WiserEarth social networking site

Stumbled across this “Web 2.0” site for folks like us… Environmental educators take note!

http://wiserearth.org/article/About

As an example, EECOM profiled here: http://wiserearth.org/organization/view/f5bbba9278f00a3ec248f995b4d6ecb7

WiserEarth serves the people who are transforming the world. It is a community-editable international directory and networking forum that maps, links and empowers the largest movement in the world – the hundreds of thousands of organizations within civil society that address social justice, poverty, and the environment. We hope to put it open source as soon as possible. WiserEarth provides the tools and a platform for non-profit organizations, funders, social entrepreneurs, students, organizers, academics, activists, scientists, and citizens to connect, collaborate, share resources and build alliances. WiserEarth is the first of three projects to be launched under WISER (World Index for Social and Environmental Responsibility): WiserEarth will be followed by WiserBusiness and WiserGovernment respectively. Another WISER offshoot currently in development is the WiserCommons project.

News item: To kids, outdoors aren't so great

-------------------- To kids, outdoors aren't so great -------------------- $20 million campaign aims to encourage youngsters to turn off the gadgets, go outside By Donna St. George The Washington Post June 20, 2007 WASHINGTON -- Linda Pelzman appreciates the beauty of the outdoor world, sometimes pulling her children into the yard to gaze at a full moon or peer into a dense fog. A founder of a summer camp, she only wishes her enthusiasm was fully shared. On a recent nature walk near her Gaithersburg, Md., home, her younger son, 6, was unimpressed: "I just want to go back to civilization." Her older son, 13, has made it clear he prefers PlayStation. "Kids don't think about going outside like they used to, and unless there is some scheduled activity, I don't think they know what to do outdoors anymore," Pelzman said. Her view is shared by a growing number of children's advocates, environmentalists, business executives and political leaders who fear that this might be the first generation of "indoor children," largely disconnected from nature. Concerns about long-term consequences -- to emotional well-being, physical health, learning abilities, environmental consciousness -- have spawned a national movement to "leave no child inside." On Wednesday, 40 civic leaders -- representing several governors, three big-city mayors, Walt Disney Co., Sesame Workshop, DuPont, the gaming industry and others -- will launch a campaign to raise $20 million to fund 20 initiatives across the country to encourage children to do what once seemed second nature: go outdoors. The decline in outdoor activity has been documented by experts such as Sandra Hofferth, a family studies professor at the University of Maryland. From 1997 to 2003, she found, there was a decline from 16 percent to 8 percent in the proportion of children 9 to 12 who spent time in outside activities. Organized sports were not included as an outdoor activity in the study. The increased activism has been partly inspired by a book, "Last Child in the Woods," and its author, Richard Louv. Coining the term "nature deficit disorder," Louv has argued that indoor kids are more prone to childhood problems including obesity, depression and attention disorders. "I'm not saying that a child who grows up without nature is going to have terrible problems," Louv said, "but if you look at the studies that show what nature does give kids, it's unfortunate that so many children are missing out on that." Experts suggest a major factor in the decline of outdoor time is parental fears about leaving children unattended, aggravated by excessive media coverage of horrific crimes. Changes in family life also have had an influence: more mothers in the workforce, more structured playtime, more organized sports. In Great Falls, Va., the Hefner family has a back yard of more than an acre, a green swath of kid heaven. Three years ago, George Hefner built a two-story "treehouse" that stands on the ground between two maples. He imagined his children fixing it up, sleeping there. But 10-year-old Paul cannot remember the last time he played in the little house. "Animals live out there, you know," he told his mother one day. His older sister Sarah, 16, acknowledges she has never set foot in it. "What would I do in a treehouse?" she asked. "The kids are all physically active in sports, but when they come home, it's inside time," said Paula Hefner, Paul's mom. That changed recently, when Paul went hiking with his Boy Scout troop. Mom and son now hike regularly in nearby Great Falls National Park. "I like seeing the falls and stuff," Paul said. Copyright (c) 2007, Chicago Tribune

Free Online Project: Students Track Seasons, Animal Migrations

Teachers and students in K-12 classrooms are invited to participate this fall in Journey North’s 15th global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. One of the nation’s premier Internet-based “citizen science” projects, Journey North enables students in 11,000 schools to track the seasons on a real-time basis. Students follow the migration patterns of monarch butterflies, bald eagles, whooping cranes, and other animals; the budding of plants, changing sunlight, and other natural events. They share their own field observations with classmates across North America and analyze data from other classroom and professional scientists. Each Journey North study features many entry points and resources that address learning standards: Journey North for Kids reading booklets, slideshows, and lessons with stunning photos and video clips, weekly migration updates, interactive maps, connections with field scientists, and compelling migration “stories.” The studies help students fit local observations and inquiries into a global context. Thanks to a grant from Annenberg Media, Journey North Web site access and participation is free. Visit the Journey North Web site for details: http ://www .learner.org/jnorth . (Fall projects will be featured in early August.)

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Fall Journey North Studies Check the Web site for fall start dates and a list of spring studies that start in late January: Monarch Migration – Students track the remarkable monarch migration to Mexico each fall by reporting observations and collecting reports of the first sightings of southbound monarch butterflies. Each week a migration map shows a "live" snapshot and animation of the migration in progress. In the Symbolic Monarch Butterfly Migration project, students across the US and Canada send creatively crafted paper butterflies to Mexico for the winter along with messages for Mexican peers who live near the monarch sanctuaries. Mexican students watch over the symbolic butterflies – and return the favor in the spring as the real monarchs journey north. International Plant Study: Tulips – Students investigate the relationship between geography, temperature, and the arrival of spring by planting Journey North Tulip Gardens each fall. They also set up bulb investigations in classrooms and schoolyards. By sharing tulip garden observations over the Internet, students across the Northern Hemisphere proclaim the official arrival of spring in their communities and follow the wave of spring as it moves northward. Whooping Cranes – Whooping cranes had not lived in the eastern U.S. for more than a century. Now, thanks to a bold 11-year experiment, wild whooping cranes are migrating once again to these areas. Students “eavesdrop” as costume-clad humans “teach” the birds a new lifelong migration route by using an ultra-light airplane to lead the way. Youngsters read photo-rich weekly updates and kid-friendly booklets, and they view video clips of endearing young chicks from birth to their first wobbly flights. Mystery Class – Challenge your students to find ten secret classes hiding around the globe. The central clue is the changing amount of sunlight (photoperiod) at each site. Students first use only sunrise and sunset times, and later receive geographic, climatic, and cultural clues from peers at mystery sites. In the meantime, they also track day length in their hometowns. On this inspiring ten-week journey, students use reasoning, graphing, and research skills to pinpoint locations of their global peers. The hunt begins in late January, but those who conduct some lessons this fall just might have a leg up! (Editor: We will gladly provide digital photos, or put you in touch with a participating teacher to interview.)

National Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

National Decade of Education for Sustainable Development An online consultation about the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) 2005-2014 is currently underway. The exchange of innovative projects and ideas, in English and French will continue until 30 June 2007.

Many countries have mobilized for the UN DESD since its launch in 2005. This online consultation will help to prepare an assessment of the progress and achievements on the first two years of the DESD. UNESCO invites members of education communities worldwide to participate in its online discussion forums on this and other education themes.

To register for the online consultation on DESD, visit the UNESCO website.

http://www.unesco.org/education/forum/gforum.cgi?guest=179

TeacherTube and Aboriginal Canada Portal

TeacherTube

TeacherTube is an online community for sharing instructional videos. Teachers can post videos designed for students or professional development videos for teacher-to-teacher instruction. http://www.teachertube.com/

Aboriginal Canada Portal

Learn about native peoples in Canada with this Web site created by the government of Canada, the Assembly of First Nations, and other stakeholders. Site offers thematic areas such as education, natural resources, traditional ecological knowledge, justice, First Nation communities, and more. http://www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca/acp/site.nsf/en/index.html

Environmental Awareness Fund deadline June 18

Funding of $30,000 is available in 2007-08 to assist registered non-government organizations with efforts to inform and educate the public by promoting environmental education or awareness, resource planning and sustainable development in the Yukon.

Funds can be used for a range of qualifying projects including educational camps, workshops, brochures, surveys, video productions, public lectures, conferences, web site development and similar kinds of activities.

The maximum funding available for any single project is $5,000. Successful applicants will be required to enter into a contribution agreement or service contract with the department to complete the project under certain terms and conditions. Each organization is limited to one application per year.

For more information and application forms contact: Vicki McCollum, A/Manager, Client Services Department of Environment Phone: (867)667-5797 Toll free(in Yukon): 1-800-661-0408, local 5797

The form is also available for downloading in PDF format.

Completed applications must be delivered to 10 Burns Road in Whitehorse or received at the following address by June 18, 2007

Hinterland Who's Who video contest

>Looking for an end-of-year project for your students? Hinterland Who’s Who is calling all aspiring filmmakers! We’re encouraging students and teachers across Canada to make their own 60-second HWW nature videos using materials that we’ve provided online.

Learning and teaching about wildlife can be fun and easy to do! In supplying some basic instructions, a materials list and supplementary files, we’ll help get you started in making your Hinterland Who’s Who production a success.

We’ll post them on hww.ca!

Submit your nature video to hww.ca and, where appropriate, we will post them in the “Homegrown” media section of our site for the world to see.

You can find instructions, photos, videos and more online at hww.ca, including:

· 7 Simple Steps instructions

· pictures, videos and sounds

· HWW logo and music

· sample script

Visit hww.ca or e-mail us at info@hww.ca to learn how your students can broaden their understanding of wildlife in Canada.

Au professeur :

Madame, Monsieur,

Vous cherchez un projet de fin d’année pour vos élèves? Faune et flore du pays lance une invitation à tous les cinéastes amateurs! Nous encourageons les élèves et professeurs de tout le Canada à réaliser leur propre séquence vidéo de 60 secondes de FFP sur la nature, en utilisant le matériel que nous avons fourni en ligne.

Apprendre et enseigner sur la faune peut être agréable et facile! En fournissant quelques instructions de base, une liste du matériel et des fichiers supplémentaires, nous vous aiderons à vous lancer dans ce projet et à faire de votre production Faune et flore du pays un succès.

Nous afficherons vos oeuvres sur hww.ca!

Proposez-nous votre séquence vidéo sur la nature à hww.ca et, le cas échéant, nous l’afficherons dans la section consacrée aux médias et aux « Productions maison » de notre site, pour que tous puissent la voir.

Vous trouverez des instructions, des photos, des séquences vidéo et d’autres renseignements en ligne à hww.ca, y compris :

· sept instructions simples,

· des illustrations, séquences vidéo et sons,

· le logo et la musique de FFP,

· un échantillon de script.

Visitez hww.ca ou envoyez-nous un courriel à info@hww.ca pour apprendre comment vos élèves pourront mieux comprendre la faune canadienne.