National Biodiversity Parks! |
NBP′s “Nurturing Naturalists„
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Never too young to enjoy nature! For Teachers and Group Leaders!
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We have recently developed our Fledging Birders Program to help birders and educators inspire a birding interest for our youth. As aprt of this young birder program, we have launched our Schoolyard Birding Challenge in which teams keep track of their monthly sightings on or from the school campus. The school with the highest total number of species for each month will receive a variety of prizes. We are also developing interactive environmental education programs for students ranging from kindergarten through high school. The focus of our Nurturing Naturalists programs is to teach our youth about biodiversity, the interactions between various components of ecosystems, the importance of protecting our natural heritage, and the many other wonders of nature.
NBP′s staff educators include professional public school teachers who volunteer their expertise to develop innovative enviornmental programs for children. Each program employs a multisensory approach and integrates many academic skills into the core ecological concepts being taught. Using the philosophy of Differentiated Instruction, we aim to provide equal access to the concepts for students of various learning styles. The goal is to get all students actively involved and enjoy themselves while learning valuable environmental concepts.
The current roster of programs is intended for group visits to NBP′s Jumping Brook Preserve in Plumsted, NJ. This facility includes a 350+ acre outdoor classroom of varied habitats that is perfect for studying biodiversity and illustrating many environmental concepts. All programs, however, can be slightly modified for outreach programs AT YOUR SITE! For more information aout these programs, please contact our Education Department We are excited to get students engaged with outdoor activities that use nature as a backdrop or theme. While the science curriculum addresses many environmental issues, we look forward to incorporating the natural world with other curricular areas including, but not limited to: literacy, math, and art. Using our scientific staff as resource, our experienced educators can collaboratively create activities appropriate to both your population and specific objectives. If you would like to have a custom program, please contact our Education Department.
In addition to our educational offerings, NBP will provide training for students interested in assisting with wildlife surveys at our Jumping Brook Preserve. These surveys primarily involve the skills of observation and data recording. Staff scientists and experienced naturalists will train the new surveyors in the specific techniques involved for each type of survey. These surveys will be conducted on site under the supervision of NBP staff. If you would like to get involved with our education programs or our wildlife surveys, please e-mail our Education Department For Teachers and Group Leaders!
Are there certain concepts that you would like to reinforce? NBP eagerly invites local educators and group leaders to share their needs with our staff.
Wildlife Surveys Student Assistants Needed!
The Opening Night Reception was a rousing success including attendance by notable township citizens. These local dignitaries were openly discussing environmental concerns voiced by the students, their parents, and the teachers. NBP aims to inspire similar environmental events around the state as a means to stimulating conservation based dialogues between local citizens and politicians.
