Other Winter 2023-24 Offerings

January: 

Meet your Green Neighbors- Trees of the Hudson Valley!  (Laura Wyeth on January 7th)

Nature' is not a just place that you visit sometimes. It is all around us, all the time. Whether your school is located in an urban, suburban, or rural area, opportunities to connect with and understand nature abound. By meeting the species we find close to home, by learning about their lives and their interrelationships, we can come to understand the cycles and processes of life everywhere. With that knowledge, we can make informed decisions that support the health of ecosystems- locally and globally. And- as a delightful bonus- building that deeper connection to our local habitats helps to improve our own well being and that of our communities. So where does one start? How about with your largest and most reliably present non-human neighbors- the trees.

In this workshop, Laura Wyeth, horticulturist and lecturer in Biology at SUNY New Paltz, will share a variety of ways that you can introduce students to the living world around them, while also creating programs that connect the entire school community- teachers, staff, parents, and neighbors- to the tapestry of life outside your doors.

Participants will learn how to identify a selection of trees native to NY state and learn about their place in our local ecosystems, including the special relationships these trees have with birds, fungi, mammals, and more. During a brainstorming session, participants will generate and share ideas for incorporating the trees of their school's campus into classroom activities and school-wide projects. If it isn't too cold outside, we'll head outdoors on the SUNY New Paltz campus to meet and identify some common tree species. 

February:

Youth Empowerment & Sustainability Summit - Educator Sessions (Samrat Pathania February 21 & 22)

The Youth Empowerment & Sustainability Summit (YESS!) is a climate solution and leadership summit for young people and educators who are ready to change their lives and their communities by working towards climate resilience. It is composed of three days of immersive experiences, from presentations to workshops and sessions led by regional experts in climate, empowerment, and civic engagement skills. The purpose of this two-session workshop is to help educators attending the summit identify specific topics or actions that will support professional learning for adult advisors to youth groups, as well actions which will promote climate education. Participants will also explore a structure for this group to continue to network with each other, access resources, and discuss effective youth development strategies.  

March:

Maple Sugaring: the Science Surrounding Syrup (Creek Iverson on March 3rd)

Sugar Maple trees grow on most school campuses in New York State. The sap run happens annually from Mid-February through Mid-March and it kicks off the start to the agroecological season in the Hudson Valley. Join Farm Based Educators, Creek Iversen and Jasmine Wood at Seed Song Farm https://www.seedsongfarm.org/ for a workshop highlighting both the hands-on process of maple tapping and the science behind the sap flow (parts of the tree in relation to the sap flow). During this program we will practice identifying a sugar maple tree, tap a tree, observe sap flow, and sip sap straight from the tree. We will also visit the evaporator and witness sap turning to syrup. Tapping a tree is a simple process which requires minimal materials to get started. We will review the equipment needed to tap a tree and collect sap on your campus with your students. Bring your family and join in on our annual Maple Family Fun Weekend festivities including pancakes, visits with farm animals and live music after the workshop.

Climate Solutions with Bard Center for Environmental Policy (Eban Goodstein with Samrat Pathania on March 6th and 13th)

Are you concerned about climate change but not sure how to integrate it into your classes? Are you new to sustainability-centered curriculum and looking to increase your repertoire of lessons/activities? Do you want to join a growing community of educators working toward climate solutions? All educators have a role to play in helping their students move from feelings of climate despair to a mindset of climate repair: we have done a lot of damage to the climate, there is important repair work to be done, and everyone will have to contribute. We need climate artists and engineers, climate writers and musicians, and business people, lawyers, teachers and scientists. Come join this two-workshop series with Eban Goodstein, Director, Center for Environmental Policy at Bard College and Samrat Pathania, NY Master Teacher Emeritus to learn how you can be part of the movement. The first session will focus on the state of climate science and solutions. Participants will explore resources available through Bard College which are free for the larger community. The second session will be devoted to hands-on work to find avenues for curricular integration with an aim to incorporate them in classrooms during the WorldWide Climate and Justice Education Week (April 1-8).