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Fall in Love With Nature in the Spring
Hawaii Birds of Paradise
Image of adult and young Nene
Credit: USFWS
During Hawaii’s Golden Anniversary, See its Birds of Paradise
During 2009, when Hawaii celebrates its 50th year of statehood, see one natural resource that has made the state famous -- the Hawaiian i’iwi. You will recognize its bright red plumage and long, curved beak – perfect for extracting nectar from the tubular ‘ōhi‘a lehua blossoms found in the native rainforest canopy. Tenacious birdwatchers who make the two-hour four-wheel drive trip from the nearby towns of Kona or Hilo to the remote Upper Maulua Unit of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge (http://www.fws.gov/hakalauforest/) on the big island of Hawaii may well spot the i’iwi, along with a wide variety of other exotic and rare native Hawaiian forest birds. >>Learn More
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“Let’s Go Outside!” Backpacks Provide Wonderful Opportunity for Partnering with Local Libraries!
Children show off their new backpacks with special thanks to the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Fishery and Refuge (NWFR)
Going outside is getting a little easier along the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Fishery and Refuge (NWFR) with the "Let’s Go Outside!" Backpacks. Derva Burke, Lansing librarian and Tim Loose, refuge operations specialist have partnered to provide backpacks at the Lansing, Iowa library. Loose commented, “Once we have our virtual geocache routes set up we hope to include a GPS unit and digital camera in each pack, as well as instructions on how to get started. OK, the next step is yours. Get down to the library and get your family outside.”
Pam Steinhaus, Park Ranger at Savanna District has been delivering backpacks to area libraries too. “We are really excited about this backpack because we were looking at kits to get kids outside and this is a great tool that will help us do that,” said Connie Boonstra at the Odell Library in Morrison, Ill. Steinhaus says the Clinton librarian, a cyclist, uses the refuge bike trail and she thinks the backpack is a wonderful way to get kids outside. “I’m happy to be a partner in the 'Let’s go Outside!' backpack project,” she says.
Winona District also partnered with one of the local elementary schools. Luke Merchlewitz, second grade teacher for Washington-Kosciosko Elementary school was excited to receive 25 backpacks that his second grade class could check out and go outside! “This is perfect because we are reading Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night by Cynthia Rylant,” beamed Merchlewitz, “and these backpacks will help my second graders get outside.”
Winona District also formed a partnership with Winona Health and the Healthy Kids Club. “We are so grateful for the 'Let’s Go Outside!' Backpacks,” remarked Jennifer Olson, public relations specialist for Healthy Kids Club and Winona Health, “We will be sending out a news release soon letting the public know these are available through Winona Heath/HKC.” Olson also put an announcement on our Intranet site and so she has no doubt they’ll be all checked-out soon. She thanked the district after explaining that they are “very cool”!
Children & Nature Network (C&NN) Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit
Hiking with others is a great way to enjoy nature
Credit: photo © Jon Beard
In March, the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) announced the publication of the “Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit – Do It Yourself! Do It Now
The NCFF Tool Kit includes a Quick Start Guide with simple instructions on how to start a local Nature Club for Families, and is filled with field-tested ideas, resources, templates and checklists. Included are first-hand stories and suggestions from family nature club leaders who are already enjoying success.
Nature Clubs for Families (NCFF) is the newest initiative from C&NN, designed to foster the formation of local groups with a common interest in connecting children with nature. Each nature club is unique, with activities that vary depending on location and participants. All of them share basic goals: Going outside in nature on a frequent basis; gathering children, friends and community members to share outdoor adventures; and experiencing the benefits of time spent together outside.
As part of C&NN’s second annual Children & Nature Awareness Month, they'll be encouraging parents and caregivers to form their own Nature Clubs for Families.
Visit C&NN’s web site to see the growing list of nature clubs posted on the C&NN movement map and let them know if you've been inspired to start your own Nature Club for Families.
Nature Clubs for Families
http://www.childrenandnature.org/natureclubs/
Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit – Do It Yourself! Do It Now! (PDF)
http://www.childrenandnature.org/downloads/NCFF_toolkit.pdf
C&NN Movement Map
http://www.childrenandnature.org/movement/info
Birthday Boy Catches First Fish at the Annual Fishing Derby
A boy celebrating his third birthday had some “beginners luck” at a fishing derby.
Jay Johnson shows off his “birthday fish”.
FWS photo
Jay Johnson’s 3rd birthday party was planned and ready but before opening presents he
decided to try his hand at fishing at the annual Fishing Derby at White Sulphur Springs
National Fish Hatchery. With a little help from his grandmother, Theresa, Jay baited his hook, cast his line into the derby pond and reeled in a beautiful rainbow trout, his very first catch. The air was filled with celebration as Jay shouted “I caught my first fishy! I caught my first fishy!”
Jay is just one of the many children who create memories in nature at the annual Fishing Derby. Every year, three hundred children and their families stand shoulder to shoulder along the banks of the derby pond Memorial Day weekend and reel in one rainbow trout after another. Come join us on Saturday May 23rd for the 2009 Fishing Derby and start creating your own memories.
--Matthew Patterson, White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery, West Virginia
Local Children to Help Save the James River Spinymussel
Kids get to help save an endangered mussel in West Virginia.
FWS photo.
On June 21, local children from the Cowpasture River watershed of western Virginia will team up with biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy and the Cowpasture River Preservation Association to help save the federally endangered James River spinymussel. Children of all ages will help attach the larvae of the James River spinymussel to a group of tiny minnows and then release the fish back into the Cowpasture River. The larval mussels undergo metamorphosis while attached to the fish, much like a butterfly. Once metamorphosis is complete, baby mussels about the size of a grain of sand will fall to the river bottom to begin their growth to adulthood.
This will be the third year that children have released fish with attached James River spinymussel larvae into the wild. In 2007 and 2008, the children released endangered mussels into Mill Creek, the site for one of the best remaining populations of James River spinymussel in the world.
Making a Sound Map and Alphabet Safari
This is a screen shot of the activity
Hey Kids...
For some fun activities whcih you can do in your own back yard, like making a Sound Map and going on an Alphabet Safari, just click here! Stop, Look, Listen and Discover! Have fun!
A Partnership That Works as Well as A Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Take time to examine nature. It's fun!
Credit: MOSS
Bozeman Fish Technology Center and the Montana Outdoor Science School (MOSS) have a great partnership going in Bozeman, Montana. Just like the peanut butter and the jelly in a PB&J sandwich, this partnership allows both members to be better than they could be alone.
About the Bozeman Fish Technology Center
The Bozeman Fish Technology Center is located on more than 170 acres of public land, including Bridger Creek, a fishing pond, a hiking trail, wetlands, and fish culture and laboratory facilities. The Center was established in 1892 as a national fish hatchery. In 1966, the staff changed their focus to fish conservation research. In addition, the Center welcomes more than 5,000 visitors a year who walk nature trails, tour the facility, bird watch, and picnic in a beautiful setting. Birds, fish, and wildflowers abound at the Center. In addition, deer, black bear, moose, beaver, and even cougar have been spotted on the property.
About MOSS
MOSS was founded in 1994 by three women with an extraordinary vision to promote awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the natural world. Today, MOSS delivers conservation programs year-round, bringing environmental and natural science concepts to life through hands-on educational activities that focus on local natural surroundings.
The Partnership
This partnership began more than 10 years ago, when MOSS, a non-profit outdoor education organization, approached the staff at Bozeman Fish Technology Center, to see if they could hold a Community Watershed Festival at the fish technology center.
The success of the Watershed Festival led MOSS and the Bozeman Fish Technology Center to take their relationship to another level.
Today, MOSS and the Center host the annual Fishing Derby, National Trails Day activities, and other community events. Also, in 2006, the Bozeman Fish Technology Center and MOSS developed an agreement which resulted in MOSS being located at the Center in exchange for assistance with Center tours, outreach, and education. Today, MOSS holds all of its summer day camps, as well as several year-round programs on the amazing Bozeman Fish Technology Center land. MOSS developed a volunteer program in 2008, allowing members of the community to offer their time as tour guides and naturalists, educating visitors about the important work of both organizations. With such a great partnership, there is no doubt that the success of both MOSS and Bozeman Fish Technology Center will continue into the future.
>>Learn More
Friends of Pool 9 Launch Mississippi River Adventure Day
FWS image
Learning what's in the river using a net
Nearly 190 kids and parents converged on the shores of the Upper Mississippi River near Lansing, Iowa on the morning of July 21, 2008, full of excitement and anticipation as they checked in for a day of exploration and adventure on the Mississippi River. The day was billed as an opportunity to participate in a Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn-like adventure. There was no cost to participate and only one requirement; every kids had to bring a parent or an adult with them.
What a day it was as moms dads, brothers and sisters had an opportunity to get wet and dirty as they pollywogged for mussels, seined for fish, and explored the floodplain forests and backwater marshes of the Upper Mississippi River. If that alone wasn’t enough excitement, they also learned about turtles, frogs, mammals, and aquatic insects and everyone was treated to a backwater excursion to learn about commercial fishing, migratory birds, and the importance of protecting this national treasure for generations to come.
The following excerpt from a letter we received probably sums up the participants feelings more eloquently than I ever could. “I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful day my children and I had on the river yesterday. In their words, it was “awesome!” My kids had never been on the river before, and when we received the literature to sign up, I thought it would be a great opportunity . . . .You seemed to have the perfect group of people lined up to help! Thank you very much for offering this special, “awesome event!”
All expenses for the event were covered by the Friends of Pool 9 – Upper Miss Refuge, Inc., a Friend’s group associated with the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge/McGregor District. For more information about the Friends of Pool 9 or to register for their 2009 Mississippi river Adventure Day, visit their website at http://www.friendsofpool9.org
The Summer Camp Experience is Special, Memorable, and Fun!
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Pass on Your Love of the Outdoors
Summer camps can enhance your child's connection to nature. Whether they are day camps or residential, consider giving your child this special gift this coming summer. Now is the time to research and sign up for camp. Talk to your child, find out his or her interests, so that you can find the right camp match. In addition, many children would rather go with friends, so networking with other parents may be helpful. The American Camping Association may help you locate the right camp, but look at other local possibilities as well.
http://www.campparents.org/
Wildlife Art Lovers Young and Old: Celebrate the Art of Conservation
FWS image
Image of Junior Duck Stamp
Lovers of wildlife, art and stamps (or all three), mark your calendars for Earth Day, April 22. That’s when drawings of ducks and geese done by children across the country will be judged at the National Junior Duck Stamp Contest. All are welcome at the contest, which will be held on Wednesday, April 22 at 10:30 a.m., at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
A distinguished panel of five judges will choose from among the top waterfowl artwork entered by students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The judging is free and open to the public.
The winning artwork will be featured on the 2009-2010 Federal Junior Duck Stamp, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sells for $5 to stamp collectors, conservationists and the general public. Proceeds from sales of the Junior Duck Stamp support environmental education efforts and help fund awards and scholarships for contest winners.
Last year, top honors in the Junior Duck Stamp Contest went to Seokkyun Hong of Dallas, Texas. His depiction of a pair of Nene geese is featured on the 2008-2009 Junior Duck Stamp, which went on sale last June.
Head judge for this year’s Junior Duck Stamp Contest will be Joshua Spies, whose art will grace the 2009-2010 Federal Duck Stamp, which debuts June 26.
Prior to the national competition, each state hosts a competition between February and mid-April, where more than 30,000 Junior Duck Stamp design entries are judged by people active in the local wildlife art or conservation community. Winning entries from each state are sent to the national competition.
The Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest is the culmination of a conservation curriculum used by educators across the nation. A dynamic educational program designed to teach wetlands and waterfowl conservation to students in kindergarten through high school, the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program carries scientific and wildlife management principles into a visual arts activity. It crosses cultural, ethnic, social and geographic boundaries to promote greater awareness of our nation's natural resources, benefiting not only ducks, but also all migratory birds, including neotropical migratory songbirds and hundreds of plants and animals that depend on wetlands for their survival.
After completing the activities in the Junior Duck Stamp educational program, students are encouraged to create drawings and paintings to submit to their state Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest. At the national level, students with the top three art entries and the top three conservation messages receive cash awards. Additionally, the first place national art award winner, his or her art teacher and a parent are invited to participate in the First Day of Sale Ceremony for the Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp, in Washington, D.C.
All participants receive a certificate of appreciation, and 100 students in each state, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories are awarded prizes at the state level.
Students, teachers or parents interested in participating in the Junior Duck Stamp Program should visit the Junior Duck Stamp Program Website: http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck.
Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery and “Little BiT” Become Big Hits with Lake Cumberland Area Regional Health Department District
A young Biologist-in-Training (BiT) is all smiles as he enjoys a day of looking for aquatic critters in a stream.
photo credit: Amanda Patrick
With the growing concern over today’s youth being connected with the outdoors, Wolf Creek continues to seek out new opportunities to better connect children with nature. Through a partnering endeavor with the Lake Cumberland Area Health Department District (LCAHDD), Environmental Education/Outreach Specialist Amanda Patrick has joined the Russell County Wellness Coalition. Led by LCAHDD Health Educator Shirley Roberson, the group is comprised of nutritionists, environmental educators, teachers, nurses, etc, all whom have a vested interest in helping to increase wellness in the overall community.
Because of the involvement of Wolf Creek and the interest in getting individuals outdoors, the coalition has decided to target getting children outside as their theme for the 2008-2009 school year. The coalition’s most recent project was the distribution of 3,000 Biologist-in-Training (BiT) rack cards and BiT stickers to all of the preschools and head start programs in the health department’s 10 county region. The rack cards, which are two-sided, provide great information for parents on the health benefits of getting their children outdoors while also providing fun, hands-on, sensory friendly type activities specifically geared for younger kids. The cards can be found at: (http://www.fws.gov/southeast/fisheries/bit/BiTActivityCard.pdf).
Upon completion of the activities on the card, the children were given a sticker for their achievement.
Do the real thing and play outside
Get outside where everything is real!
FWS image
The American people, especially children, spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation. Recent research shows that our nation’s children are suffering from too much time inside. Kids today spend an average of 6.5 hours/ day with television, computers and video games. In fact, a child is six times more likely to play a video game than ride a bike.
What does this mean? If a child is raised with little or no connection to nature, they may miss out on the many health benefits of playing outdoors. Nature is important to children’s development - intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and physically.
Learn More in the publication Let's Go Outside - The Possibilities are Endless
Learn More in the publication Teaching and Learning in Nature - Let's Go Outside
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