Conservation Education Committee Activities
Several committees are working to achieve the goals of the Association’s North American Conservation Education Strategy. For 2007 the committees were assigned according to project, but each committee will be considering all of the goals of the Strategy. If you would like to get involved in one of the committees, contact the committee chair.
The Goals of the Strategy
- Elevate the value of conservation education
- Advance the AFWA conservation education agenda
- Achieve excellence in conservation education
- Maximize partnerships
- Secure funding
The Action Committees and Committee Chairs
2007 Action Committee Objectives
K-20 Initiative
The Association wants to ensure that science education in schools includes the science of natural resource management. Currently there is no national consensus on the framework for science inquiry in the field and how it relates to experimental design, the dominant inquiry taught to students. This project will create guidelines for teachers and teacher preparation professors to provide science inquiry in the field using rigorous protocols that improve students’ understanding of science and engage non-formal fish and wildlife educators in providing opportunities for students to conduct field studies that benefit agency science. The project will also develop “White Papers” to:
- Help us understand how state guidelines currently impact field inquiry,
- Help us understand how science education professors use field inquiry,
- Help us understand the type of field studies state fish and wildlife agencies undertake and how it relates to field inquiry for schools.
- Describe the value of field investigation model to national environmental projects
- Summarize the 2007 findings on the state of field inquiry for K-12 science education in the formal sector.
Children and Nature
Helping individuals develop a connection with nature is one of the most important steps in achieving stewardship of fish and wildlife and the natural resources that support them. The purpose of this project is to partner with the Children and Nature Network to solicit advice and guidance from regional leaders, draft an action guide for community campaigns, and print and distribute the guide as a part of a campaign tool kit that will provide guidance on building and sustaining regional movements to reconnect children with nature. The guide will lay out a six-month to one-year planning process, with action steps throughout, and will describe how to take quick, immediate action after a consensus is reached. The guide will help movement leaders engage the community at large; forge ongoing relationships with diverse sectors of the community; leverage regional policies and programs with the national Children and Nature movement; increase access to nature and improve children’s physical and mental health. It will include real-life examples and direct the reader to the website where new, up-to-date examples will be published. Examples will demonstrate a broad scope of opportunities including such activities as use of public natural areas, fishing, and/or watching wildlife.
Best Practices Handbook for Conservation Education
Further develop a research-based planning guide of best practices for developing and implementing conservation stewardship training/education programs. This guide will be based on Chapter 9 of the Best Practices Workbook for Boating, Fishing and Aquatic Resources Stewardship Education developed by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), but it will be expanded to meet the needs of a broader audience of conservation education practitioners.
Professional Development
Determine the highest priority needs for professional development and develop and publicize courses. A training course on diversity has already been developed and will be offered on June 27, 2007 through a satellite broadcast.
2009 Conservation Education Summit
Plan for the next Conservation Education Summit determining the goals and timing of the next Summit.
Communications
The Communications Committee is developing a communications plan to increase awareness of the Conservation Education Strategy and all elements of the strategy such as the conservation education concepts and actions of each committee, and to help others understand the value of conservation education.
Literature Review on Barriers
In partnership with the USFWS and an interagency agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey, social scientists in Fort Collins will conduct a literature review on barriers in conservation education. This committee will draft guidelines for the review.
Conservation Education Portal
The Association is a partner in the emerging conservation education portal devoted to
delivery of conservation education tools and resources for teachers and other mentors. In Web terms, a portal is a starting point to find information online - a gateway to the information you are looking for. The conservation education portal will be a gateway to thousands of education resources about fish, wildlife, forests, water, hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, etc. The portal will be designed to assist, connect and - most importantly - grow the conservation and environmental education community. For more information and to stay abreast of the developing effort, go to http://teachwild.org/. The effort is funded and driven by Wonders of Wildlife Museum and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation along with dozens of partners.
Baseline Research
Over the past two years we worked with state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations to establish core conservation education concepts that we all agreed upon. From those, the Association selected the top 11 most critical concepts for us to concentrate our efforts. For the top 11, we also established knowledge, attitudinal and behavioral outcomes we’d like to achieve. To know whether we are making a difference with our conservation education efforts, we need to know what the public’s knowledge, attitudes and behaviors are currently.
CE Coordination with Teaming with Wildlife
As Teaming with Wildlife seeks to secure funding for wildlife, this committee is coordinating with this effort to insure that conservation education is included in what is allowable for funding.
Development Committee
The Conservation Education Strategy is currently being funded under a Multistate Grant of Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Programs of the USFWS. We have a limited amount of funding through 2008. To help achieve the goals of the Strategy, this committee will address a variety of avenues to secure funding for this effort long-term.
The Association's Contract Conservation Education Coordinator is Sharon Rushton RushtonSR@aol.com
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