ERIC ED395800: Watersheds, Wetlands, Forests, Streams: Learning Opportunities Next Door Linking Schools with Natural Resource Areas.

43 Pages·1994·1.3 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
SE 058 405
ED 395 800
Cross, Susan; Willis, Patrick
AUTHOR
Watersheds, Wetlands, Forests, Streams: Learning
TITLE
Opportunities Next Door Linking Schools with Natural
Resource Areas.
Jackson Bottoms Wetlands Preserve, Hillsboro, OR.
INSTITUTION
Fish and Wildlife Service (Dept. of Interior),
SPONS AGENCY
Washington, D.C.; Oregon Governor's Watershed
Enhancement Board, Salem.; Oregon State Dept. of Fish
and Wildlife, Salem.
PUB DATE
[94]
43p.
NOTE
Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, 123 W. Main Street,
AVAILABLE FROM
Hillsboro, OR 97123.
Non-Classroom Use (055)
Guides
PUB TYPE
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Elementary Education; *Environmental Education; Hands
DESCRIPTORS
Outdoor Activities;
on Science; *Natural Resources;
Science Projects; *Water Resources; *Wetlands
ABSTRACT
Almost every school in the United States has natural
learning sites. The intent
areas nearby that are often'overlooked as
begin
of this document is to provide educators with a platform to
natural resource programming at sites near their school.
provide
Philosophical as well as concrete information is outlined to
both intrinsic and conceptual connections to natural resource areas.
"Connecting
This document is divided into five parts. Part 1,
effectiveness of
Students to Natural Resource Areas," outlines the
site
such programs. Part 2, "Getting Started," includes sites and
outlines,
selection, planning and proposal writing, project plan
changing
changing attitudes and structures, changing teacher roles,
Strategies,"
educational models, and the time issue. Part 3, "Program
creating
includes creating an identity, increasing community contact,
approaching
student leadership, spending some time on aesthetics,
techniques, Earth ethics and
resource people, funding ideas, field
etiquette, and project ideas. Part 4, "Models," includes four
different models of programming based on a nearby natural resource
thoughts. A list of federal
area. Part 5 outlines some closing
local
agencies, private/nonprofit organizations, State agencies,
included in the
agencies, and political and industrial contacts are
appendix.
(JRH)
*
be made
*
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can
*
*
from the original document.
*******************************************************************i.AA:.
A A A A AAA AAA
A AAA A A AA A
aterShe,
U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
PERMISSION TO REPRODIJCE AND
a!J,a,
a-0 -,1,.en,,`!
DISSEMINATE THH r1A ERII
t,,,,
,.()NAI
Sl)uPCES 0.4F, ,F4MATi()N
HAS BEIE n CRANTED
NITF
1,
.4.,
Gre,
aS
e..ret1 .o the
.fgar,al.ra,
"a.e twe,
- eoe
etlands,
_
,....1.!. pr.
i'Pri
,t
7,.r!
p
.AT IONAL HOURCES
TO THL
PpPyy.- I
,s1l, ,a
(Ap,
INFC)RM A7 ION C ENTER F.RICI
Forestst -Streams
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
.
-:.
VY
V V
V V
1r
® Printed on Recycled Paper
g )
AA
A.AAA AA AA A AAAA AAAAAAAAA
Watersheds, Wetlands,
Forests, Streams
Learning Opportunities Next Door
.
Linking Schools with Natural Resource Areas
Impetus for this publication came from Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve,
supported by funds provided by the Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board,
through the Oregon State Lottery and Environmental Protection Agency.
Written by Susan Cross and,Patrick Willis
Illustration and layout by Bitar Designs
Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve
Ciovernor's Watershed Enhancement Board
123 West Main Street
3850 Portland Road N.E.
Hillsboro,_Oregon 97123
Salem, Oregon 97310
[phone]
[phone]
Additional Funding Provided By:
OREGON
t:1/4
Wildlite4
*Fish
&
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Oregon Department of
Fish and wildlife Aguati(
National Coastal
Wetlands A( t
Education Program
VII yyyyyyy
yirNrFY.VTYV,ViV
I
k,
AAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.AAA AA
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
About The Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve
and The Watersheds and Wetlands Awareness Program
introduction
8
10
Part 1: CONNECTING STUDENTS TO NATURAL RESOURCE AREAS-
WHY IT WORKS!
13
Part 2: GL H ING STARTED
Sites and Site Selection
Planning and. Proposal Writing
Project Plan Outlines
Willingness to Change Attitudes and Structures
Changing Teacher Roles
Changing Educational Models
The Time Issue
You Don't Need to be an Expert
28
Part 3: PROGRAM STRATEGIES
Create an Identity
Increase Community Contact
Create Student Leadership
Spend Some Time on Aesthetics
Approaching Resource People
Funding Ideas
Field Techniques
Minimize Your Impact/Earth Ethics and Etiquette
Project Ideas
Part 4: MODELS
35
Montclair Wetlands Study Center
Nancy Ryles Watershed Study Center
Hood Canal Institute for Ecological Studies
The Coastal Studies and Technology Center
Part 5: CLOSING THOUGHTS
41
42
Part 6: APPENDIX
4
IF lr 1I lr
II 1I IF
1/ Nr lr
IF II
II lr
lr lr
IF
II
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Acknowledgments
made this project possible:
We are indebted to the following for the financial support that
Environmental
Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board with Oregon State Lottery and
Protection Agency funds.
The City of Hillsboro
Unified Sewerage Agency
Hillsboro Parks and Recreation
Bureau of Environmental Services
Portland Audubon Society
work with us in exploring
We would like to thank the educators who had the courage to
together.
ways to bring children and natural resource areas
Cheryl Griswold
Maryann Barnekoff
Don Hunt
Jeanne Bradley
Shelly King
Neil Brown
Marietta Kuykendall
Donna Coates
Luann Sodetstrorn
Jan Curry
Gloria Springer
John Gordon
Finally, the following people were of great assistance in helping us with their experience,
observations and brain power in the creation and reviewing of this guide.
Coastal Studies and Technology Center
Mike Brown
Bureau of Environmental Services
Ivy Frances
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife
Bill Hastie
Hood Canal Institute for Ecological Studies
Karen Lippy
Coastal Studies and Technolog Center
Neal Maine
Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board
Lorraine Stahr
Laurie Usher Enviro-Ed
y vIryvy 5
yIFIrIfyyy yyy
A AA AAAA AAAA AAAA41k, A AAAA
About The Governor's
About The Watersheds and
Watershed Enhancement Board
Wetlands Awareness Program
(GWEB)
The Oregon Legislature created the
Much of what appears in this manual was
Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board
learned as we piloted "The Watersheds and
and the enhancement program to promote
Wetlands Awareness Program." The
public awareness about the need for
program was designed and implemented by
restoring the natural resources of watersheds:
Jackson Bottom staff with funding through
GWEB provides technical assistance and
GWEB. The program took place in four
grants for projects which focus on improving
schools in the Tualatin Basin of western
streams, upland watershed areas and
Oregon. There were two participating
educational programs on the benefits of
classrooms at each school. Jackson Bottom
healthy watersheds. The Board encourages
staff acted as'guides and facilitators as the
individuals, communities and organizations
students and teachers progressed through an
to join together to improve local streams,
individualized, site-based program. Our
watersheds and water quality.
goal was to begin a program that belonged
to the school and that would continue to
function in the future independent of our
About Jackson Bottoi m Wetlands
assistance. The schools involved would
Preserve
then become models for others who wished
to start similar programming. ,
Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve is 650
acres of low-lying floodplain along the
Tualatin River. Since 1979 the Jackson
Bottom Steering Committee has been
working together to transform these once
degraded wetlands into a wildlife and water
quality "living laboratory." The Steering
Committee, made up of a unique alliance of
economic interests, environmental groups
and public agencies focuses its efforts on five
major goals for the preserve. Jackson
Bottom's Steering Committee works to
increase the diversity of resident and tran-
sient wildlife, improve water quality, provide
research, educational experiences and to
offer passive and non-consumptive forms of
recreation.
YYYYV11! Ylv11, yy
6
AA AA
AAA AA AA AAA A AAAAA AA AAA AA A AA
'Teach ecology early on. Let it be
understood that the earth's life is a
system of interliving, interdependent
creatures, and that we do not
understand at all how it works. The
earth's environment, from the range
of atmospheric gases to the chemical
constituents of the oceans, have
been held in an almost unbelievably
improbable state of regulated
balance since life began, and the
regulation of stability and balance is
accomplished solely by the life itself,
like the internal environment of an
immense organism, and we do not
know how that one works, even less
what it means. Teach that."
Lewis Thomas
Pi
yVIIvIrIFYIIVIrITYYYVVYMYY1IITYV
A AA AAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
INTRODUCTION
What's this manual all about?
A lmol,t every school in our country has a
_information is shared to provide both intrin-
natural area very nearby.
It could he tnat
sic and conceptual connections for students
flia,hv place behind the school. the little
and educators to natural resource areas.
It is
stry(1111 or "ditch", the unmowed field, or the
intended to offer support ideas, encourage-
patch of woods beside the parking lot.
ment and new ways to think about what we
TI Wse natural areas are often overlooked as
It is meant to inspire you
do as educators.
.arning sites; or if they are recognized, they
and move you to action
.in not acted upon because we do not know
ti if, how to start using them.
It is our hope that through programs that link
schools with natural resource areas, citizen
I he intent of thi,, docurnei it
is to provick,
awareness and action will ii'lcrease. The
educators with a platform to I ie;in natural
vision is for schools to become vital re-
resouice programming at sites near their
sources for their communities and that
,chool. Ph i losophica I as wel I as concrete
students, through real world projects, be-
come active participants in their society.
4.4
yyI'V'y
"ITV ylrylf
AAA AAAAAAAAAA,AA.A.AAAAAAAAA
"ln speaking with children who
might one day take a permanent
interest in natural history- as writers,
as scientists, as filmmakers, as
anthropologists- 1 have sensed that
s.
an extrapolation from a single
fragment of the whole is the most
invigorating experience I Can share
I think children know
with them.
that nearly anyone can learn the
names of things; the impression
made on them at this level is
fleeting. What takes a lifetime to
learn, they comprehend, is the
existence and substance of myriad
relationships: it is these relationships,
not the things themselves, that
ultimately hold the human
imagination."
Barry Lopez
/
1
`IV yylr yylrylryyy yylfIryNYV-VVYYY 9
AAA AA AA AAA A AA AAA AAAAA AA AAAA A
Part 1
:
CONNECTING STUDENTS TO NATURAL RESOURCE AREAS:
WHY IT WORKS!
One of the best reasons for implementing a
Students in/olved in active hands on pro-
program of this style is that IT WORKS. A
grams also feel better about the way they are
strong 'connection to the larger world com-
learning. The students report that they have
munity starts with an intimate local under-
more fun and feel like they are learning
standing. Children can apply knowledge of
things that they didn't know before. Teach-
systems and concepts learned in a personal
ers say that the students really retain the
experiential world to global problems.
things they learn and can apply the learning
Once they grasp the value and function of
in other situations. And again it is a training
ground for citizen action.
the forest, wetland, grassland or watershed
in their school backyard, it is d short step to
In these times of being overwhelmed by
awareness about other watersheds or wet-
lands that they see in their own community,
environmental problems on every front, it is
or to a concern about global environmental
easy for people to lose their sense of hope
issues they hear about in the media. A
and to feel defeated in the face of such
personal stake in the lives of their wood
looming concerns. This can be especially
ducks, red-tailed hawks or metamorphosing hard on young people, who have been
moths becomes an intrinsic understanding of
inundated since early childhood with the
magnitude of our planet's problems. Work-
the richness present in all ecosystems. A
ing with young people in settings where they
program such as this taps the innate desire of
children to care for their world and allows
can impact an area in a positive way is a
them to do just that: to help, to clean up, to
powerful tool to help them realize the heal-
make better homes for wildlife, to gather
ing potential they have as caring human
information to guide decision making. It
animals.
(Tr-powers them at the
*cis'
"cg, *ft
4:5
Heal level and gives us all
a much needed assurance
ihat active infoi-med citi-
off"
zens can and I)) make a
clififfpnce.
r.
4
-~*7-:ot
4- 4
.
41/44rocr,
vg-
v"
n