We invite you to join our new, 5-week, online course--E-STEM Education--starting July 5! And share the link with your friends, family, colleagues, and students--anyone from 15-95 years old, who is interested in helping the environment. 

 

Cornell University 

E-STEM Education

5-week Online course

July 5 – August 8, 2021

www.civicecology.org/estem

View the course trailer.

Learn More & Register

E-STEM Education is designed for teachers and nonformal educators who want to help youth become scientifically literate, environmental citizens. Teachers will learn how to integrate environmental education into STEM classes such as biology and earth science, and non-formal educators will learn how to make science part of nature and environmental education programs. You will also learn about inquiry-based and project-based learning, and other active learning strategies, and apply what you learn to develop your own E-STEM lesson plans. 

In this course, you will:

1.    Understand the connection between environmental education and science education.

2.    Learn about different outcomes of E-STEM education.

3.    Explore different learning approaches including problem-based, inquiry-based, project-based, and place-based learning.

4.    Develop an E-STEM lesson plan for your classes, programs, families or communities.

5.    Participate actively in a global online community of E-STEM educators.

Participants who complete the course are awarded a Cornell University certificate (PDF). 

 

Cost is $60 (strongly encouraged). We accept participants who are only able to pay less or who are not able to pay.  

 

Questions: Email us at CivicEcology@cornell.edu, Use “E-STEM” in the subject line.

 

Anne Armstrong and Marianne Krasny

Civic Ecology Lab

Cornell University

by Kasamba Kokayi, Special to Gainesville Sun USA TODAY NETWORK

Florida depends on water. Just like anywhere else, water is essential for life.

Here, the beauty of the water and nature around it are essential for tourism and agriculture. The question is: Who decides how the water is distributed, who can do what with the water, and what are the laws surrounding water and the environment?

It's surprising that in a state that depends on its water so much, most of its citizens can't answer those questions. The answer is the water management districts. For decades these organizations have made the decisions regarding water in Florida. The problem is most people still can't tell you much about them.

In 2003, the Suwannee River Water Management district reached out to the University of Florida's Samuel Proctor Oral History Program with a solution: an oral history project dedicated to telling the history of Florida's unique situation with water management and its inner workings from some of the most influential people in Florida water management. The Florida Water Management Project is a collection of 58 interviews, giving intimate details of how water management in Florida began and the laws and concepts surrounding it.

During its inception, one of the project's goals was to educate the people of Florida and to create some sort of resource website for the project. That has long since been forgotten, but now the project is online and available to the public via the University of Florida Digital collections. Anyone in the state can now access this wonderful wealth of information.

As Floridians we all have a duty to be a part of what happens to our water. Not only does the state depend on the water economically but so does its environment and citizens. We all need to be a part of the process of what happens with our water. Otherwise, it can fall into the hands of corporate interests.

The Florida Water Management Project was intended to educate the people of Florida, but in 2010 when Rick Scott came into office he put an end to that. The project was left in limbo for almost a decade.

Some of the people in our government don't want us to know the details of water management, and they don't want us to know what they are doing with our money. Even recently, Seven Springs Water Co. got a renewal on their contract to pump water out of Ginnie Springs, even though the Suwannee River Water Management District initially did not approve of it. Now Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed two new members to the Suwannee River district board, members who represent his interests.

Water management in Florida has been historically led by environmentalists. Those who worked on the boards for the water management districts were never paid. When people tried to abuse the power of their positions, they were swiftly removed. This was done to protect the land and the water of our beautiful state.

To continue protecting our state and our water all citizens should understand the water management districts and what they do.

When you let your grass grow tall, it's easy for vermin to make their way into your yard.

I encourage anyone who reads this to visit https://bit.ly/floridawatermanagement and read or listen to some of the interviews in the Florida Water Management Project.

Kasamba Kokayi is a UF graduate and the coordinator for the Florida Water Management Project at the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program.

Copyright © 2021 Tallahassee Democrat. All rights reserved. Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights , updated March 2007. 6/15/2021

August 5, 2021 at 7pm

Register Here

Ron Magill, Communications and Media Relations Director for Zoo Miami, recently was fortunate to be able to travel to Michoacán, Mexico to witness the incredible migration of the monarch butterflies. This is something that has fascinated him ever since high school when it was featured on the cover of National Geographic magazine. For many years, no one knew where all of the monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains disappeared to every Fall. Through a series of many images, he will tell the story of the monarch butterflies and why it is so important to understanding the health of our environment.

2021 Florida KidCare Back-to-School Mini-Grants Program Call for Grant Proposal (CGP)   The Florida Healthy Kids Corporation (Corporation) is announcing a Call for Grant Proposal (CGP) for its 2021 Florida KidCare Back-to-School Mini-Grants Program.   This is a competitive opportunity for qualified entities and organizations ("Respondents") to submit proposals. Respondents located in any Florida county are eligible to respond to this statewide CGP. Florida KidCare has an extensive network of existing community- and school-based partners throughout the state, and is looking for Grantees who can complement these existing efforts and expand into other Florida counties to access more uninsured child populations.   Up to 8 Back-to-School Mini Grants are available in the amount of $6,000 each. The CGP explains in detail the deliverables and activities required. The anticipated campaign timeline for when all activities and deliverables must be conducted is June 28, 2021 - October 31, 2021.   The Corporation will accept questions about this CGP from potential Respondents until 5:00 p.m. ET on June 11, 2021. They may be submitted to the Issuing Manager at outreach@healthykids.org with "CGP Question" in the subject line of the email. Responses to any questions will be publicly posted on June 15, 2021.   To be considered for an award, all electronic proposals in PDF format (see CGP for instructions) must be submitted to the Issuing Manager by 5:00 p.m. ET on June 21, 2021.   The anticipated Notice of Contract award will be publicly announced and posted on June 25, 2021, via the Healthy Kids website at: healthykids.org/news/calendar/procurement/.

 

Click here to view the CGP

 

4-H EXPLORING YOUR ENVIRONMENT SUMMER CAMP

Learn about the Sarasota County environment in a fun, action-packed camp.

The 4-H Youth Development Program provides educational experiences through a "learn by doing" approach and helps youth acquire knowledge, develop life skills, and form attitudes to enable them to become self-directed, productive, and contributing members of society. Through 4-H experiences and relationships, youth build better lives and become better stewards, employees, community citizens, and leaders.

This five-day, 4-H camp adventure—open to any youth age 10-14—combines classroom experiences with field trips to natural areas around Sarasota County.

Participants will learn about the environment and ecosystems, make scientific inquiries and observations, and get hands-on learning and experience in environmental science and education.

WHEN

• June 28 to July 2
• 9 am - 4 pm daily

WHERE

• UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County at 6700 Clark Road, Twin Lakes Park, Sarasota
• Field trips to Oscar Scherer and Myakka River state parks, Siesta Key Beach, and Florida House Institute

COST*

• $185 for the week
• Before-/after-care available for additional fees

*Scholarships available

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

Register here: https://v2.4honline.com

For more information...

Email: 4h@scgov.net

Phone: (941) 861-9833

Need help registering? Fill out our form to get in touch with an agent.

Register Here

Register Here

Webinars & Events

1. Webinar Series: Growing Deep Roots: Illinois Farm to School Summer Institute    
June 1 - August 15
Are you connecting kids to local food, gardening, or food education? 
The Illinois Farm to School Summer Institute is a revolutionary new way to find exactly what you need to build and deepen the impact of your farm to school program. This free, virtual institute opens on June 1 and closes on August 15, 2021, allowing participants to discover tools, review resources, and receive one-on-one consultations on the topics they need to move their programming forward. Our training opportunity is open to child feeding, garden, and education site teams across Illinois. Check out all of the opportunities available as a registered site here!

2. Webinar: Guiding Resilience - A Legal Workshop for Farm Service Providers
June 17, 24, & July 1 // 2-4:00pm ET
Guiding Resilience is a legal workshop designed just for extension agents, nonprofit professionals, lenders, advocates, business advisors, and other agricultural service providers. This workshop empowers you to guide farmers and ranchers towards resolutions for their legal vulnerabilities. You will walk away from this five-session, highly interactive, and in-depth workshop ready to help farmers move forward from legal questions with confidence. Plus, you’ll have a new network of agriculture professionals to connect with on legal and other important topics. Learn more.

3. Virtual Training to Support Edible Educators
June 14-25
The Edible Schoolyard Project (ESP) is hosting their second Summer Training at Home, June 14, 2021 – June 25, 2021. This year's virtual professional development sessions will be open to all, and completely free to attend. The ESP team has planned activities that invite participants to create, cook, taste, and share experiences. Participants will leave this event series feeling invigorated and prepared to do the work of supporting youth to learn about food in a way that allows them to live and build a healthier and more just future. Learn more.

4. Webinar: Practicalities and Realities in Land Law: A Workshop for Ag Service Provide
June 15 & 17
Join Farm Commons for a two-session workshop designed to help agricultural service providers understand and deploy legal risk management strategies around land issues for the agricultural communities you serve. Together, we’ll explore the laws and legal principles behind land leasing, due diligence, purchasing land, conservation easements, zoning, paths to ownership, and social justice-oriented tenure strategies. With an emphasis on Northeast experiences but relevant nationwide, you’ll learn legal risk management strategies that help you help farmers, without overstepping your limits as a non-attorney. Learn more.

5. Webinar: 30% NYS Initiative: Opportunities, Barriers, and Pathways to Success
June 16 // 1:00-2:30pm ET
This webinar provides an overview of the 30% NYS Initiative: Opportunities, Barriers, and Pathways to Success report. The report is an analysis of procurement data from 53 of the 57 school food authorities (SFAs) that qualified for the K12 local food incentive policy, the 30% NYS Initiative, during the 2019-20 school year. In addition to analyzing procurement data, the research team surveyed successful SFAs to understand how they altered their diversions and use of entitlement funds, in preparation for the 2019-20 school year and barriers to purchasing local food, by commodity group. A combined analysis of the 30% procurement data and the survey results shed light on procurement trends, varying pathways, best practices, and strategic approaches to successfully achieving the 30% NYS Initiative. In addition to the report findings, presenters will provide a brief overview of the NY 30% Eligible Product Database. Learn more.

6. Call for Proposals: 42nd EcoFarm Conference 
Deadline: June 17
The educational content that EcoFarm Conference presents is crowdsourced – generated by the community. That means that whether you're a farmer, rancher, distributor, retailer, consumer, industry rep, consultant, activist, student, educator, or simply a lover of food and farms, EcoFarm want to hear from you! Learn more.

7. Webinar: Produce Prescription Programs Then & Now: Implications for Health & Systems Improvement 
June 21 // 2-3:30pm ET
Come join an interactive webinar to learn first-ever findings and recommendations on research of U.S. produce prescription programs from 2010 - 2020. This new report and interactive maps were commissioned by Wholesome Wave and prepared by DAISA Enterprises to further the evidence-base and policy-change potential for investment in food & health systems through the produce prescription model. In addition to research highlights, invited speakers will share context, field evolution, and opportunities to advance equity, program, and policy aims. Read the executive summary and register.

8. EQUITY Webinar: Food Justice: Ingenious Seed Keeping and Food Sovereignty
June 24 // 4:00pm ET
Inequities in our food system continue to disproportionately burden communities of color. Dismantling these inequities is imperative to achieve a sustainable food system and ultimately food justice. April Jones from Pinehurst Community Action and Farmers’ Market and Phoebe Gooding from Toxic Free North Carolina will co-facilitate a in depth discussion on Indigenous Seed Keeping and Food Sovereignty with Crystal Cavalier-Keck. Register here.

9. Webinar: Green Schools Conference
June 28-29
Annually, this conference brings together nearly 1,000 attendees who are critical to advancing green schools for all children—those who lead, design, build, and teach in schools around the world. The conference will address topics such as design for sustainability education and social equity, healthy schools and COVID-19 response, empowering student leadership, achieving climate commitments, and much more. Learn more and register here.

 

10. Call for Proposals: Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group It Takes a Region Conference
Deadline: June 30
The conference Theme is Resistance and Healing Amidst Crisis and Injustice. These past 13 months have challenged us in ways many couldn’t have imagined with multiple, intersecting crises that have laid bare and deepened the injustices BIPOC and frontline communities have always dealt with and provided  ominous warning for climate change and other catastrophes that lay ahead. In this time of significant uncertainty mixed with tentative hope, NESAWG believes that the work of creating a sustainable, equitable and just farm and food system for all means that we must listen to the entire story.  We need to hear the struggles, particularly the least visible ones, how we rise to meet them, and most importantly, what we can learn from all of it. Learn more.

11. Montana Farm to School Summit: Digging Deeper (Helena, Montana)
August 11-12
Learn and share how Montana schools and programs are cultivating success through the core elements of farm to school--serving local foods, school gardens, and nutrition, agriculture, and food education. Workshops, field trips, and networking opportunities will provide inspiration and skill building. The conference will feature national and Montana farm to school champions who will share their stories and experiences. The summit will feature Montana Harvest of the Month successes and resources. Learn more and register for this in-person event.

Grants & Funding

1. National Black Farmers Association's 2021-2022 Next Generation Black and Hispanic Farmers (NGBHF) Scholarship Program
Deadline: June 15
NGBHF Scholarship Program will award up to 25 scholarships to Black and Hispanic graduating high school seniors who plan to enroll or are enrolled in an agriculture program of study at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln with a commitment to engage in the family farm operation post college graduation. Learn more.

2. Pure Farmland Growth Project Grant
Deadline: June 15
Pure Farmland in on a quest to ensure gardens continue to flourish all season long, and beyond. Growth Project grants will be awarded to qualified community farms, gardens, and nonprofit organizations – particularly in urban areas where access to fresh produce and green space can be limited – through an open application process ending on June 15. Learn more.

3. RWJF's Healthy Equity Scholars for Action
Deadline: June 16
Diversifying who does research makes evidence stronger and helps us put that evidence into action. Yet racism and discrimination often stand in the way of the career path for many people. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's new program provides support to help you thrive professionally and personally, and contribute to evidence that can help build a Culture of Health. Grants, up to $250,000 each, are available for research projects about health, well-being, and equity; the award includes mentorship and coaching as well as a community of support to help build your network and develop career opportunities. Learn more.

4. USDA: The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) 
Deadline: June 21
The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) funds projects that develop, coordinate and expand direct producer-to-consumer markets to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products by developing, coordinating, expanding, and providing outreach, training, and technical assistance to domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, agritourism activities, online sales or other direct producer-to-consumer (including direct producer-to-retail, direct producer-to-restaurant and direct producer-to-institutional marketing) market opportunities. Learn more.

5. USDA: Local Food Promotion Program
Deadline: June 21
The Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) funds projects that develop, coordinate and expand local and regional food business enterprises that engage as intermediaries in indirect producer to consumer marketing to help increase access to and availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. Grants can be used for the planning stages of establishing or expanding a local and regional food business enterprise or to improve or expand a food business that supports locally and regionally produced agricultural products and food system infrastructure by performing feasibility studies, market research, training and technical assistance  for the business enterprise and/or for producers working with the business enterprise. Learn more.

6. USDA: Grants for Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production
Deadline: July 30
USDA announced the availability of up to $4 million for grants to support the development of urban agriculture and innovative production projects. The Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production is accepting proposals for planning and innovation projects, and these grants are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture. Learn more.

7. Little Seeds Pollinator Pals Grant
Deadline: July 30
The Little Seeds Pollinator Pals Grant presented by Little Seeds and KidsGardening is designed to support youth garden programs interested in preserving and creating pollinator habitats to help rebuild declining pollinator populations. In 2021, eighteen programs will be awarded a check for $500 to support the development of new and expansion of existing pollinator gardens in communities across the United States. Learn more and apply.

 

8. Institutional Challenge Grants
Deadline: September 14
The Institutional Challenge Grant encourages university-based research institutes, schools, and centers to build sustained research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. The award supports research institutions to build sustained research-practice partnerships with public agencies or nonprofit organizations in order to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. Learn more.

Welcome to AWAY

June 23rd at 7pm

At the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County we like to say whether you throw it AWAY, recycle it AWAY, or flush it AWAY, we put your waste to work! Learn about how waste is managed in Palm Beach County, as well as how to Recycle Right. During this presentation, we will also focus on the 4Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink!

Register Here

Seasonal Marine Science Instructor

https://naaee.org/eepro/jobs/seasonal-marine-science-instructor

Looking for a job that gets you out on the ocean? MarineLab is seeking seasonal Marine Science Instructors for our waterfront education center in Key Largo, Florida.  Instructors lead student groups, 5th grade through high school, in discovery adventures via a blend of ecology discussions, hands on investigations, and snorkeling field observations.  

Duties of the position include leading snorkeling field trips in both inshore and offshore habitats; supervising students in the water; serving as a mate on our Coast Guard inspected vessels; teaching various marine science labs and lessons; and assisting with maintenance of boats, labs and equipment.  

The seasonal position will run from Aug 23, 2021- Dec 19,, 2021.  This is a 40 hour/week position; evenings and weekends are required.  

Benefits include a salary of $325/week, paid training, shared onsite housing, some meals, WiFi access, and opportunities for recreational diving and experience at the helm of our 25 ft vessels.  There is a high potential for future employment with our organization.  

Instructors must have a BA/BS degree; enjoy interacting with children and youth; experience with in-water supervision, teaching, and boating; and have an enthusiastic, outgoing personality.