Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Complex (ANWRC) in conjunction with the Friends of Aransas and Matagorda Island will present multiple workshops entitled “Get Outside: Visit Your Public Lands at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teachers which is sponsored by the Science Teachers Association of Texas. The workshop will focus on connecting children with nature while using wildlife refuges and other public lands as an outdoor classroom. Educators will participate in hands-on modules similar to those their students would experience on a field trip to the ANWRC.  Lesson plans and instructions for the activities will be distributed.  Educators will gain the tools and knowledge to replicate activities in any outdoor setting. Outdoor classroom experiences give students the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors while promoting an understanding of conservation. Educators will learn how to schedule, prepare, and obtain training for their groups on public lands, usually at little or no cost. Project Wild, Aquatic Wild, Project Learning Tree and Food, Land and People will be introduced. Migratory Bird education and outreach tools will be presented along with other refuge management based topics. Educators will be introduced to possible grants available to help them secure funding for field trip cost and equipment. Research related to improving student performance through nature related informal learning and field trips will be discussed.  ANWRC will have opportunity to reach hundreds of educators from all over the state of Texas at this yearly conference. Conference is scheduled for November 14 - 17, 2007 in Austin, TX.  http://www.statweb.org/CASTAustin/