Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Birding with Kids


Bird watching is a great way for kids to become aware of birds. Birds can be found anywhere, all year round. Gather the basic gear—a field notebook, a field guide, and binoculars, if you have them—and go outside.

Bird behavior is fascinating to children and adults. Different species have definite and recognizable behaviors. Some bird behaviors are so species-specific that one can identify a bird on location and behavior description alone.

Weekly migration forecasts are available from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s  BirdCast project to help you know what to look for and which days to go out. Have kids observe and record what they see in several different habitats and make comparisons.

Wildlife professionals inventory wildlife populations to gather information about the number and kinds of wildlife in a given area. Use Project WILD’s “Bird Song Survey” to give your students experience inventory a local bird population.
 
Apps for Birding with Kids
Merlin
Because of the simple, user-friendly interface, birding becomes both easy and fun. To identify a bird, Merlin first asks five questions – when, where, size, color, and activity of the bird observed. Using eBird data, Merlin then gives the most common species around you who fit the criteria provided. It also provides 1,000+ photo resources, tips from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s expert birders, and bird sounds from the Cornell Lab’s Macaulay Library. Cost: Free for iOS and Android users.
 
BirdsEye Bird Finding Guide*
Information and population statistics on 1,000+  birds across North America. View seasonal populations, current lists of birds reported near your location and notifications of when rare birds are observed in your area. Open up the “Browse by Location tab in the app to view checklists that were recently submitted in nearby areas. Cost: Free for iOS and Android users.
 
Useful Websites
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, August 09, 2016

Join the Iowa DNR at the 2016 Iowa State Fair



Stop by the Iowa DNR building to see the Iowa fish in the historic aquarium, have your questions answered, and take in a presentation in the beautiful courtyard.

Check out these presentations (the whole courtyard schedule is available at iowadnr.gov/IowaStateFair):

Thursday, August 11
Get Active, Get Healthy, Get Outdoors!

We’re kicking off our the fair at the DNR Building with a Q&A session with DNR Director Chuck Gipp in the morning, followed by several other events throughout the day. In the afternoon, bring the kids to the DNR courtyard to craft tools for your aspiring nature detectives.

Friday, August 12
Bring Nature to your Backyard

What’s all the buzz about pollinators? Join us on Friday to find out. Whether you’re listening to State Forester Paul Tauke field questions, or making seed bombs to attract pollinators to your backyard, be prepared to learn about Iowa’s little wonders.

Saturday, August 13
Come Fish with Us

Fishing Day in the courtyard begins with a question and answer session with Fisheries Bureau Chief Joe Larscheid, followed by an instructional presentation for kids who want to learn to fish. In the afternoon, you can get the scoop on primitive fish or get a close up look at real Iowa turtles.

Sunday, August 14
Wild in Iowa

With appearances from live trumpeter swans and Iowa’s reptiles and amphibians, Sunday will be a wild day in the courtyard. At noon, join us for an activity teaching kids the best and safest ways to bring wildlife to your backyard.

Monday, August 15
Taking to the Field

Monday is the day of the hunt. Come by the courtyard to pick up information and expertise on a variety of hunting topics. Whether you’re training a new hunting dog, looking for the perfect hunting spot, or hoping to cook wild game of your own, find what you’re looking for here on Monday.

Tuesday, August 16
Iowa’s Habitat Heroes

We have a responsibility to respect and protect our natural habitats. Visit the DNR building for information on the newest and brightest ways of looking after Iowa’s natural wonders.  Celebrate Iowa’s tradition of responsibly managing our resources and hear about the next steps we can take as community to continue this cause.

Wednesday, August 17
Conservation Leaders Past and Present

With a highlight on the Civilian Conservation Corps, Wednesday will honor the accomplishments of Iowa’s great conservationists. At noon, enjoy the presentation of Eagle Scout projects in our courtyard, followed by a presentation on Ding Darling, famed Iowa cartoonist and conservation leader.

Thursday, August 18
Spend S’more Time in State Parks

Pick up some tips and tricks to getting the most from your local state park all day. Starting off with a Q&A from State Park Chief Todd Coffelt, Thursday is for everyone from State Park enthusiasts to future visitors. Don’t miss a dialogue about natural ways of warding off pesky mosquitoes at 1 p.m.

Friday, August 19
Come Fish with Us

The art of fishing is as intricate it is enticing, so come by on Friday for a second helping of fishing guidance and encouragement. Fisheries Bureau Chief Joe Larscheid returns for another discussion in the morning, and be sure to check out the live turtles native to Iowa in the afternoon. Kids are encouraged to join us at 11 a.m. for more fishing basics.

Saturday, August 20
ReusaPalooza!

Junk becomes art! In the morning, take part in a Q&A with Land Quality Bureau Chief Alex Moon. Give old stuff a breath of new life with crafty activities that upcycle junk to treasure for both kids and adults all day until 4 in the DNR courtyard.

Sunday, August 21
EXTREME Outdoors

Our final day will consist of educating the public on the extreme outdoors. Come by at noon to begin your quest to become a citizen scientist for Iowa’s resources. Join us anytime between 11-3 to take part in the adventure of building beautiful birdhouses.

Monday, August 08, 2016

Teaching Environmental Sustainability-Model My Watershed Workshop

The Teaching Environmental Sustainability: Model My Watershed (TES-MMW) project, funded by the National Science Foundation, teaches a systems approach to problem solving through modeling and hands-on activities based on local watershed data and issues. Middle and high school students will act in their communities while engaging in solving problems they find interesting.

Participants and their students will use free portal-based activities that employ maps and models to study their own school’s watershed; teachers will participate in a face-to-face teacher workshop, two online courses for teachers and a 2-3 week unit of study with their students during the 2016-17 academic year, and follow-up 1 day teacher workshop in summer 2017. TES-MMW activities support NGSS and Math Common Core.  Teachers will receive a $1000 stipend for participating. 

This program is for Iowa  middle and high school science teachers whose curriculum includes watershed studies, and who are willing and available to participate in all TES-MMW workshop and online activities that include:

·      2 -1 1/2 day workshop (3 day equivalent) at Heartland AEA in Johnston Friday evening Sept. 23 , Saturday Sept. 24,  the evening of Nov. 4 and Saturday Nov. 5 (travel costs reimbursed by grant, total of 32 hours of work).

·    2016-17 academic year: 2 online courses for teachers (15 hours of time for each course); and a 2-3 week unit of study (9-15 class periods of activities) with your students.

·    1 day of follow-up activities in summer 2017 (date TBD). 
·    Completion of all research activities required for NSF funding
 
Applications are due Sept. 9, 2016. For more information contact Rob Kleinow at rkleinow@heartlandaea.org.