Summer 2014 California Project WET Gazette
Volume XIX, Issue III
Table of contents
Back to contents A Tribute to Kathy Machado
Every one of the Project WET Facilitators I had the privilege of working with in California are a unique and special caliber of educator, volunteering their time and resources to provide some of the most engaging, experiential and content –rich water education professional development workshops and school education programs on the planet – and I do mean this literally, as several California Facilitators led Project WET trainings in a number of other countries!
However, there are individuals who would stand out in any crowd - and Kathy Machado is one of those people. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been in a room of water educators, all eyes wide with wonder at Kathy’s latest creations and her skill as a consummate educator. Since the California program began in 1996, Kathy has personally introduced 1,147 educators to Project WET, who in turn have used the activities with over a half million students – and Kathy has educated thousands of additional South Bay Area students through her school water education program at the Santa Clara Valley Water District.
Kathy will be retiring this summer, but will be representing our program at the Project WET ‘Sustaining the Blue Planet’ conference in Montana later this month, before heading for a cabin in the Sierra to enjoy sipping early morning coffee on a cabin deck , while listening to the sounds of wildlife and – hopefully – water. Cheers to a wonderful retirement, Kathy!
- Brian Brown, current California Project WET Coordinator
The first time I really remember meeting Kathy was at a meeting of California water educators as she worked her magic on them. Literally…it was like watching Mary Poppins and the spoonful of sugar deal as Kathy used a magic trick to intrigue all of us into watching her and listening carefully to her patter about water conservation. But Kathy’s brand of water education was far more than just a bag of tricks.
Kathy came to the Santa Clara Valley Water District as a seasoned educator, a teacher and administrator with great credentials and extensive experience working with teachers as well as children. She analyzed the needs of her district and began writing lesson plans to help local teachers include water education in their curricula.
When Project WET was first beginning its journey in California, as State Coordinator, I knew I wanted Kathy on my team. She was one of the first educators I trained to be a facilitator, a teacher of teachers for the WET program. Kathy’s teaching skills and her administrative talents helped her gain acceptance with huge numbers of Bay Area educators. Kathy taught WET classes not only in her own district and local colleges, but in regional, statewide and national conferences. Her sessions were always full…word got out about her pleasant, easy-going teaching style and how much fun her classes were.
Kathy always put her own magic spin on her sessions. They were enjoyable, relaxed and made teachers feel that water was EASY to use as a medium to teach science, history, writing and math. She supported her teachers, helping them find materials to use with their students, always willing to aid them in any way she could. And she was extremely generous with the water education community in California, always willing to share her materials and experiences to help us improve our own programs.
Not content to just use the Project WET materials as is, she was always looking for ways to improve them and adapt them to her area’s needs. Kathy eventually wrote an Early Childhood adaptation of WET activities that is now used throughout the country.
Without a doubt, Kathy Machado is one of the most talented educators I have ever worked with, and a wonderful friend. Happy retirement, Kathy! You have earned it. With affection and admiration,
- Judy Wheatley Maben – Former California Project WET Coordinator
Back to contents The Godzilla Allegory
Godzilla returned to the big screen in May, looking more fit at age 60 than in his original appearance thanks to CGI (computer aided graphics), the animated equivalent of a Botox makeover. The great radioactive monster of movie legend first arose from the depths of the Pacific in the 1954 movie ‘Gojira’ as an allegorical warning of the horrors humanity may unleash in a post-World War II world flush with confidence in the ability of our science and technology to harness the awesome powers of nature. Though Godzilla is destroyed in the original movie, the Cold War terror was resurrected in a chain of movies loaded with nonsense only kids and diehard fans can love, that reshaped the underlying allegory in the process. It is the use of atomic weapons that is called into question in the original movie, but the role of science and technology in unbridled development, ocean pollution, genetic manipulation, space age weapon technology and even human relationships are highlighted in the post–resurrection movies. After a half-century of battling the monster-sized embodiments of humanity’s issues and the best efforts of arrogant, overconfident and usually power hungry beings to eliminate or control him, Godzilla has morphed from merely a horrible unintended consequence into a metaphor for the ultimate terrifying response of a natural world knocked out of balance. At the core of the Godzilla allegory are questions of how science and technology – in fact all the STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) fields – are interpreted and applied. It is no surprise the new movie has Godzilla wading ashore in California, where climate change is the Godzilla in the room and the science surrounding is at the center of a political and economic gyre of debate – as it is in the Godzilla allegory.
Humanity’s relationship with our environment and the STEM fields is the central question of the Godzilla allegory, beginning with the product of the Manhattan Project – one of many major STEM initiatives of World War II. It is atomic weapon experimentation that awakens Godzilla and the development of an equally horrific device that destroys the creature in the original movie along with the morally torn creator of the device – and all life in Tokyo Bay. Despite the destruction he wreaks, Godzilla is not viewed through the lens of good or evil, but as a natural phenomenon with advocates for the value of studying the creature to better understand its interrelationship with the issues causing it to appear. The advocates often caution it may be better to learn to live with Godzilla rather than trying to kill or control him, which leads to another allegorical thread – the lens being used to interpret and apply STEM or any other knowledge matters. A healthy dose of skepticism, debate and open minds are foundational bedrocks of good science, which are portrayed in the more well-rounded Godzilla storylines along with the dangers of maintaining a view despite evidence to the contrary. The movies highlight how the same information can generate different viewpoints. The ending of the original Godzilla movie is a case in point. ‘Gojira’ – the 1954 Japanese original – ends on a somber note that Godzilla’s death has come at a terrible price and a warning that continued experimentation with nuclear weapons may awaken another Godzilla; whereas, the Americanized 1956 version ‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ ends on a more triumphant note that “The menace was gone, so was a great man. But the whole world could wake up and live again.”
So how does the Godzilla allegory apply to California? California in the 1950s still riding a post–World War II victory high, brimming with confidence in our ability to apply STEM knowledge gained during the war for the benefit of society as well as defense – including the use of atomic weapons. Even as Godzilla was playing on the silver screen, Operation Plowshare was performing experiments to use nuclear devices for mining, water and oil production, enlarging harbors and road building – including a plan titled Carryall that would have used 22 devices to widen I–40 through California’s Bristol Mountains. California was also on the leading edge of conventional STEM research, including the use of technological and engineering advancements to rein in or control the excesses of nature and was fully engaged in fighting two recurring phenomena plaguing the development in the Central Valley and other parts of the state –flooding in the north and drought in the south. Even as Walt Disney was touting the power of the STEM fields to create a Future World of our dreams, the Federal Central Valley and State Water Projects were building the infrastructure to bring that future closer to reality. The resulting system of dams, aqueducts, reservoirs, levees, pumping plants and power generators altered landscapes and natural processes on a statewide scale, transforming California into an economic powerhouse.
Our species has a historic tendency to favor immediate solutions to problems and not always look as close at the full-range of long-term consequences, but one also needs to remember any STEM project is usually inspired by a desire to gain knowledge that can benefit society. Operation Plowshare probably horrifies many reading this and may sound like a contender for a national Darwin award, but it was born out of a belief this power could benefit society in a way as grand in peace as it was terrible in war. Many may also breathe a sigh of relief that references to a Plowshare idea to use the devices to reshape the western Sierra to enhance water collection for dams in the Sacramento Valley never made it beyond the idea stage. However, even well-planned and widely hailed conventional projects can awaken unknown monsters of their own. Our water projects achieved their immediate goals of relieving flood and drought, while boosting water supplies for a growing population and economy; yet, nearly fifty years later we find ourselves struggling with collapsing fish populations, subsiding landscapes, new forms of water pollutants and multiple other threats to the central hub of our water system – the Delta – the surface water supply two-thirds of our population is reliant upon. In addition, there are multiple data sources indicating a rise in average temperatures, declining snowpack, rising sea level, greater variability in weather and seasonal patterns and a greater potential incidence for drought and flood – and a strong correlation rising carbon dioxide levels are driving this change and those levels have risen well beyond anything evidenced in the past 650,000 years. A very healthy dose of debate and questioning is occurring among natural resource managers and stakeholder groups over the STEM knowledge on these issues, how they interrelated to each other and how this knowledge will be applied to mitigate these issues for the long-term. However, there are a number of Californians who fail or refuse to fully recognize the Godzilla that has waded onto our shores for whatever reason – which usually ends with disastrous consequences for the scoffer and the nearest cities in a Godzilla movie.
Climate change is as natural of an occurrence as thunderstorms or the change of the seasons, but evidence indicates the present change is being fueled with the by-products of our technology to Godzilla-sized proportions. Research indicates a number of issues we are facing will feed off the larger monster in the room, growing in size and frequency of recurrence beyond anything in recent history and a mix of mitigation measures that better integrate human and natural systems into an infrastructure has the greatest probability to can adapt to whatever the monster may throw at us. Unfortunately, while a number of Californians accept the science and math indicating a change in climate, their support for engineering and technological measures only go as far as mitigating historical variances and tend to favor human structures over restoration of ecological infrastructure – and evidence indicating a link to human actions and a change well outside of historical variances is dismissed. Thus, no action needs to be taken if one believes we are just experiencing a dry spell within the climate pattern of the past 200 years – the precipitation will return shortly and all will be fine. Focusing only on the current drought or recognizing past natural variances include multi-year ‘mega-droughts’ lead one to conclude more storage is the key – raising dam heights, new reservoirs, and if not tunnels, then at least a reform of water flow regulations to favor human needs for users reliant on water from the Delta. Add levees improvement to the list if an El Nino brings flooding this winter. Likewise, the removal of a major reservoir, dismissing the role of active forest or agricultural management in sustaining water supplies and biodiversity or advocating for mass desalinization all look pretty good if one doesn’t consider the full range of predicted impacts. Failing to understand the root driver of current climate change or the full-range of potential impacts before applying solutions is like spending billions on a fully armored, mechanized robot with the latest weapons and computer guidance systems – and forgetting Godzilla has a concentrated radioactive breath weapon that will fry anything!
Unlike Godzilla, climate change isn’t content with just our energy grid; it is targeting multiple systems from our water infrastructure to the ecosystems that support the agriculture, forests, fisheries and organisms that sustain California’s economic engine and our way of life. But, it also provides a wealth of opportunity to educate and engage citizens of all ages in the STEM fields with a deeper understanding of how this knowledge can be interpreted and applied from landscape scales to their backyard – which will be needed statewide to reduce the impact of this monster. You’ll find a number of great ‘Professional Development Opportunities’ in below that will provide educators with greater insight and depth of knowledge of issues mentioned above – from floodplain ecology, to forest management, coastal protection and enhancing your school-yard habitat – with loads of activities to engage your students! You’ll find some incredible opportunities to fund school projects of all sizes in the ‘Grants, Scholarships & Awards’ section, and numerous ‘Summer Events’ to engage in the world around us. I’ve also loaded the ‘Websites of Interest’ with more information on climate change, issues surrounding it and other items mentioned in the article.
“Whether you live in California, Texas or Timbuktu, climate change is real, and it’s long past time for action”
– Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.
Back to contents Websites of Interest
Indicators of Climate Change in California
The 36 indicators highlighted in the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) report show that climate change is occurring throughout California, from the Pacific Coast to the Central Valley to the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Impacts of a warmer climate include decreasing spring snowmelt runoff, rising sea levels along the California coast, shrinking glaciers, increasing wildfires, warming lakes and ocean waters, and the gradual migration of many plants and animals to higher elevations.
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) recognizes that climate change is already impacting water and other resources in California and will continue to be a significant challenge for our built and natural environments in the future. Climate Change Vulnerability Matrix provides a summary of the likely impacts of climate change on the seven most important resource sectors. The matrix is a great addition to extend the Project WET activity ‘8-4-1, One For All (p: 299).
Climate Change: How do we know?
The Earth’s climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 7,000 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era — and of human civilization. The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is very likely human-induced and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented in the past 1,300 years.
ProCon.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity. The Problem We Are Tackling: The constant barrage of inaccurate, misleading, and biased news and information prevents many people from making informed decisions about important social issues. We promote critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, and primarily pro-con format. The site includes a section on climate change: http://climatechange.procon.org
Scientific skepticism is healthy. One should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding. Yet this isn’t what happens with climate change denial. Skeptics vigorously criticize any evidence that supports man-made global warming and yet embrace any argument, op-ed, blog or study that purports to refute global warming. Do their arguments have any scientific basis? What does the peer reviewed scientific literature say?
CoolCalifornia.org’s goal is to provide resources to all Californians so they can take action, reduce their environmental impact, and be part of the climate change solution. Join many school district officials, teachers, and students to stop global warming and save money by taking cost-saving actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Check out resources ranging from climate calculators to curriculum and school case studies and learn more about how to make a difference!
California Data Exchange Center
The California Data Exchange Center (CDEC) installs, maintains, and operates an extensive hydrologic data collection network including automatic precipitation and river stage sensors for flood forecasting. CDEC provides a centralized location to store and process real-time hydrologic information gathered by various cooperators throughout the State.
USGS science aims to understand the interrelationships among earth surface processes, ecological systems, and human activities. This includes understanding current changes in the context of pre-historic and recent earth processes, distinguishing between natural and human-influenced changes, and recognizing ecological and physical responses to changes in climate.
NOAA’s Regional Climate Centers (RCCs) are a federal-state cooperative effort. The six centers that comprise the RCC The climate data provided is a wealth of information one can use with Project WET activities ranging from ‘Wet Vacation’ (portal) to a US focused adaptation of ‘Piece It Together’ (portal). Click the following link to find current California data summaries: http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/monitor/cal-mon/index.html
USGS: Changes in Streamflow Timing…
This USGS fact sheet summaries a study of trends toward diminished snowpack and earlier snowmelt in western states. Trends toward earlier snowmelt and streamflow, whatever the causes, threaten finely tuned water-resource and flood-management systems and procedures in many western settings. This fact sheet goes well with the Project WET activity Blue River (p: 135).
Is the West’s dry spell really a megadrought?
A new study has revealed a previously unknown multi-decade drought period in the second century A.D. The findings give evidence that extended periods of aridity have occurred at intervals throughout our past. Almost 900 years ago, in the mid-12th century, the southwestern U.S. was in the middle of a multi-decade megadrought. It was the most recent extended period of severe drought known for this region.
The Water Education Foundation’s news aggregator is a great place to research different viewpoints on the climate change, drought, flood – and any other California water topic. The above link will take you directly to current articles on climate change and water supply from both traditional and non-traditional news sources, presenting the many sides and views of the water picture, with the goal of fostering understanding of various positions and discussion toward resolution of these often controversial issues.
The U. S. Atomic Energy Commission established the Plowshare Program as a research and development activity to explore the technical and economic feasibility of using nuclear explosives for industrial applications. Possible excavation applications included: canals, harbors, highway and railroad cuts through mountains, open pit mining and construction of dams. You can also view several AEC produced videos on the project on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIsUMK4-csM
It rose up out of the sea, a fearsome, roaring monster unlike anything humans had ever seen: horrible, primeval, unstoppable, towering, breathing radioactive fire and leaving total destruction in its wake. No, this was not Godzilla… This monster was the founding inspiration for Godzilla: the fearsome hydrogen bomb explosion known as Castle Bravo, a test detonated earlier that year in the Pacific that gave birth to far more than cinema’s most famous monster.
Back to contents Middle and High School Teachers Needed!
The US Army Corps of Engineers, one of the nation’s primary water resource agencies, and the State of California have teamed up to deliver curriculum-driven educational games and models to California’s middle and high school students. Each game and model targets a specific grade level and classroom (e.g. 11th and 12th grade Physics) and is built with specific curriculum topics in mind (e.g. the conservation of energy). Through interactive gaming students are forced to think critically and apply broad classroom topics to specific real-world water resource management and flood risk scenarios. In short, these games and models reinforce topics in the curriculum while expanding students water resource and flood risk awareness. The computer games and models are free to all and simple to use, with no prior knowledge of the underlying software program.
The interagency (US Army Corps of Engineers and CA Department of Water Resources) team is seeking teacher feedback on the models and games. Please contact us to receive a live demonstration of the models and games; and be prompted for feedback regarding their fit to the target curriculum, usability in the classroom and likelihood of engaging students in a meaningful application of the curriculum while encouraging a dialog with regard to water resource management and flood risk awareness.
Back to contents Professional Development Opportunities
June 16-19, 2014 – Central Valley Floodplain Ecology Institute: Sanger
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY EDUCATORS! The 2014 Central Valley Science Project and CREEC Region 7 Summer Institute will begin on Monday June 16 in Sanger, near the Kings River. It will include science content and curriculum focused on floodplain ecology and watersheds with a focus on integrating the NGSS and CCSS content through standards based curriculum such as Education & the Environment Initiative and Project WET. College credit available and a $200 Stipend upon completion of the project. For more information contact Jerry Valadez jvaladez@csufresno.edu or visit our website: http://cvscienceproject.ning.com
June 26, 2014 – Project Learning Tree: Investigating Schoolyard Habitat: Elk Grove
DELTA REGION EDUCATORS! Project Learning Tree and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service invite all area educators to a workshop focused on engaging children in learning outside! Come see how to use PLT activities in a schoolyard to inspire place based learning as we explore Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and see how they can be used to engage students in stewardship at the Alice Birney Schoolyard Habitat. / P.M.- Alice Birney Schoolyard Habitat. CEU credit available through PLT/ California State University San Marcos Please contact: Sandy Derby, CA PLT State Coordinator at: stderby@ucanr.edu to register. Registration open until June 20th, 2014. Details and map to follow upon registration.
July 23 – 25, 2014 – The Watershed Education Program: Los Angeles River Watershed
LOS ANGELES RIVER WATERSHED EDUCATORS! Join Heal the Bay, Tree People and other partners to discover how the watersheds of Los Angeles can become an essential component of your Middle or High School classroom! With FREE curriculum from the Environmental Education Initiative (EEI) and Project WET, participants will receive lessons and materials ready for direct implementation into the classroom, supporting both the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Lunch and light snacks will also be provided daily. Please RSVP at: htbwatersheded.eventbrite.com or contact Edward Murphy at Heal the Bay for more information at: Emurphy@healthebay.org/ 310.451.1500, x153
July 28-30, 2014 – Floodplain Ecology Institute: Chico
SACRAMENTO VALLEY EDUCATORS! The Floodplain Ecology Institute is designed to increase teachers’ knowledge and awareness of floodplain ecosystems and provide participants with the tools to educate their students about their relationship to their watershed. The program includes the introduction of standards based curriculum (Project WET and the Education and the Environment Initiative Units), field experiences, hands-on inquiry-based lab activities, and guest speakers and demonstrations by agencies. $200 Stipend upon completion of the project. Please contact Dr. Beverly Marcum, Inland Northern Science Project at bmarcum@csuchico.edu to register.
July 29 – 31, 2014 – The Watershed Education Program: Santa Monica Bay Watershed
EDUCATORS IN THE SANTA MONICA BAY WATERSHED! Join Heal the Bay, Tree People and other partners to discover how the watersheds of Los Angeles can become an essential component of your Middle or High School classroom! With FREE curriculum from the Environmental Education Initiative (EEI) and Project WET, participants will receive lessons and materials ready for direct implementation into the classroom, supporting both the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Lunch and light snacks will also be provided daily. Please RSVP at: htbwatersheded.eventbrite.com or contact Edward Murphy at Heal the Bay for more information at: Emurphy@healthebay.org/ 310.451.1500, x153
July 29 – August 1, 2014 – RESTORE Schoolyard Restoration Training: Sacramento
SACRAMENTO EDUCATORS! Bring a team from your school to join habitat experts for a fun, hands-on week at beautiful Soil Born Farms along the American River Parkway in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s RESTORE Institute. Learn the steps to creating a restoration project on school grounds through field trips to local schoolyard habitat projects; meeting a network of engaged educators and schoolyard restoration specialists; learning about funding and partnership opportunities; and outdoor, content standards-based lessons designed to extend and enhance your existing curriculum For more information or to register contact Karleen Vollherbst, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at: karleen_vollherbst@fws.gov or 916-478-9247 by July 10, 2014.
August 5 – 7, 2014 – The Watershed Education Program: Los Angeles River Watershed
LOS ANGELES RIVER WATERSHED EDUCATORS! Join Heal the Bay, Tree People and other partners to discover how the watersheds of Los Angeles can become an essential component of your Middle or High School classroom! With FREE curriculum from the Environmental Education Initiative (EEI) and Project WET, participants will receive lessons and materials ready for direct implementation into the classroom, supporting both the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. Lunch and light snacks will also be provided daily. Please RSVP at: htbwatersheded.eventbrite.com or contact Edward Murphy at Heal the Bay for more information at: Emurphy@healthebay.org/ 310.451.1500, x153
Back to contents Summer Events
July 5, 2014 – California Free Fishing Day
Have you ever felt the excitement of watching your bobber suddenly jiggle, then dive out of sight? Or feeling the tap-tap-tap of a bass as it tastes the worm on the end of your line? Or having a salmon practically tear the rod out of your hands as it smashes your lure? What’s that? If you are new to the sport of fishing, CDFW offers two Free Fishing Days each year. For more information, please visit our website at: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/freefishdays.html
August 2 – 10, 2014 – California Invasive Species Action Week
The goal of the California Invasive Species Action Week is to increase public awareness of invasive species issues and promote public participation in the fight against California’s invasive species and their impacts on our natural resources. These invaders are negatively impacting our waters, our native plants and animals (some of them rare, threatened or endangered), our agriculture, our health, our economy, and our favorite recreational places. Help us celebrate the inaugural California Invasive Species Action Week by volunteering to take action! http://www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/actionweek
August 25, 2014 – National Park Service Birthday: Free Entrance Day
Celebrate ‘America’s Best Idea’ by visiting your National Parks – FOR FREE! Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise. Learn about discounts and special offers from park partners and neighboring businesses at: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm
September 6, 2014 – California Free Fishing Day
Had a great July 4th, but missed a chance to fish for free on the 5th? Well here is another opportunity! Some CDFW Regions offer a Fishing in the City program where you can go fishing in the middle of major metropolitan areas perhaps just a few blocks from your home. For more information, please visit our website at: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/freefishdays.html
September 18, 2014 – World Water Monitoring Challenge
World Water Monitoring Challenge™ (WWMC) is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies. While an official “day” continues to be observed each year on September 18, the broader “challenge” encourages people everywhere to test the quality of their waterways annually from March 22 (the United Nations World Water Day) until December 31.Find out more at: http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org
September 20, 2014 – California Coastal Cleanup Day
California Coastal Cleanup Day, an annual beach and inland waterway cleanup, is the state’s largest volunteer event. Data from past cleanups tell us that 60‐80% of the debris on our beaches and shorelines originate in land‐based sources, traveling through storm drains, creeks, or rivers to the beaches and ocean. In 2013, over 58,158 volunteers picked up 674,234 pounds of trash and an additional 75,089 pounds of recyclable materials – a total of 375 tons! For more information on how you can participate one your own or with your students, please visit http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html
September 20 – October 12, 2014 – COASTWEEKS 2014
If you have an event that should be included in the COASTWEEKS calendar, please click on the link below. We encourage events from throughout the state, not just along the coast. This celebration is a great way to expand your outreach and to participate in a nation-wide effort to encourage appreciation and preservation of our coast and inland waterways. Please do not submit Coastal Cleanup Day cleanup events to COASTWEEKS, as will be publicized on their own page. The COASTWEEKS calendar will go online August 29, 2014. http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/coastweeks/coastweeks.html
September 27, 2014 – National Public Lands Day
National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands in the United States. NPLD educates Americans about critical environmental and natural resource issues and the need for shared stewardship of these valued, irreplaceable lands, while building partnerships between the public sector and the local community to enhance and restore America’s public lands. For more information, check out: http://www.publiclandsday.org/
September 27, 2014 – Free Entrance Days in the National Parks
Celebrate National Public Lands Day with free entrance to a local National Park! Fee waiver includes: entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise. Learn about discounts and special offers from park partners and neighboring businesses at: http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm
October 10- 12, 2014 – National Association of Geoscience Teachers Conference
If you are a K – 12 teacher, student of ecology, geography, or geology or parent of an interested student, join the experts in the field for this amazing, interactive, and educational Geology Conference! The fall 2014 NAGT conference at CSU Sacramento will offer field trip opportunities to the Sierra gold fields, the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta, local Sacramento geologic outcrops – and a University of California Research Forest and workshops on mineral use, reptiles in California, atmospheric circulation modeling, Next Generation Science Standards, and more! For more information and/or to register please visit our website at: http://nagt-farwestern2014.bpt.me
October 12-18, 2014 – Earth Science Week 2014
Take part in Earth Science Week 2014! “Earth’s Connected Systems,” is the 2014 theme to promote awareness of the dynamic interactions of the planet’s natural and human systems and engage students and others in exploring the ways that geoscience illuminates natural change processes. By deepening our understanding of interactions of Earth systems — geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere — Earth science helps us manage our greatest challenges and make the most of vital opportunities. The program is supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, ESRI, and other geoscience groups. http://www.earthsciweek.org
Back to contents Grants and Scholarships
Drought Response Outreach Program for Schools (DROPS) Deadline: To Be Determined
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board), DROPS program will offer $250,000 – $2,500,000 grants to support school projects that address storm water pollution while providing multiple conservation benefits. Eligible projects include installation of rain gardens, rainwater catchment systems (rain barrels, cisterns, etc.). School districts, public agencies, non-profits and Federally recognized tribes will be eligible to apply. SWRCB anticipates opening the solicitation in Fall of 2014. Sign up for DROPS notification at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/subscribe For more information, contact Leslie Laudon (Leslie.Laudon@waterboards.ca.gov) or Erik Ekdahl (Leslie.Laudon@waterboards.ca.gov)
Save the Redwoods League Deadline: June 30, 2014
Save the Redwoods League invites K–12 teachers, environmental educators and interpretive naturalists to apply for grants to support their redwood education efforts. Once again this year, all League Education Grant projects must have a field component. A primary goal for the League is to provide engaging, firsthand experiences for youth and their families in the redwoods so they are exposed to the mystery and wonder of these remarkable forests. http://www.savetheredwoods.org/what-we-do/study/edgrants.php
Toshiba America Foundation Grant: Grades 6 – 12 Deadline: August 1, 2014
Toshiba America Foundation’s mission is to provide teachers with additional funds to support classroom projects. After school, summer projects, and independent study projects are not eligible. The Foundation strongly encourages projects planned and led by individual teachers or teams of teachers for their own classrooms. Science and math teachers in public or private (non-profit) schools may apply for grants to support classroom science and math education. Endorsement from a school official is required. http://www.toshiba.com/taf/612_teachers.jsp
CISAW: Youth Poster Contest Deadline: July 23, 2014
Create an original poster showing us which invasive species
threaten your favorite outdoor place and how you can take action
to help protect it. 2014 Theme: RACE TO PROTECT YOUR FAVORITE
PLACE!
Posters will be placed in 3 divisions: Grades 2 – 5; 6 – 8; and 9
– 12 .Top 3 winners in each division will receive an award and
have their posters displayed on the Invasive Species Action Week
webpage. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/ActionWeek/PosterContest.html
Captain Planet Foundation Deadline: September 30, 2014
Grants are made for activities that promote and support high-quality educational programs, enable children and youth to understand and appreciate our world through learning experiences and engage them in active, hands-on projects to improve the environment in their schools and communities. CPF grants are limited to $2,500 and preferential consideration is given to applicants who have secured at least 50% matching or in-kind funding for their program. http://www.captainplanetfdn.org.
Toshiba America Foundation Grant: Grades K – 5 Deadline: October 1, 2014
Toshiba America Foundation’s mission is to provide teachers with additional funds to support classroom projects. After school, summer projects, and independent study projects are not eligible. The Foundation strongly encourages projects planned and led by individual teachers or teams of teachers for their own classrooms. Any K-5 teacher in a public or private (not-for-profit) school is eligible for a grant to support science or math education up to $1,000 for project materials. http://www.toshiba.com/taf/k5_teachers.jsp
Get to Know Contest Deadline: November 1, 2014
The Contest invites you to get outside and create original works of art, writing, photography, videography and music inspired by nature. Get Outdoors and “Get to Know Your Wild Neighbors”. The goal is to be as creative as possible. For inspiration, check out some of the amazing programs offered by our partners. Then, get outdoors and get to know! Submit your work for a chance to win cool prizes. The contest runs from May 1st to November 1st – Get started today! http://www.get-to-know.org/contest/us/
Back to contents Credits
California Project WET Gazette is published by the Water Education Foundation, which serves as the state coordinator for Project WET International.
Editor: Brian Brown, Project WET Coordinator
Water Education Foundation
717 K Street, Suite 317
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.444.6240
Internet: www.watereducation.org
email: projectwet@watereducation.org
