Healing Tastes of Autumn

Tasty! Join us for this weekend's “Healing Tastes of Autumn” workshop on Saturday, September 28 from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Robinson Nature Center in Columbia, Maryland. Enjoy a trail walk through the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, demonstrations and recipes/samples of medicinal and edible plants. The workshop is $30 per person. Register ASAP to secure your spot by calling 410-313-0400. Space is limited and we need to know how much food to prepare! See the video for photos: http://youtu.be/fKCjvhhx74g

Family Workshop at the Ward Museum

The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art, Salisbury University, will host an Owls Family Workshop on Saturday, October 26, 2013, from 1-3 p.m. In conjunction with "A Flight of Science and Magic: The Owl" exhibit, join education staff to learn about the natural history and physical characteristics of these unique birds. This program includes owl pellet dissection, live owl specimens and hands-on discovery of the myths, adaptations and artistic creations representing these unique birds. Free to the public, and no registration is required. Activities include Owl pellet dissection, story time & craft, and live Owls. Costumes welcome!

For more information visit wardmuseum.org, call 410-742-4988 ext. 104, or email at wardeducation@salisbury.edu

Biophilia!

Sundays, September 22, October 6 and 20, November 3 and 17, noon– 1:30 p.m.

Free with admission

Ever wonder why so many of our metaphors are nature related? Sly as a fox. Solid as a rock. Stand tall like a tree. Why do we gravitate to animals? Sixty percent of U.S. residents have at least one dog, while 52 percent have a cat. The most visited places in the country are zoos. Why do we find landscape images restful but built environments stressful? What's the answer?

Biophilia, or love of nature, is our natural and, some believe, genetic need to affiliate with nature! Mankind spent millions of years in natural habitats that provided food, water, safety and security, socialization and connection. Now, in the modern age, man has distanced himself from the very environments that facilitated survival, yet it hasn't lessened his need for nature. On the contrary, we need it now more than ever! In this exciting five-session conversation, Royce Priem will lead a discussion of those aspects of nature that build our skills, restore our minds, heal our bodies, and teach our kids. Come prepared to converse and engage in a discussion that will forever alter your perceptions of the natural world and your place in it, and come dressed for movement and fun. We can't simply talk about nature—we're going to interact with it too!

September 22: Biophilia and You: Hardwired for Habitat!

October 6: Nature and Movement: The Benefits of Physical Activity Outside

October 20: Nature and Illness: Healing Gardens, History and Applications

November 3: Biophilic Design: Bringing Man and Nature Back together

                November 17: Therapeutic Landscapes and Healthcare: Let’s Help People Get Better!    Discussion of Evidence-based Design?

Royce Priem is the principal and founder of Nature and Fitness Systems, dedicated to reintegrating man and movement into natural environments. His own experience with health and wellness propelled him into his current role as an enthusiastic evangelist for biophilia and biophilic infrastructure, working with companies, professionals, and people of all persuasions to re-experience nature through eyes of wonder and imagination, and then to reintegrate nature into their daily lives for improved health and wellness!

https://adkinsarboretumorg.presencehost.net/programs_events/event_calendar.html/event/2013/09/22/biophilia-and-you-hardwired-for-habitat-

Join ACT’s Coast Kids and ESIMBA for the Annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day Celebration on Oct. 6, 2013

On Sunday, October 6, the Eastern Shore International Mountain Bike Association (ESIMBA) will host a youth mountain biking event. The ride is a part of a nationwide celebration known as “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day”, supported by the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). This year’s theme is “Take Mom Mountain Biking!”

ESIMBA welcomes ALL riders who want to enjoy a fun day on their bikes!

Here’s everything you need to know:

·      Date: Sunday October 6,2013

·      Time: Noon-2pm

·      Event location: Lower Shore YMCA, 1900 Worcester Highway, Pocomoke

·      Register in advance by emailing info@esimba.org

·      Be sure to bring a bike ,helmet ,water bottle, gloves, snacks, and sun block

·      Parents are welcome to ride too!

·      A signed waiver is required to participate in riding

·      There will be an obstacle course, Prizes, and Food

·      Those interested can help work on a bike trail

Safe and environmentally friendly riding is important to us!  ESIMBA members and volunteers will be on-hand to inspect bicycles and helmets for safety, to teach the ABC’s of riding a bike, and to promote responsible trail riding.

Coast Kids, the environmental education program of Assateague Coastal Trust (ACT) will be part of the 2013 Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day. In addition to the biking, Coast Kids invites you to learn what kind of critters live in the YMCA pond.

For more information on Coast Kids, please visit: www.actforbays.org/coastkids/  

Visit ESIMBA on Facebook and at: www.esimba.org

For more information on this nationwide event visit: http://www.imba.com/resources/kids/index.html

Video contest for 3, 4, 5th graders

 Scotties Facial Tissue will be launching its second annual TREES ROCK! video contest throughout the US this September. The TREES ROCK! video contest invites individuals or groups of kids in grades 3, 4, and 5 to submit a one-to-three minute video expressing in their own way "why trees are so important to them, their school and their community" and "what they would like to see their school do with the $10,000 prize money." The winning entry will receive$10,000 prize money to be used toward a sustainable project and their own TREES ROCK! rock concert at their school.

Last year's $10,000 winner was Lone Oak Elementary School of Lone Oak, Texas. Through the TREES ROCK! video contest,Lone Oak 3^rd grader Sarah Shreve created the winning video.  The $10,000 prize helped buy trees for her school to provide shade from the hot Texas sun, as well as iPads for all of its students. 

There has been a decline in environmental education in the younger grades, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Learning about the environment has been proven to enhance "critical thinking and basic life skills." It has also "established increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning and reduced discipline and classroom management problems." An increase in environmental education not only helps students in science, but in other subjects such as reading and math. Scotties has conducted outdoor classes and tree plantings throughout the country and seen first hand the passion and excitement from young people when they learn about the world around them.

"The TREES ROCK! video contest is designed to be a fun and active way for kids to discover how important trees are to our environment," said John Robertson, Director of Marketing for Scotties Facial Tissues. "We are delighted to make this program an exciting way to challenge kids to explore their environment and find the same enjoyment in nature and the great outdoors that we do here at Scotties."

The TREES ROCK! video contest centers around educating kids not only on the importance of trees but as part of a bigger picture of sustainability within the community as a whole. From all of the video entries, 12 finalists will be announced inDecember 2013 and will go to a public vote on www.ScottiesTreesRock.com to choose the winner.

The winner will be announced in February 2014 and the winner event will take place in April 2014.

Video with caption: "Information on the 2013 Scotties TREES ROCK! video contest." Video available at:  http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/FX-NE76549-20130910-1.mp4

Professional Development at Environmental Concern

Register for one or all of these classes by clicking the class name hyperlink, at www.wetland.org, or by calling 410-745-9620:

November 15, 2013: 9am- 4pm Project WET 2.0

Participants will gain access to a newly revised Project WET guide with 64 multidisciplinary water-related activities for students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Excite your students with innovative activities that are hands-on, easy to use and fun! Project WET activities teach about water resources through investigative, easy-to-use activities that incorporate a variety of formats, discuss local and global topics, and involve students in a variety of community service projects. Cost: $10 facility fee

November 16, 2013: 9am- 4pm Project WILD

Participants will gain access to over 100 different curriculum activities that are designed to teach students to appreciate and understand wildlife and natural resources while learning basic skills in science, social students, language arts, math, art, music and physical education. The program is designed for educators of all types who work with children from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Cost: $10 facility fee

December 11, 2013: 10am- 4pm  WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands

WOW! introduces participants to wetland ecology through a study of the three parameters of wetlands: vegetation, soils and hydrology. Participants will also learn about wetland functions and values by utilizing K-12 cross curricular, inquiry based activities. Leave with a wetland resource guide with over 50 hands-on, multidisciplinary activities in lesson plan format, and ideas for student action projects. Cost: $35

December 12, 2013: 10am- 4pm Rain Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms

This course introduces educators to the concept of rain gardens and their value as schoolyard habitats. Participants will understand how rain gardens benefit the environment by improving the watershed and how they can be used as an extension of the classroom. Participants will leave with the basic knowledge of how to plan, design and implement a rain garden from start to finish. Cost: $40

December 13, 2013: 10am- 4pm POW! The Planning of Wetlands

Participants will learn the step-by-step process for creating or enhancing wetlands on school grounds or within the community. POW! guides participants through wetland design and construction with the goal of utilizing the habitat as an outdoor classroom. Leave with cross curricular activities that allow students to participate in the design, installation, and monitoring of a schoolyard wetland habitat. Cost: $40

Space is limited. Please register no later than two weeks prior to each course.

For additional information or to register please visit www.wetland.org, click the class name hyperlink, or call Kate Frase.

Katelin Mielke Frase

Senior Educator

WOW! Facilitator Network Coordinator

Environmental Concern

410-745-9620 ext. 219 - phone

410-745-3517 - fax

Fall Professional Development Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunity at NAAEE Conference in Baltimore

Hi Folks,

Please help me spread the word -- there is an opportunity for local folks to volunteer at the upcoming NAAEE Conference in Baltimore next month (Oct.9-12) and get a free day of admission in return.  This is a wonderful opportunity to attend a national EE conference for teachers, school administrators, college students, interns, non-profit employees, etc. who cannot afford the registration fees.

Use this link to sign up to volunteer:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/volunteerforNAAEE

Please note:

• I will get back to you personally within a week of your signing up to confirm exactly which slot you will be assigned to.

• On your volunteer day, you just need to report to the NAAEE Volunteer office, and we will point you in the right direction as needed to help out. 

• To register for the full day that you get for free with the volunteer discount, use this code to waive the registration fee when you register on the NAAEE website:  13wf-1day 

• Although volunteers will be able to attend a full day for free, we cannot cover the cost of conference meals for volunteers.  Please do not eat the conference food; instead, bring or buy your own lunch. (You can also purchase the meals there, but they are expensive.) We will have little snacks in the volunteer office.  Thanks for understanding!

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and please pass this message along to anyone else you know who may be interested in volunteering.

Many thanks,

Diane 

Diane Lill

GreenKids Director

Audubon Naturalist Society

www.ansgreenkids.org

Twitter @ansgreenkids

Fall Native Plant Sales

Herring Run Nursery opens August 25th! Come shop with us.

Blue Water Baltimore is pleased to announce our Fall 2013 retail sale dates forHerring Run Nursery, our native plant nursery.

Herring Run Nursery offers Baltimore's best selection of native plants: nearly 150 species of native trees and shrubs and nearly 100 species of native flowers and grasses

Whether you are a homeowner, community association, schoolteacher, landscape designer, or a restoration ecologist: we are here to help!

This Fall we will be open for retail sales from 11am to 4pm on the following dates:

• Sunday, August 25th
• Saturday, August 31st
• Saturday, September 7th
• Saturday September 14th
• Sunday, September 22nd
• Saturday, September 28th
• Saturday, October 5th
• Sunday, October 20th

The nursery is located at 6131 Hillen Road, Baltimore, MD 21234.

Visit our website for more information, including availability lists, or emailNursery@BlueWaterBaltimore.org. 

Environmental Concern Inc. Fall Native Plant Sale September 6th & 7th 2013

This year at our annual Fall Native Plant Sale we are pleased to offer several species of perennials that may be familiar to some of our customers, but are new to Environmental Concern’s inventory.  Wild bergamot, blazing star and butterflyweed are welcome additions to our sale. They are excellent plants for attracting pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds, as well as adding vibrant color to any planting. 

Please join us to check out these garden favorites and take time to chat with the nursery staff about our diverse selection of plant species. 

On Friday, September 6th we will be open to the public for plant sale purchases from 9:00-4:00. 

On Saturday, September 7th the plant sale continues for our weekend visitors from 9:00-2:00.

If you would like to order plants in advance, please contact us by noon on Wednesday, September 4th at nursery-sales@wetland.org or 410-745-9620.  We will have your order ready when you arrive.  Visit www.wetland.org  for our current retail availability and directions. 

We look forward to seeing you!