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In Celebration of Pollination
Today I dropped by the post office to mail a package and purchase a book of stamps. I was delighted to discover the "Pollination" stamps. Have you seen these? Four different designs highlight the symbiotic relationship that bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and bats have with flowers.Just step outside in spring and summer and the wonders of pollination occur right before your eyes. See a bee busily working a flower? This is a great teachable moment. Flower structures and the behavior of pollinators are rich fodder for science talk with the kids in your life. For an in-depth study of pollination, plan a visit to the Butterfly House and Insect Zoo at Pacific Science Center. Or, visit the Woodland Park Zoo's Butterfly and Blooms exhibit.For more information about pollination and gardening with kids, please visit the following resources:BBC's Gardening with KidsKids GardeningSeattle Tilth for Kids
Salmon Homecoming 15th Anniversary, Sept. 7-9
SALMON HOMECOMING TO CELEBRATE 15th ANNIVERSARY
(Click here: www.salmonhomecoming.com and help us spread the word about this year's Salmon Homecoming Celebration!)
Friday through Sunday, September 7-9, Seattle 's Waterfront Park and The Seattle Aquarium will come alive with the sound of Indian drums and singing. Carvers and other great tribal artisans will demonstrate the beauty of Indian arts and crafts, and the savory aroma of barbcued salmon will waft through the air, as environmental exhibits and a career fair reach out to viewers to help broaden understanding and appreciation for Salmon, the Northwest Icon.
It's the 15th Anniversary of Salmon Homecoming, and YOU are invited to attend, participate and enjoy. Whether you have a company, a tribe or agency with an exhibit to display, a canoe paddler, traditional storyteller or just want to join the fun, YOU ARE WELCOME!!! The purpose of Salmon Homecoming has always been to help connect Indian with non-Indian individuals and communities and help broaden the knowledge, understanding and team spirit needed to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat.
To learn more about SALMON HOMECOMING, check out our website at www.salmonhomecoming.com. Here you will find everything from the schedule of activities (including the Salmon Homecoming Forum, slated for September 17) to news releases and the forms to fill out to be an exhibitor or vendor. You'll also find a PDF Poster which you should feel free to print and display. You'll find a message from the Senior Adviser of the Salmon Homecoming Alliance, Billy Frank, Jr., and--well, in short, you'll find a lot of good reasons to be a part of the Salmon Homecoming experience!
From: Steve Robinson, Policy Analyst, NW Indian Fisheries Commission
Free Sail for Teachers
Salish Sea Expeditions is a local, non-profit organization that combines Inquiry-Based Learning with classroom scientific study and boat-based field research, enabling students to learn scientific principles and practice problem-solving skills while navigating the waters of Puget Sound . We serve 5th-12th grade students and their teachers from all around Puget Sound, and are offering a chance for teachers to learn first-hand about our unique program offerings during a free three-hour, informal sail.
Three Washington State Clock Hours are available for $10.00 (check made payable to PSESD, NOT Salish).
You will have the opportunity to use our oceanographic sampling equipment, discuss Inquiry-Based Learning techniques, tour the 61 foot sailboat, Carlyn, meet the staff, help with sailing and talk with other teachers who have taken students out with Salish Sea Expeditions!
The sail is free, but space is limited, so please contact Jenny McColloch at (206)780-7848 ext. 4# or jenny@salish.org to make a reservation. Simply include your name, where you teach, a home/cell phone number in case of last minute changes, and how you heard about the program.
For more information about Salish Sea Expeditions, visit our website at www.salish.org
Dates and times:
Sunday, September 9, 9:00am to noon from Elliott Bay Marina, Seattle.
Sunday, September 16, 9:00am to noon from Elliott Bay Marina, Seattle.
Upcoming Field Seminars with North Cascades Institute
"Easy to Thunder: North Cascades History Backpack"
August 14-19 in the North Cascades National Park backcountry
"Cascadia Butterfly Safari" with Robert Michael Pyle
August 17-19 in the Baker Lake area
"Creek Consciousness: The Art and Science of Fly-fishing"
September 7-9 at the Learning Center
"Wildlife Tracking: Cougars and their Prey"
September 7-9 at the Learning Center
"Time, Tales and Terrain: Two Decades of Writing about the Pacific Northwest" with Timothy Egan and Joel Connelly
September 15-16 at the Learning Center
"Living with Climate Change: Northwest Mountains, Rivers and Shorelines in the Years Ahead"
September 21-23 at the Learning Center
More information and registration is available at www.ncascades.org, by emailing nci@ncascades.org or calling (360) 856-5700 ext. 209. First-time participants are eligible for a 20% discount and the Institute has a generous scholarship program for students, educators, conservation professionals, low-income folks and others. Teacher clock hours and university credits are available for most programs.
Gear-Up Summer Camp a Success!
Laughing Crow Curriculum's most recently completed project was designing a two-week summer camp for the Gear-Up Program at Asa Mercer Middle School in South Seattle. Using the theme of "water," a combination of field trips, guest presentations, science experiments, and art activities inspired the middle schoolers to explore their local water resources.
Highlights of the camp included:
- A boat tour of the lower Duwamish River (a federal Superfund site), hosted by the Duwamish River Clean-Up Coalition
- A tour of the Cedar River Watershed, the source of much of our drinking water
- A watershed model demonstration from People for Puget Sound
- A storm-drain stenciling service-learning project
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