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Here's What's Trending for April
10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION - Showcasing Positive Actions
IT'S EARTH MONTH, LET'S CELEBRATE!
Join the National Wildlife Federation as we prepare to celebrate Earth Day. Set by the Earth Day Network, the 2019 theme is Protect Our Species. No matter your school’s location, students can commit to and enact sustainable practices that support local wildlife. Use the list below to implement a meaningful Earth Month and Earth Day experience for your students.
- Participate in Students Rebuild, #OceanChallenge
- Plant a pollinator garden
- Conduct the Watersheds audit and host a litter cleanup
- Certify your National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitat
- Connect students to nature and host a wildlife art, photography, and poetry event
- Celebrate Environmental Education Week, April 22-26, 2019
SCHOOLYARD HABITATS®
Reaching a Pollinator Garden Milestone
Have you heard the news? Over 1,000,000 gardens have been registered under the Million Garden Pollinator Challenge, including many of our certified Schoolyard Habitats® and Eco-Schools USA gardens! The National Wildlife Federation, in collaboration with several pollinator allies, developed and launched the challenge, and we are excited to see so many people answering the call to help revive the health of pollinators such as bees, butterflies, bats, and others through gardening.
Learn more about how your school can make a difference for monarch butterflies by exploring the curriculum and resources for monarch recovery available on our website and register your garden with the Million Garden Pollinator Challenge. Read the full story on the National Wildlife Federation blog.
FROM THE WILDLIFE GUIDE
Frogs
The April issue of Ranger Rick® magazine has a colorful article about the Wonderful World of Frogs. Students can learn more about the life of frogs, including how they see and eat, and the importance of their skin to everyday life. Be sure to share the freaky frog photos with students, and don’t miss an opportunity to engage students in citizen science opportunities with FrogWatch USA. Use the extension activity in the April Ranger Rick Educator’s Guide to provide students with an opportunity to utilize their writing skills to share facts about various frog characteristics. Learn more about amphibians and the environmental threats they face in the National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Guide.
ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS AREAS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR ACTION
Learning About Forests, SDG 15: Life on Land
Spring is now in full bloom in many parts of the country, and this month we focus on the Learning About Forests (LEAF) pathway and related Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG15), Life on Land.
Did you know that, according to the United Nations, 30.7% of the Earth’s surface is covered by forests? The Learning About Forests (LEAF) Pathway offers students an opportunity to learn about the key role forests play, as well as the connection to biodiversity and climate change. Opportunities to take action include participating in a tree-based citizen science project or tree-planting projects at school or in the community. Sustainable Development Goal 15 targets include promoting the implementation of sustainable management of forests while also restoring degraded forests and putting a halt to biodiversity loss.
Follow @EcoSchoolsUSA on Facebook and Twitter to get more tips and information related to this pathway and the Global Goals. Remind students to share our tips and information during morning announcements, news programming, and/or monthly communications. #GlobalGoal15 #LearningAboutForestsPathway
ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY 2019
Join us as we celebrate the 14th annual international Endangered Species Day on May 17, 2019! Add your event to the global events calendar.
Ways your school can participate:
- Join others to plant a pollinator garden
- Conduct an Eco-Schools USA Biodiversity audit
- Arrange a special display in the school library or cafeteria
- Invite a biologist, ecologist, marine scientist, or other expert to speak to the school/class about local biodiversity and what people can do to protect endangered species
- Work with a community/environmental group on a habitat restoration project
- Attend an event at a local zoo, aquarium, botanic garden, or other location
ON THE BLOG
Salmon Stewards - Seasons of Growth
What happens when school, science, and salmon comes together? Read Salmon Stewards – Seasons of Growth and watch how young salmon stewards in Oregon are working with local partners and our Oregon state affiliate to address environmental issues related to salmon populations and local waterway health. Using the structure of the Eco-Schools Watersheds, Oceans & Wetlands (WOW) pathway, along with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Fish Eggs to Fry program, students engaged in water quality monitoring and field experiences. Through a partnership with the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) activity at each of the schools brought tribal history and lessons about the cultural significance of salmon and lamprey into the experience. Read the full story on the blog and be sure to take a few minutes to watch this inspiring video.
REMINDERS
Awards
- Has your school been working to earn an Eco-Schools Bronze, Silver, or Green Flag Award? April is a good time of year to apply for an award.
Website Redesign
- The Eco-Schools USA website will be relaunching this summer, and we look forward to providing a more streamlined user experience.
GREEN OPPORTUNITIES
- Using GLOBE protocols? Join one of six regional Student Research Symposia through The GLOBE Program; check the calendar for upcoming registration dates and learn more.
- Join the 2019 Ocean Challenge (register here)
- NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries webinars to support ocean and climate literacy
- The GLOBE Program – 2019 International Virtual Science Symposium, for participating GLOBE schools; projects due 4/10/19
- Join NAAEE for a webinar on 4/17/19 to discuss their Toolkit for Engaging People in Conservation Action
- Monarch Watch Milkweed Grants
- Green Strides Webinar Series
- THEGOALS.org – Oceans course on sustainable use of our oceans, seas, and marine resources
- Out2Lunch – 10-minute demos of Earth Science data tools and resources
- The Green Teacher Webinar Series
- Captain Planet Foundation Grant Opportunities
- GetEdFunding
