We have zoomed through the winter and now it is time to plan for all the exciting opportunities of spring and summer.  Educators everywhere are wrapping up the year with their students, encouraging them to venture out, explore, and apply new knowledge to new experiences.  So what about teachers?  It is our turn as well-- get out and find an inspiring opportutnity that will help you grow and learn. 

Do you need a place to start?  Check out the Forestry Institute For Teachers!

Highlights of the year, and moving forward...

• Kay Antunez retires after 24 years of serving CA Educators.  The complete family of PLT educators, trainers, liaisons, forestry advisers, and community leaders have been a part of her legacy.  Thank you Kay!
• Sandy Derby accepts the position and challenge to transition the CA PLT program to the Agriculture and Natural Resources division of the University of California, and become a part of Cooperative Extension.  I am glad to be here!
• Mike De Lasaux is honored with the F. H. Raymond award from the CA board of Forestry and Fire Protection.  This Award recognizes outstanding performances in management, research, education, and seeking public awareness of forest resources. 
• National PLT hosts the annual International PLT conference in Point Clear, Alabama.  National PLT presents recent research on professional development, training for environmental educators, and encourages all State Coordinators to develop new stratagies and programs to move PLT into the next generation of teaching..
• In 2013, CA PLT leaders hosted more than 35 professional development opportunities for CA educators, engaging teachers and students in exploring forests as a lens to learning about the world we live in and encouraging teachers and students to become active stewards of the precious natural resources of CA.

Thank You....to the entire CA PLT network that strives to bring engaging environmental experiences to educators and their students.

 

 

^{_{October 25-27th PLT explores with Early Childhood Educators at CSTA}}

Thanks to the expertise and enthusiasm of PLT workshop presenter Carrie Raleigh, Education and Public Outreach Manager for the Santa Ana Watershed Association, Early Childhood educators engaged in the newest PLT curriculum guide: Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood.  Participants engaged in music, movement and exploration to highlight this engaging curriculum guide that includes 11 activities- each with ideas for family interactions, group experiences, learning centers, and special extensions.

Check out these ideas and more on Early Childhood Environmental Experiences at the National PLT website.

Share your ideas for Early Childhood Experiences here, on the CA PLT Blog.

Email Sandy Derby at stderby@ucanr.edu.

 

November 18, 19 PLT and WET Collaborate for STEM Education

PLT teamed up with Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) for a session demonstrating STEM connections in each of our interdisciplinary activity guides.
• Participants mapped and monitored California’s groundwater using the activity, “Get the Groundwater Picture” from Project WET's Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0.
• Participants identified differences between landfills and dumps then designed miniature landfills to protect groundwater from chemical leaching using the activity, “Landfills” in PLT’s Exploring Environmental Issues: Municipal Solid Waste module.
Participants identified science, technology, engineering, math, social studies, and art connections in these activities and learned that STEM and educational standards can be met with one or two rich activities.

Find out more about the CA STEM Conference here.
Share your own STEM/ PLT connections with other educators here, on the CA PLT Blog!!
Email Sandy Derby, CA PLT State Coordinator at stderby@ucanr.edu to share!

 

Kay Antunez explores fall colors with a group of young naturalists in Northern California....PLT style!!!

Using Activity 78, Signs of Fall, from PLT’s PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide students learned about fall colors and why we observe the beautiful tell tale signs of fall every year. In this activity, students discovered visible and invisible changes in autumn leaves, observed the annual change of seasons, and investigated why leaves of deciduous trees change color.
Find out more about this PLT exploration here: Kay Antunez- PLT Activity 78

Share your own PLT explorations with other educators here, on the CA PLT Blog!!

Email Sandy Derby, CA PLT State Coordinator at stderby@ucanr.edu to share!