lessons and using music to tie lessons together. We will talk about various methods for teaching songs. At the end we will facilitate an open sharing of songs that are education oriented and inspirational for students.
Weather or Not – Jason Blair, Coloma Outdoor Discovery School – Whether teaching weather is a passion or playing games for an hour with new friends sounds like fun this workshop will offer a you much. During the course of the workshop we will play weather and climate games then debrief the concepts. The games are high energy and developed for fifth and sixth graders to help them better understand phenomenon such as dew point, rain shadows, air masses, global warming and acid rain.
Connecting Science Education with "Real" Science – Ashley Dayer and Amy Busch, Klamath Bird Observatory - Biologists are observing intriguing animals, employing fascinating techniques, and exploring hidden treasures in our environment. Ashley and Amy will discuss how science education can spring to life through linking with "real" science efforts in the outdoors. They will present a model of educators who have partnered with ornithologists at bird banding and mist netting stations. Learn how they have integrated classroom lessons, field visits, science standards, and data collection by developing innovative sample activities.
Growing, Growing, Gone? A Population and Resources Lesson Plan – Elaine Gorman, Population Connection - In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore innovative ways to teach students about population growth trends, natural resource use and carrying capacity. The relationships between population growth, resource consumption, environmental health, social well-being and sustainable communities will be demonstrated by cooperative group problem solving and role-playing simulations. Participants will receive activity instructions, data charts and background reading on a user-friendly CD-Rom.
Anatomy of a Thrilling Hike – Paul “Buzzard” Grafton, Rancho Alegre - Have you ever wondered what it was that made a hike so wonderful (or maybe not so wonderful)? In our workshop we will look at the structure of trail lesson to pinpoint what key characteristics make a hike a success. Over my nine years in the environmental education, I have lead thousands of hikes and observed dozens of others. Frontloading, energy flow, teachable-moments, storytelling, student rapport, coyote trickery, and catchy gimmicks all play an essential part in helping the students have fun while they learn.
Avian Adventures – Katie “Aspen” Guffin and David “Fog” Koeker, Exploring New Horizons – Join the flock for some avian activities in the morning! We’ll be bird nerds together as we revitalize your avian activity repertoire through fun and experiential games and more to keep you inspired about sharing ornithology with the kiddos. We’re not experts, but we take delight in birds and we enjoy their spectacular diversity and beauty.
Earth Art – Nichole “Kestrel” Larson, Rancho Alegre - This workshop will let you explore your creative side and will teach you fun ways to let your students do the same. You will create projects that use the natural world as your canvas and rocks and plants as your tools. Other projects will turn "trash" into treasures. This is a hands-on workshop, and you will leave with ideas for projects that can be completed on the trail or in a classroom.
Songcrafting with Rhymin' Reason & the Ecomaniacs – Rich and Tonya Mandl , Rhymin’ Reason & L.A. Unified School Dist. - Learn how to build a song with Rhymin' Reason and the Ecomaniacs. Our band will guide you on a tour of beat, rhythm, melody, and hooks. How do you find inspiration, and what do you do next? Does music come first or lyrics? We'll give you our thoughts, and provide ideas for yours, from chord questions to drum beats. Check your embarrassment at the door, and be prepared to make some music!
Water Rockets – Vance Matzke, Rancho Alegre - Find out how two-liter soda bottles may be the greatest physical science tool you’ve ever seen! Learn how to build water (or bottle) rockets from two-liter soda bottles and some duct tape, and pressurize it with air for launching. Learn how these rockets can be used to help students understand the principles of aeronautics. Open your mind to the science and mathematics behind this educational toy, and then use your perceptions of rocket aerodynamics to create your own design and launch it! Workshop Materials
Orienteering -- Get Lost! – Megan McKenzie, Sierra Outdoor School – It’s OK to tell your students to "get lost!" as long as you tell them what to do afterward! Learn about finding your way and teaching your students the same skills in this introduction to orienteering workshop. This workshop will cover orienteering basics, how to build an outdoor orienteering course, adapting orienteering to inclement weather and students of all physical abilities. Participants will get to practice their orienteering skills on one of the SOS orienteering courses.
Beginning Guitar for Outdoor Education – “Mountain” Mike Merritt, Exploring New Horizons Outdoor School – It doesn’t take much to be strumming away for the kids; they are probably the easiest audience you will ever have. Bring, borrow, or steal a guitar and learn how EASY it is to be jamming away, not just for the kids for you as well.
Teaching Scat the Smart Way: Using Multiple Intelligences to Re-energize Your Teaching Style – Jonathan Mueller, Sierra Nevada Journeys - Challenge yourself to go outside of your teaching comfort zones by learning how the eight forms of intelligence can be effectively incorporated into your teaching repertoire: linguistic, logical/mathematical, spatial, kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, or naturalist? We’ll do a self-test and then learn how to bring all of them into our teaching styles. There will be a number of scat based hands-on activities along with ideas on how to incorporate different intelligences into the rest of your curriculum.
Rising to the Standards with Rhyme– Shelley Oeverndiek and Heather Acuna, Sierra Outdoor School – You can use rhythm and beat to learn as well as teach and master the terminology and concepts of the California State Science Standards. This session emphasizes learning by active listening, easy “repeat after me” chants, and participation (hands-on activities). Handouts will be available for teachers (both outdoor and classroom) to teach and perform.
Mission to Mars – Coleen Ryan, Natural History Museum of L A County - Do Martians exist? If so what might they be like? Separate fact from fiction in this hands-on class where you’ll look closer at evidence that scientists use to better understand our neighbor in the solar system. You will also get an update of what is currently happening on Mars (Rovers, satellites etc.), along with lesson ideas of how to share this topic with students in a hands-on setting. There will be lesson handouts and Mars info to take home.
Flint Knapping Workshop – Jason Spidell, Great Basin Institute – This is a hands-on introduction to learn how arrowheads and pre-historic tools were produced. You will learn techniques that you will be able to share with your students.
Gold Nuggets: Six Simple Steps for Student Success – Rob “Big Brown Bat” Stolberg, Walden West Outdoor School – In this interactive workshop I will share some of the best things I’ve learned in my 12 years in the field. These of “gold nuggets,” include activities, tools, and philosophies. I can’t wait to share the “best of the best” with more teachers to fill their “bag of tricks” and make learning fun for everyone. Themes include: make them say WOW!; addressing different learning modalities; make sure they understand; make them feel important; let them explore; and make it fun. As time permits, others can share their gold nuggets as well.
Making the Connection through Stories – Dean Thompson, KEEP Ocean – Strong, functioning, healthy human communities all have values, morals, traditions and cultural practices. Throughout time these have been transmitted through stories. Come learn how to become a more effective storyteller. Gain ideas for using storytelling for entertainment, education, and transmitting environmental values. A brief instructional period will be followed by a story-swap and discussion. Participants should be prepared to listen to and share stories.
Hands on FIRE – Ben Walker, Knot Fu Academy - Learn hands-on EASY fire-by-friction for Outdoor School Native American Culture Class (or as a student Team Building activity). Light a quick quartz-n-steel fire in your Geology classes to spark interest. Make your Wilderness Ethics Class really hot with a little magnesium. And stun students at your Campfire Night by lighting the fire with a student's flashlight. YOU get to practice these skills at the workshop. Materials are provided and instruction is given in how to make your own fire kits, (plus kits will be for sale at the end of class).
Sensory Inquiry – Jason Winters, Yosemite National Institute - This workshop will focus on using the five senses and the scientific method to learn more about the world around us. You will learn strategies to help students make observations through a number of sensory observation activities. We will explore a couple of inquiry research activity models that can be used with students. Finally we will complete a mini research project using your five senses in order to collect data and come to a conclusion.
Environmental Education in Diverse Communities
Environment through the Cultural Lens, an Exploration of Relationship to the Ocean – Miho Aida and Duffy Ross, Headlands Institute - How are people and environment connected? Our own unique cultural lens impacts the way we teach about places. Headlands Institute is striving to incorporate cultural perspectives representative of Bay Area communities into the design and curricula of our new inter-tidal lab. We will discuss our findings about how individuals from different racial/ethnic backgrounds experience the ocean. We will reflect on our own life experiences and how it affects the way we teach about our places. Bring your passion for making the environment relevant to people from all walks of life.
Going Deeper: Your Trail Group Below the Surface – Erin Blanchard, San Joaquin Outdoor School – Participants will be asked to take on the role of a fictional trail group, assuming the identities of either naturalists, cabin leaders, or students. We will then proceed to go out on the trail simulating a typical 30 minute hike. After experiencing the lessons from another perspective we will be given some time to reflect, and the activity will be debriefed by group discussion. We will brainstorm how we as outdoor educators can be most effective in creating inclusive communities, especially when working with diverse populations.
Bridging Gaps Between EE and Religious Communities – John DiDiego, Yosemite Institute - Environmental education often overlooks the religious diversity of our audience because of potential conflicts and misunderstanding. I contend that 'knowing our audience' includes understanding how young earth creationists or proponents of 'intelligent design' view the world. This understanding is key to bridging real and perceived gaps between EE and religious communities. We will focus on the many opportunities for overlap between creationism and a more scientific world view.
Change Our Words, Change Our Culture – Lisa Murphy, Fall Creek Charter School and Eric Godoy, Cal Academy of Science - We will be delving into the risk factors effecting queer youth, analyzing the derogatory language used in our culture that continues to put these students at risk. We will act out scenarios that may arise at your outdoor school or classroom and illuminate strategies to change the culture at your institute. Be part of making our culture a more accepting culture.
Adapting Your Interpretive Approach for Diverse Audiences – Sonya Padron, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary - Multicultural Education for Resource Issues Threatening Oceans (MERITO) has been presenting its Watershed Academy After-school Program to multi-lingual 5-8th graders on California’s central coast since 2002. MERITO educators will share some of the techniques, strategies, methodologies and ideologies they use to engage English Language Learners and multicultural audiences in the sciences.
Building Successful Community Partnerships in a Diverse Community – Kimberly Swan and Pamela Wade, Monterey Bay Aquarium- The Monterey Bay Aquarium has established a successful partnership with the nearby city of Watsonville. The goal of the partnership is to connect Watsonville's primarily Hispanic residents to the local watershed and the bay. Through a partnership with the local high school, the aquarium developed a three-week inquiry based summer program designed to immerse students in the issues surrounding the local watershed and equip them to make a difference in their community. This workshop will focus on how to build a successful community partnership and our lessons learned through the process.
Working with Students Who Are English Language Learners – Bich “Arbutus” Trinh, San Mateo Outdoor Education - The workshop will start with role play/immersion. In the beginning there will be a simple trail lesson done in Spanish. (It is okay if those attending do not speak Spanish.) Everyone attending the workshop will be participating as students and I the naturalist leading the trail activity. Afterwards we will discuss techniques used that were effective for students who did not speak the language. We will end the workshop reflecting and brainstorming how to make lessons that are commonly used on trail more ELL student friendly.
Understanding Natural Communities
Wildland Fire Ecology and Management – Joy Barney and Phyllis Ashmead, Stanislaus National Forest – Spark your students’ interest and fuel their understanding about fire’s role in nature. Using storytelling, fun, physical games and experiments we will take a closer look at fire chemistry and ecology, and topics that deal with decision-making on how to manage wildland fire. You will try out activities from Project Learning Tree and other sources and take a copy of the Burning Issues CD and other free materials to use with your students.
Animal Life in the Yosemite, 100 Years Later – Les Chow, US Geological Survey – The Grinnel re-survey project revisited sites first established nearly 100 years ago in Yosemite National Park by staff from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology. During the intervening decades, changes in the distribution patterns of animals, particularly those living at higher elevations, suggest that changing climates can have a substantial impact on species survival. This presentation reports the results of the re-survey and what they tell us.
The SECRETS to the Life Zones of the Sierra Nevada – John DiDiego and Mara Dale, Yosemite Institute - This is a multimedia presentation that begins with an ancient form of entertainment; a puppet show, followed by the middle ages of technology; a slideshow, culminating with the modern game show format. Appropriate music will be presented at transitions. The puppet show portion is loosely based on a famous movie and includes some audience participation. The game show will include appropriate prizes for winners.
Wildflowers of the Motherlode (double) – Korena David, Foothill Horizons Outdoor School- Interested in looking at Sierra Nevada Foothill Wildflowers? Want to learn a little more about Systematic Botany and plant families? If so join me for an off site wildflower adventure. We will drive to a local area to look at wildflowers and talk about how to identify them according to the characteristics that group them into taxanomic families.
Using Your Local Birds to Teach – Pete Devine, Yosemite Association - You don't have to be a birder to make use of the very accessible and active resource of the birds you have where you teach. This workshop will have you looking at birds, learning some basic natural history, sharing observation techniques, getting beyond (or ahead of) having to name everything. We'll use media other than science and you'll go home with new knowledge about not just the birds of Sonora, but about those where you work. We'll walk, talk, take notes, sketch, share, and get resources to bring home. Don't let your students miss out on it all-day, everywhere: "The Bird Channel."
Freshwater Insects and More – Jessica Hewitt, Foothill Horizons Outdoor School - Come explore the freshwater habitat. We will share some ways to introduce water habitat to children and how to get them looking at water in a whole new way. We will identify sample invertebrates and share sampling techniques. Be prepared to play games about freshwater habitats and wiggle like a larva. We will share ideas on how to use your local stream, pond, lake or puddle. Participants will go home with kid friendly ID keys and “cool” kid facts (like who breathes out of their butt).
Li'l Bit o' Astro 'n' Stuf – Larry Kawano, AstroCamp - Enhance your astronomy day/night program with three hands-on activities: two stories to introduce the night sky, an activity that brings home just how huge, far and numerous things are up there, and a game that gets you thinking about what life might be like elsewhere. Enhance your understanding of all that funky astro stuff -- red giants, neutron stars, supernovas, black holes -- with a short presentation that pulls it all together and shows how they relate to one another. Click on the course material you want to view: Detailed Workshop Description, Day Time Astronomy, Five Alive!, Stellar Evolution, Big Bang Cosmology Story, and Animal Story.
Bird Language: Interpreting the World Around You Through Voices of Birds – Mark Kudrav, San Mateo Outdoor Education – Birds use their voices to announce to the world their feelings and what is happening around them. In a presentation that is half lecture and half experiential, participants will receive some basics of bird language. We will explore the five voices of the birds and what each one means. Together in the field, we will interpret what the birds are “saying” and how they respond to disturbances (i.e. Predators). Participants will leave with tools to interpret their local ecology through bird language.
Stewardship in the Supermarket – Sarah Lemley, Yosemite Institute – Take an ecofootprint quiz and learn why choosing local organic foods can reduce your ecofootprint. Take a virtual tour of the typical farms featured at your typical supermarket. Take home resources for helping you find locally grown, organic foods. Share lesson ideas and ways to incorporate food topics into the teaching day.
Forests, Fungi, and Flying Squirrels: Community Interactions in California’s Forests – Marc Meyer, Sierra Nevada Research Center - Squirrels gliding in the moonlight, truffle-eating mammals, foraging owls, and symbiotic fungi that are directly linked to towering forest trees. Learn about the fascinating ecological interactions between these and other organisms in this power point presentation focused on community interactions in California’s forests.
Reassembling California – Scott Pipkin, San Mateo Outdoor Education - Ever wondered why redwood trees only grow on the coast and sequoias in the Sierras? Ever thought about the fact that the highest point in the contiguous U.S. is within sight of the lowest point? In this workshop, we'll look at the climatic, topographic and biotic factors that make California the bastion for diversity and grandeur that it is.
Measuring Forest Health – Ted Robertson, Lawrence Hall of Science - Measuring forest and tree health with students is a great way to stimulate stewardship. Learn how to use forestry tools such as corers to age a tree, diameter tapes to measure tree growth, and densiometers to measure forest canopy. Did you know that plants in stress have chlorophyll that poorly absorbs light? Learn how to make and use plant stress detection glasses to locate these unhealthy plants.
Ethnobotany: Stories and Science; Plants and People – Naomi Stein , Lawrence Hall of Science - This workshop is designed for educators who are new to teaching ethnobotany, as well as old hands looking for new techniques. Together we'll explore what ethnobotany is and how we can use it to engage young people in science. We'll be utilizing Bay Area and Sierran plants, both native and introduced, to experiment with a variety of sensory based and inquiry driven teaching techniques. Come prepared to play and investigate!
Amazing Mosquitoes! – Kim Taylor, Yosemite Institute - Have you ever struggled to help your students (or yourself) connect with loathsome creatures? Join us as we do our best to bring mosquitoes to life in a more positive light with games and hands-on learning activities.
Connecting With Community Through EE Research and Pedagogy
Design Challenge: Learning Science – Stephanie Burns, Camp Galileo - Ready to challenge your students, cultivate their curiosity and inspire their learning? Design Challenge Learning represents an essential aspect of The Tech Museum's Design in Mind Learning pedagogy, where students learn scientific concepts while solving real-world problems through a hands-on, student-directed approach. By presenting students with a real life problem and a set of constraints to solve the problem, learning happens multi-dimensionally and interactively. The Design Challenge approach to learning can successfully be incorporated into your teaching - in the classroom, in the field and beyond.
Great Grants and Rad Resources for Your EE Program – Tricia Dunlap, CREEC Network - Use the CREEC Network to help you find grants and resources appropriate for your environmental education programs. Participants will become familiar with the CREEC online resource directory as well as how to search for funding. Tricia spends a large portion of her time finding resources and grant opportunities for outdoor schools and classroom teachers and she will share some of what she has learned with you. Each participant will receive multiple ideas for how to get started in the grant-seeking world.
Dewey It Up: Experiential Education 101 – Tim Parker, Pathfinder Ranch - John Dewey, the “father of experiential education,” who lived from 1859 to 1952, will be gracing the conference with his presence in order to share his educational beliefs. Through role-playing, discussion, and quite a bit of silliness, participants will explore the realm of the working mind as well as ethical issues inherent to education. Through a critique of current practices in outdoor education, this workshop will emphasize practical implementation of discussed ideas. Come join this back-from-the-dead philosopher on his quest to connect students and teachers by using action oriented learning.
Girl Brains/Boy Brains: Implications for Educators – Adrienne Webster, Columbia College - In this interactive workshop we will explore the differences between male and female brains and discuss how this impacts teaching methods.
Building Connections to Our Students’ Communities
Solar Energy - Utilizing California's Abundant Resources – Jenna Megalizzi, Camp Arroyo & Tor Allen, The Rahus Institute/Solar Schoolhouse – Participants will learn of the vast potential of using solar energy in our everyday lives. We will share a range of solar energy activities, currently in practice and Camp Arroyo, that promise to excite and engage your students. The focus will be on solar electric exercises. A free copy of the Your Solar Home Guidebook and DVD, solar Energy Education activities Guidebook, and solar cell kit will be provided.
Mapping Our Community: To Know and Explore Place – David Berman, Westminster Woods EE Program - Let's create a map. We will explore the world of mapping as a way to engage students. From watershed maps to treasure maps, from high tech GIS/Google earth maps to simple field journal activities mapping can be fun and educational.
A Model of Community Activism: Taking Education to the Next Step – John Buckley, Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center- To the media and perhaps to most Americans, the image of an "activist" is usually a negative image. Yet everyone involved in environmental education understands the critical need for environmental awareness to be transformed into real action that can lead to the protection of community resources. Silent apathy won't lead to desired change. On the other hand, poorly strategized or irresponsible actions and statements by activists can generate strong anti-environmental sentiment. Strategic, well-planned activism can be a classic example of civic responsibility. This workshop will use stories, real-world examples, role-playing, and slide presentations to help workshop participants analyze their own strategic approach to civic engagement and learn how to encourage positive activism by students. The key objective by the end of the workshop is to give each participant the tools and concepts that will help him or her to personally model the community activism they want their students to embrace.
Watershed As Community – Chris Crew, The Headlands Institute - Participants will be lead as students through a number of watershed activities. First we will establish the concept of a watershed. Then we will examine the implications of the idea of a watershed and how it defines and connects communities. Finally, we will explore a number of ways to use those connections to motivate action and the creation of action strategies.
Nature Writing: Reconnecting Youth – Jan Daniels, Eco Expressions - This hands-on workshop unites the healing powers of nature and writing. It is tailored to the needs of educators and leaders who work with youth and want to bring the outdoor experience to a whole new level with reflective writing. Learn how to utilize the Eco Expressions curriculum, a creative nature study and writing experience. Jan will guide the group through writing exercises, incorporating botany, wildlife and birds. Bring a notepad and pen. Participants will receive handouts with outdoor writing exercises and activities to use with all ages of youth.
Run Your Car (Diesel) on Used Veggie Oil – “Hoppy” Hopkins, Sly Park and Patrick Costello, YMCA Camp Arroyo - Lower your ozone-forming emissions and slide past your local filling station on filtered waste vegetable oil (WVO). US restaurants and snack food industries discard over 11 billion liters of this oil each year. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to view a converted car and discuss the opportunities and challenges of switching from crude to canola. Stop by and smell the French fries. Workshop Materials
How Students Can Green Their Commute: A Service-Learning Project - Jessica Kellett, Climate Protection Campaign - Transportation accounts for half of California's greenhouse gas emissions, and students today are learning driving and commuting habits that perpetuate and grow this problem. This project, currently being piloted in Sonoma County high schools, engages students to measure and reduce their student body's overall greenhouse gas emissions through carpooling, walking, biking, and taking the bus to school. In this workshop, we will share the methods for implementing this project, including surveys, community outreach, peer to peer education, and incentives. This project provides students with leadership opportunities to take action on global warming at their school, and allows students to evaluate the individual and societal constraints that create cumulative environmental impacts.
Quests to Discover Communities – Tom O’Dowd, San Mateo Outdoor Education - This workshop is on Questing, a place-based education tool/pastime (born out of the letter-boxing craze in England) which engages students and educators in creating ecological treasure hunts. Quests involve fun/relevant information/adventures that connect both the Quest-creator and the Quest-taker to their local human/natural communities. Questing calls for hands-on exploration, challenges students to be creative and articulate, AND results in finished products that students and community members are proud of.
Expanding EE to Include Sustainable Living Education – Linda Perrine, Walden West, Full Circle Farm - This workshop will present the three challenges of the 21st century: climate change, Peak Oil, and Human Population/Ecological Footprint and make the case for environmental education needing to include these topics in its curriculum at all grade levels. This workshop will present current events on these three topics, and provide suggestions on how these topics can be addressed through sustainable living education at 5th - 12th grade levels. The rest of the time will be used for discussion on how best to engage students on these subjects without overwhelming them.
Connecting to Students' Communities: The Basics – Emily Wang, Headlands Institute - Participants will learn activities and strategies that connect the outdoor/environmental education experience to students’ daily lives. We’ll talk about what it means to make community connections and the importance of doing so. Activities will range from easy (questions to ask students to access their prior knowledge) to higher-effort (games that make a direct connection to students’ communities).
Connecting With Your Central Valley Students – Dan Webster, Foothill Horizons Outdoor School- Do most, or many of your students come from California's Great Central Valley? How much do you know about their world? This workshop will help you understand the history, environment, and demographics of the Central Valley. A basic understanding of your students' cultural background will help you make stronger connections with them in the field. Literature, maps, and a printed resource directory will supplement our group discussion.
Hetch Hetchy? A Century of Debate – Catherine Williams, Yosemite Institute and Ron Good, Restore Hetch Hetchy - This workshop will consist of two parts: a role playing debate and a short documentary film. First, you will play the role of a stakeholder in a debate over whether or not Hetch Hetchy Valley, in Yosemite National Park, should be flooded to provide a water source for San Francisco. You will learn not only about the issues at stake in this dispute, which began in the early 1900’s and continues to this day, but also about ways to facilitate debates with students in your work. The documentary film that follows will describe the natural and human history of Hetch Hetchy Valley.
Miscellany
Resume Building for Environmental Educators – Adam Burns, Yosemite Institute - Are you applying for your dream job in environmental education? Ever wondered what employers really want to see when they look at your resume? As the coordinator of the instructor hiring process at Yosemite Institute, I get to see the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to resumes. In this workshop, you’ll get to think of all the things that are great about you and put them into a format that will catch employers’ attention. Bring a pen and paper; leave your modesty behind.
Improv Comedy for Naturalists and Students – Aaron “Red Tail” Clegg, Foothill Horizons Outdoor School and Bryan “Rain” Snyder, The Outdoor School at Rancho Alegre - Have you ever watched "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" Would you like to liven up your campfire with some crazy improvised skits, or teach an enrichment or special activity on improv comedy? We will introduce the basics of improvisational comedy and spend some time playing improv games. We'll also discuss how to use this fun art form in a variety of settings. No acting experience necessary, just a willingness to be wacky and say “yes!” to whatever stories unfold.
Naturalist Capital: Sustainable Salaries – Janine Elliott, YMCA of Pt. Bonita - We are responsible for educating California’s children about better caring for our planet. Are our employers taking care of us? This workshop may ruffle some feathers, and we’re not talking about ornithology. It is a lecture and break out session designed for administrators and educators looking toward making Environmental Education a long-term high-quality career. Topics covered will include CA Labor Law 101, living wages (huh?), success models, and problem-solving strategies for taking home to your organization. Click on the course material you want to view: Living Wage Boston, Living Wage L.A., Living Wage History, and Detroit Non-Profit.
Feeling Your Best: A Forum For Healthcare Providers in the World of Outdoor Education – Caitlyn Long, San Mateo Outdoor Education - Do you spend your days dealing with those stomach aches that don’t go away? Enforcing hydration as a cure for headaches and bandaging scraped knees? Join in a discussion about healthcare in the outdoor education community. Come discuss strategies and share ideas about general medical issues, protocol for students with more serious medical conditions and severe allergies, dealing with injuries, homesickness and everything else that we all do to help keep the kids out of the office and on the trails!
Protecting Your Site Through Fuels Reduction – Michael Olenchalk, Sierra Outdoor School – If your school is in a forest, then fire danger is probably a major concern. This workshop is an overview of fuels reduction projects at Sierra Outdoor School. You will learn tips on grant sources, working with local fire safe councils, and Resource Advisory Councils. Problems in the wild land urban interface will be addressed, with a possible mastication demonstration. A walking tour of treated areas is planned.
Basket Weaving (double) – Julia Parker, Yosemite Museum - Basket weaving with renowned educator, weaver and Mewok-Pauite elder Julia Parker. Pre-conference registration only (fee to be paid at the conference).
Workshops Not During Regular Times
Star Watch – Rachel Utzinger, Sierra Outdoor School (Friday9:30 PM) – Join Rachel for this amazing view of the spring night sky, with virtually no ambient light to get in the way. View, Saturn, some stars, and possibly a nebula or two in the SOS telescopes. Learn the spring constellations and a mythology story to go along with them. If cloudy we’ll head to the SOS StarLab for a planetarium view.
Going Beyond Color--Using Song, Shape, and Behavior to Identify Birds – Ted Robertson, Lawrence Hall of Science (Saturday, 6:15 AM) - Sharpen your birding skills as we look and listen for local birds and newly arrived migrants. We'll utilize a variety of techniques for identifying birds both visible and hidden. We'll even try a few audio tricks to coax birds into view. Please do not wear white--this color scares birds. I'll have loaner binoculars and spotting scopes to share. We'll meet at the blacktop and head to the pond first--if you're a latecomer running a few minutes late. All levels of birders welcome! (30 max.)
Yoga – Carly Jeffries, Sierra Outdoor School (Saturday 6:30 AM) – Come: breathe deeply, stretch gently, and relax immensely with a vinyasa flow yoga class brought to you for the 4th AEOE conference by certified instructor Carly Jefferies. Cleanse your mind, body, and spirit to reach your highest potential as an environmental educator. This Yoga class will help reconnect you and your students back to the earth.
Walking With the Birds – Karen “Kestrel” O’Hearn, Green Meadows Outdoor School (Sunday 6:30 AM) - Wake up!! Wake up!! Listen! Come explore the bird scene at S.O.S. We will explore any topics you’d like. Mostly we will look and listen and let the birds teach us. All levels are welcome. Bring your bird stories. My goal is making birds more accessible to all who explore and teach outside. Where ever you go there they are!
TSLAGI – The Ancient Cherokee Dance of Life – Gerry Cox, Long Beach USD (Sunday 6:15) – Breathe deep the gathering sage smudge, dance slowly, look up, look down, look all around, take it all in. Tslagi is really a method of accessing the Ancient Wisdom of Native Americans, their teachings and traditions. Overall, this is a great grounding and centering exercise. This non-aerobic dance invokes your balance and synchronicity, within and without. You’ll become grounded in information of how the Dance was developed and passed from generation to generation and amongst various cultures.
Workshop Materials are PDF files - 
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