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Project Wild

Project WILDWhat is Project WILD?

Project WILD is one of the most widley-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students in kindergarten through high school. It is based on the premise that young people and educators have a vital interest in learning about our natural world. Emphasizing wildlife because of its intrinsic value, Project WILD addresses the need for human beings to develop as responsible citizens of our planet.

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is the Maine sponsor of this award-winning program. Workshops are offered to teachers and other educators interested in integrating wildlife and conservation education into their daily lesson plans. Through 2007, over 7,200 educators had enthusiastically participated in over 310 WILD workshops throughout Maine. Check out the National Project WILD website at: www.projectwild.org

Project WILD is a set of 100 multidisciplinary wildlife and conservation activities targeted at grades K-12. Project WILD is currently used in all 50 states and internationally, and is sponsored by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Activity guides are available upon completion of a 6-hour teacher workshop, which is full of hands-on activity participation, background information on Maine wildlife, with a variety of handouts, posters and prizes.

WILD K-12 activities are organized around a conceptual framework addressing these major themes:

  • Awareness and appreciation of wildlife
  • Human values and wildlife
  • Wildlife and ecological systems
  • Cultural/social interaction with wildlife
  • Wildlife issues and trends
  • Alternatives and consequences
  • Wildlife, ecological systems and responsible human actions.

Project WILD is designed to prepare young people for decisions affecting people, wildlife and their shared home - earth.

Project WILD Goal: To assist learners of any age in developing awareness, knowledge, skills and commitment to result in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment, upon which all life depends.

Project WILD activities are correlated to the original Maine Learning Results in math, science, language arts, social studies and visual/performing arts and are available at: www.maine.gov/ifw/education/wildlinks.htm or to participating workshop teachers in CD format.

Project WILD activity guides are available to classroom teachers, outdoor educators and youth leaders only after completing a six-hour teacher workshop.

 

Peoject WILD Aquatic Logo

 

Project WILD Aquatic

Project WILD Aquatic is a set of 40 multidisciplinary wildlife and conservation activities targeted at grades K-12, and focusing on aquatic habitats and wildlife. Hands-on activities take a closer look at whales, wetlands, turtles, salmon, invertebrates, marine/freshwater environments and more! A program currently used in all 50 states and internationally, Project WILD in Maine is sponsored by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Activity guides will be available upon full comopletion of the workshop session, which is full of active participation, background information on Maine wildlife, and a variety of handouts, posters and prizes.

Is Project WILD Aquatic for you?

  • Do you want an introduction to wetlands, Atlantic salmon, whales, turtles, water cycles, and more?
  • Are you personally interested in the wildlife that lives in freshwater and ocean habitats?
  • Do you need activities relating to water and wildlife?

Then Project WILD Aquatic is for you!

Growing Up WILD

Growing Up WILD is a resource that will be invaluable for early childhood professionals. With growing recognition of the need for young children to spend time outdoors, this guide provides practical suggestions for planning activities that are developmentally appropriate and includes all educational domains. Developed with the vision of changing the culture of early childhood education to embrace learning in the outdoors, Growing Up WILD is the first nationally distributed early childhood professional development program and activity guide that integrates environmental education into the early childhood curriculum.

The layout of the guide is very appealing, with colorful graphics and well-organized information. References to NAEYC Accreditation, Head Start domains and developmentally appropriate practices provide an important link for professionals in quality early childhood programs.

The activity guide Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children is an award winning publication, recognized for its contribution in the effort to connect young children to nature. Growing Up WILD’s network has grown to include 39 state sponsors and 23 training partners who are collectively reaching out to early childhood educators representing private child care organizations, Head Start, preschools, Montessori schools, home childcare providers, after-school leaders, and non-formal environmental education centers. http://www.projectwild.org/growingupwild

Flying WILD

Flying WILD's focus on migratory birds is designed to inspire young people to discover more about the natural world. It encourages higher elementary and middle school students to get involved in activities that promote environmental learning and stewardship.

The Flying WILD program encourages the integration of bird education and conservation activities into the school curriculum in an engaging, successful, and academically purposeful manner. In addition to Flying WILD: An Educator's Guide to Celebrating Birds, Flying WILD offers training for educators to implement the program in their schools, helping teachers, students, school administrators and community organizations to tap into the services and resources provided by the network of bird experts, bird organizations, and environmental professionals assisting with the Flying WILD initiative.

A Flying WILD School Bird Festival allows young people to come together with conservation experts, local businesses, and community organizations to learn and teach about birds. Students lead hands-on activities, create educational exhibits, host art displays, and stage performances-learning activities designed to run smoothly in a festival setting.
http://www.flyingwild.org/index.htm

Flying WILD Bird Trunk

Flying WILD, a program of the Council for Environmental Education, introduces students to bird conservation through standards-based classroom activities and environmental stewardship projects. Flying WILD encourages schools to work closely with conservation organizations, community groups, and businesses involved with birds to implement school bird festivals and bird conservation projects.

WILD School Sites

What can we do for wildlife?

What can we do to improve our environment?

How can we create a place for learning where our actions benefit wildlife?

  • Guide your students to take responsible action and improve their communities for people and wildlife, beginning on the school grounds.
  • Inventory your site for plants and wildlife.
  • Review your mapping skills.
  • Create detailed maps of the different components of your school site.
  • Plan successful wildlife habitat enhancement projects that complement integrated learning for all grade levels.

A wildlife tracking plot, a tree plantation, a groundwater monitoring station, a butterfly garden, a weather center, an archeological plot, a plant nursery or arboretum, nesting boxes and more!

Project WILD is outstanding teacher workshops. 99% of participants report that Basic, Aquatic and School Site workshops are either excellent or good.

WILD LINKS: Activity correlations to Maine Learning Results in math, science, language arts, social studies and visual/performing arts are available. Visit the web site for the links to over 140 Project WILD activities.

WILD LINKS was developed by Maine classroom teacher consultants in partnership with the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, and funded by an Outdoor Heritage Grant. Look for TREE LINKS (Project Learning Tree) and WET LINKS (Project WET) in book form.

Project WILD

Please Note: Project WILD Basic, Aquatic, Wild School Sites, Growing Up WILD, and Flying WILD Teacher Workshop fees are $25 per person.

  • include background information about Maine's wildlife and natural resources,
  • provide hands-on WILD experience with activities that address every subject and skill area, and
  • assist participants with integration of WILD activities into their curriculums.

WILD workshops are conducted on a statewide basis by trained volunteer facilitators. Workshops are scheduled year round at a variety of locations.

A workshop can be scheduled for an entire school district, an individual school, as a part of college methods courses, at conferences; on in-service days, professional days, early-release days, weekends or during vacations.

WILD workshops are designed so teachers become familiar with the activities and their multidisciplinary use in the classroom.

  • Teachers actively participate in a wide array of WILD activities
  • learn of other Maine conservation education resources
  • receive current wildlife information and teaching updates
  • learn how Project WILD is linked to the Maine State Learning Results

For more information, contact: Lisa Kane, Project WILD Coordinator Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 284 State St. 41 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 557-0118 or email Lisa Kane. For more information on a National level please visit www.projectwild.org.

Teachers say that Project WILD is:

  • Easy to use.
  • Adaptable to various time frames, activity sites, and subject areas,
    Fun and exciting.
  • Easily integrated with other subjects.
  • Full of activities that can be done in class, the schoolyard, nearby parks, or on field trips.
  • Highly adaptable to different grade levels, student populations and learning styles.
  • Active learning for all students.
  • A catalyst for other initiatives and extension activities.
  • Responsible action.
  • Students start to see that care and responsibility have meaning.
  • Wildlife information is presented in layman's language, and is not overwhelming.
  • Untrained science teachers immediately receive usable information, skills, and activities.
  • Teachers enjoy using Project WILD, finding the wildlife and conservation information stimulating to them as adults and enthusiastically received by their students.
  • Teachers give high praise to Project WILD's 'learning by doing' orientation to workshops and report reaching all students at all ability levels with Project WILD.

Get involved! Experience the activities! Practice teach! Take home new ideas and resources you can use immediately!

Upcoming Project WILD Workshops

GROWING UP WILD WORKSHOP

When: March 24, 2012

Where: MMCA Bath

Facilitator: Toni Pied

Time: 9am-1pm

Cost: $25 pp*

To Register: contact Marie Martin, Training Coordinator, Mid Coast RDC at marie.martin@mmcacorp.org or call 207-442-7963 x 286

DIRECTIONS:

From the North traveling south on Route 1:
Cross over the new Kennebec River bridge into Bath, continuing past Mc Donald’s and the shopping plaza. Just past the plaza, take the Congress Avenue exit. At Congress Avenue, turn right and continue past a veterinary office, bank, and hardware store on your left. At a crosswalk sign suspended over the road, turn left onto Wing Farm Parkway. MMCA’s offices are located in the large building with a red roof.

From the South, traveling north on Route 1:
Take the first Bath exit (Congress Avenue/Richardson Street and turn right). Driving past a small strip mall on your left, take the first right onto Congress Avenue, crossing back over Route 1. Continue past a veterinary office, bank, and hardware store on your left. At a crosswalk sign suspended over the road, turn left onto Wing Farm Parkway. MMCA’s offices are located in the large building with a red roof.

Registration Deadline: March 9th

* participants will receive the BIG 2009 Growing Up Wild curriculum and resource guide (Exploring Nature with Young Children ages 3-7) correlated to the National Association for the Education of young children (NAEYC) Standards and the Head Start Domains. You will also receive a variety of Maine wildlife-related posters, publications and prizes!

Growing Up WILD is a program of the Council for Environmental Education (CEE)

Growing Up WILD

Growing Up Wild is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature, and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Linda Woodard

DATE: Saturday, March 24, 2012

TIME: 9am-1pm

PLACE: Room 121 King Hall
Kennebec Valley Community College, Fairfield

DIRECTIONS: http://www.kvcc.me.edu/

From South (Portland): Take I-95 North to Exit 132. Turn right, KVCC entrance is the second left.
From North (Bangor): Take I-95 South to Exit 132. Turn left, KVCC entrance is the second left after the overpass

TO REGISTER: Contact Linda Woodard, 207-415-8331 or e-mail linda@lindawoodard.net.

This workshop is a part of a science methods class at KVCC. FMI about the class, contact the instructor at: bbeach@maine.edu

PROJECT WILD AQUATIC

WORKSHOP LEADER: Lisa Kane

DATE: Saturday March 24th

TIME: 12:30 pm to 3pm. 

PLACE: Professional Issues Conference at UMaine Augusta.

TO REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE:
**Open to MEA members only**

CONTACT: Jamie Daggon, Maine Education Association
@ 207-622-4418 ext. 2211

http://www.maine.nea.org/

Growing Up WILD

Growing Up Wild is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature, and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Toni Pied

WHEN: Saturday, April 14, 2012

TIME: 9am - 1:00pm:

WHERE: Auburn YMCA, 62 Turner Str.; www.alymca.org

FEE: $35 PP; snacks provided

TO PRE-REGISTER and PREPAY; or FMI:
Pam Soucy, Child Care Options, 337 Maine Avenue, Farmingdale, ME 04344
(207) 582-3110 xt.25 or email: training@skcdc.org

DEADLINE DATE: for registration: Friday, April 7, 2012.
Please dress for the weather and be prepared to go outside.

Growing Up WILD

Growing Up Wild is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature, and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Joanne Alex, Education Director,
Stillwater Montessori School, Old Town; 1998 Teacher of the Year

WHEN: Saturday, April 14, 2012

WHERE: The beautiful Schoodic Education & Research Center (SERC) Acadia National Park, Winter Harbor

TIME: 9am - 1:00pm: Optional campus tour with national park staff available following the workshop

FEE: $25 PP; snacks provided

TO PRE-REGISTER and PREPAY; or FMI:
Please contact Cynthia Ocel @ 207-228-8812 or cynthia_ocel@nps.gov

DEADLINE DATE: for registration: Friday, April 6, 2012.

A minimum of 15 people are needed to run this workshop: Limit 30.
Please bring your lunch & beverage, dress for the weather and be prepared to go outside.

Growing Up WILD

Growing Up Wild is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature, and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Joanne Alex, Education Director,
Stillwater Montessori School, Old Town; 1998 Teacher of the Year

WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 2012

TIME: 9am - 1:00pm:

WHERE: Katahdin Hall,
Eastern Maine Community College, Bangor

FEE: $25 PP; snacks provided

TO PRE-REGISTER and PREPAY; or FMI:
Please contact Joanne Alex @ 827-2404 or joannedalex@gmail.com

DEADLINE DATE: for registration: Friday, April 14, 2012.
Please dress for the weather and be prepared to go outside.

This is a part of a Curriculum II college class. It has a science focus and satisfies the requirement for the 081 certificate- Teaching Young Children in Science. FMI about the entire class, please contact Connie Ronco, Instructor, at cronco@emcc.edu

Project WILD BASIC

Including a live wildlife presentation from
THE CENTER FOR WILDLIFE

WORKSHOP LEADERS:
Linda Woodard and staff from the Center For Wildlife

DATE: Friday, April 27, 2012

TIME: 9AM-3PM

PLACE: Mount Agamenticus Learning Lodge - located on a mountaintop 10,000 acres of conservation land in South Berwick http://agamenticus.org/

DIRECTIONS:

FROM YORK: Route 1 northbound. Flo's Hot Dogs will be on your right. Turn left on Mountain Road. Travel 1.5 miles to stop sign. Turn right and travel 2.7 miles to SUMMIT ROAD located on your right. Summit Road is the Mount Agamenticus access road and will take you to the lodge

FROM OGUNQUIT: From Ogunquit center, travel south approximately 3.8 miles on US Route 1. Flo's Hot Dogs will be on your left. Turn right onto Mountain Road. Travel 1.5 miles to stop sign. Turn right and travel 2.7 miles to SUMMIT ROAD located on your right. Summit Road is the Mount Agamenticus access road and will take you to the lodge

FEE: $25 PP
Please bring your lunch & beverage, dress for the weather and be prepared to go outside.

TO REGISTER AND PREPAY:
contact Linda Woodard @ 207-415-8331 or e-mail linda@lindawoodard.net

Held in conjunction with the Center for Wildlife: http://www.yorkcenterforwildlife.org/

Participants in this workshop will receive the PROJECT WILD BASIC wildlife and conservation education activity guide, plus a variety of wildlife oriented posters, prizes and publications.

***In addition, the Center for Wildlife educators and live animal ambassadors will do a demonstration of their classroom outreach programs, introducing natural history, current challenges and stewardship for local raptors, reptiles and mammals.  CFW will also share tips on introducing the concepts of adaptations, conservation, and basic ecology to audiences of all ages.  CFW programs can be booked, for a fee, at your school!

OPTIONAL: Participants will be able to tour the nearby CFW after the workshop.

Growing Up WILD

Growing Up Wild is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature, and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Toni Pied

WHEN: Saturday, May 19, 2012

TIME: 9am - 1:00pm:

WHERE: Cathance Children's Center, 1201 Main Str., Bowdoin
www.cathance.com/children

FEE: $35 PP; snacks provided

TO PRE-REGISTER and PREPAY; or FMI:
Pam Soucy, Child Care Options, 337 Maine Avenue, Farmingdale, ME 04344
(207) 582-3110 xt.25 or email: training@skcdc.org

DEADLINE DATE: for registration: Friday, May 11, 2012.
Please dress for the weather and be prepared to go outside.

Growing Up WILD

Growing Up Wild is an early childhood education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature, and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them.

WORKSHOP LEADER: Toni Pied

WHEN: Saturday, June 23, 2012

TIME: 9am - 1:00pm:

WHERE: Waterville Educare, 56 Drummond Ave. www.educarecentralmaine.org

FEE: $35 PP; snacks provided

TO PRE-REGISTER and PREPAY; or FMI:
Pam Soucy, Child Care Options, 337 Maine Avenue, Farmingdale, ME 04344
(207) 582-3110 xt.25 or email: training@skcdc.org

DEADLINE DATE: for registration: Friday, June 15, 2012.
Please dress for the weather and be prepared to go outside.

2012 Educator's Workshop, for K-12 educators

Project Learning Tree: 5 Hours

A workshop for educators that prides itself on promoting "how to think, not what you think," using the forest as a window for understanding the natural world.

Project WILD and WILD Aquatic: 5 Hours

A workshop for educators interested in integrating multidisciplinary wildlife and conservation education into their lessons plans.

Project WET: 6 Hours

A workshop that facilitates and promotes awareness, appreciation, knowledge and Stewardship of water resources.

WHEN: Friday March 9th (7:30am -8:30pm)
and Saturday March 10th (7:30am-3:30pm)

WHERE: Sebec Lake Lodge, 112 Citron Hill Rd. Sebec, Maine
www.sebeclakelodge.com

Driving Directions from Dover-Foxcroft:
Start out driving north/west on ME-6/ME-16 towards Milo. See Law Farm land sign on your right, then pass Camelot Horse Farm on your left. Turn Left onto Parsons Landing Rd. Follow for 3 miles once you hit the dirt road (Parsons starts out paved, then turns to dirt). Take a Right onto Boat House Rd., take a Left onto Citron Hill Rd., Lodge will be on your Left. You will see signs for Sebec Lake Lodge at all the turns.

Call 207-564-0007 FMI

FEE: $135.00pp.

CEUs: Must Attend both full day sessions to obtain materials& 18 hr. Certificate of Attendance & 1.8 CEUs

TO REGISTER: Send the Registration Fee of $135.00/pp with the following information: Name, Address, E-mail, Phone, Number of attendees and Any Special Dietary Requirements to: Piscataquis County SWCD, 42 Engdahl Drive, Dover-Foxcroft, ME 04426, #207-564-2321, info@piscataquisswcd.org

DEADLINE DATE TO REGISTER: February 29, 2012.
** Minimum of 15 participants must be registered in order to run this workshop