PA State Parks!

Earth🌏Day is Friday, April 22! Celebrate with PA State Parks! Join one of our expert Environmental Educators for an Earth Day program - from walks to Earth Day cleanups to celebrations and more (virtual & in-person options). Find even more PA State Parks programs on April 22 (click arrows to find programming on other days).

Book your virtual, in-person programs, and field experiences with PA State Park Education staff now! Find a PA State Park. Need help connecting to a PA State Park with an Educator on staff? Reach out to Carissa Longo at calongo@pa.gov.

Earth🌎Day YouTube Videos:

Crafting with Nature for Earth🌎Month

Feed the Birds 🐦Using Natural & Recycled Materials

Try 14 DIY bird feeder projects to attract feathered friends to your school or home. The population of wild birds across the Northern Hemisphere has declined by 29%. Feeding birds in your area is not only helping your avian friends, but it can also be incredibly rewarding for your class to create and observe their handiwork in action. - From Project Learning Tree (PLT)

Download 3 FREE PLT Activities Offered on Teachers Pay Teachers!

40+ Spring Picture Books📚for Kids - the list is categorized using the following themes:

It's Garden🌿Time! Does your school have a garden &/or outdoor teaching space? Planting time is now (cool-season veggies).

10 Things You Can Do for Wildlife🦊on Earth🌎Day 2022- from the PA Game Commission

Help Your Students Improve their Community and Celebrate Earth🌎Day with Community Science Projects!

For more details on the project and what hosting a survey site entails, check out Caterpillars Count and their FAQ page. Questions? Email caterpillarscount@gmail.com.

Register for one of their free webinars to learn how to get involved!

Make Waxed Eggs🥚with Real Flowers💐

Bring a little sunshine to your spring day! These pretty eggs are so easy to create with kids and make a great sun catcher or garland. - From Little Pine Learners

Make gorgeous, naturally-dyed Eggs 🥚 without going to the store by using household, backyard, and pantry items that you already have at home like spices, fruits, veggies, and foraged plants!

2022 Virtual Earth🌏Day Celebration from the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence - "Investing In Our Planet"

Middle and high school students are encouraged to watch this free, live-streamed event to learn more about Pennsylvania’s environmental efforts and enjoy fun activities.

The event will be streamed on the Governor’s Residence website at www.residence.pa.gov and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/governorsresidence. Additional learning materials will also be available at the Governor’s Residence website.

Earth🌎Day is a time to celebrate and appreciate all that Pennsylvania’s environment has to offer. With over 2.2 million acres of lush forest, rugged mountain trails, and roaring rivers, Pennsylvania offers a diverse display of natural beauty and wonder that needs to be protected. Additionally, it is vital we work together with you, the younger generation, to ensure the future success of our commonwealth.

Pennsylvania’s resources are common property to us all, including generations to come—and with climate change effects on the rise—we must do what we can to maintain the beauty it holds. First Lady Frances Wolf hopes you can join her in this opportunity to acknowledge the importance of Earth Day and come together to celebrate our commonwealth’s natural bounty.

In-Person at Parker Dam State Park, 28 Fairview Road, Penfield, PA 15849

Project WILD is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education curriculum that focuses on wildlife🐇and habitat. The goal of Project WILD is to develop awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment resulting in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment. In this hands-on workshop participants will be introduced to the curriculum, guided in its use, and shown the resources available to help implement it in their classrooms. Educators will also be given their own copy of the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide. Register by calling the Park Office at (814) 765-0630. Deadline - April 4.

Project Learning Tree🌿Educator Workshop/Homeschool Day

In-Person at Sinnemahoning State Park, Wildlife Center Classroom, 4843 Park Road, Austin, PA 16720

Audience: This workshop/homeschool day is open to ALL homeschool educators & their students.

Homeschoolers! You are invited to Sinnemahoning State Park for a unique day of learning for both homeschool educators and students as we sample the lessons available in the Project Learning Tree (PLT) curriculum. PLT is an award-winning environmental education program designed for educators working with students from pre-K to 8^th grade. Students will participate in fun, hands-on activities, creative writing,🖋a guided nature hike, and more while learning about trees, tree products, and wildlife🐇habitats. Parents will experience the same activities in a group with other adults and learn more about PLT & its resources. All activities will be led by professional environmental educators from PA State Parks and the PA Game Commission. All adult participants will receive a copy of the Project Learning Tree PreK-8 Environmental Education Activity Guide, which contains 96 lessons and useful resources. Pre-registration is required by April 14. Register NOW. Questions or need assistance with online registration? Contact the park office at 814-647-8401 x 101 or email klott@pa.gov.

Flying WILD w/ a MWEE💦Flair Educator Workshop

Flying WILD 🐦is an education program that offers a wide range of adaptable activities geared towards a middle school audience, focused specifically on birds! Flying WILD provides participants with innovative, interdisciplinary, and ready-to-use activities for the classroom and outdoors! The program develops awareness, skills, and critical thinking concerning bird biology, conservation, and natural history. This workshop is open to college students (especially pre-service teachers), classroom teachers, and non-formal educators. All participants will receive the Flying WILD Educators Guide to Celebrating Birds. This workshop will examine birds utilizing the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE)💦Framework. Space is limited. Register NOW. Funding for this workshop comes from a NOAA/B-WET Capacity Building Grant.

Plant 🌿Camp for Teachers!

In-Person at Pymatuning State Park, 15573 Marina Dr., Jamestown, PA 16134

Join professional PA State Park Educators and other partners for a unique educator workshop based at Pymatuning State Park. This is a three-day, hands-on workshop will focus on educators (formal and non-formal) teaching high school students. The workshop will explore a variety of water💦resources in Northwestern Pennsylvania and participants will be immersed in aquatic ecology lab and field experiences. Participants will receive the PA Biodiversity Curriculum & Activity guide and many other resources. Cabin accommodations, transportation to all field trips, and all meals (except for one dinner) will be provided. Cost for the workshop is $75 for each teacher selected to attend. Submit your application to attend NOW. Pre-registration required by May 1, 2022! Participants must attend all three days. Questions? Contact Emily Borcz, EES at eborcz@pa.gov or 724-932-3142 ext. 106.

In-Person at Parker Dam State Park, 28 Fairview Road, Penfield, PA 15849 

Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children is an early childhood education activity guide (ages 2-7) that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature🐻and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, it provides a foundation for developing positive impressions about nature while also building lifelong social and cognitive skills. In this hands-on workshop, including outdoor activities, participants will be introduced to the curriculum, guided in its use, and shown the resources available through Growing Up WILD, Project WILD, and the Bureau of State Parks to help them implement it in their classrooms. Please register and pay by contacting the Park Office at (814) 765-0630.

Project WET w/MWEE💦Flair Educator Workshop

In-Person at Millersville University, WETi at Creek Lodge, 198 Creek Dr, Millersville, PA 17551  

Project WET💦(Water Education for Today) is an award-winning, NSTA-recommended curriculum that offers cutting-edge water education. The program is correlated to NGSS & Common Core Standards and applicable to grades K-12! The activities provide educators and pre-service teachers with teaching methods, assessment strategies, and essential classroom tools needed to integrate water education into every school subject. This workshop is open to college students (especially pre-service teachers), classroom teachers, and non-formal educators. All participants will receive the Project WET K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide. This workshop will utilize water as a lens within the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE)💦Framework. Space is limited. Register NOW. Funding for this workshop comes from a NOAA/B-WET Capacity Building Grant.

Audience: This is an advanced MWEE application workshop so participants must have completed the MWEE 101 course or a previous MWEE Ambassador training! This online session is open to homeschool providers, classroom teachers, and non-formal educators.

Register NOW. Questions? Please email Tara Muenz at tmuenz@stroudcenter.org.

Learn more about MWEEs. Take the MWEE 101 online course.

In-Person at Olewine Nature Center at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, PA 17110

Pollinating insects 🦋 are vital to our survival! Join educators from DCNR - PA State Parks and Wildwood Park for a fun, interactive and educational workshop on pollinators🐝. Discover the many species of pollinating insects and their crucial role in the food chain for both wildlife 🦇 and people. Explore why we should be concerned about the threats to pollinators and how we can help. Participants will engage in hands-on activities from the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide, all participants will receive the guide, and more resources. Register NOW.

Local Issues, Local Solutions: Empowering Students to Address Local Environmental Issues Through Research and Stewardship Teacher Workshop💦

In-Person at Gifford Pinchot State Park, 2200 Rosstown Rd., Lewisberry, PA 17339

Fee: FREE! Course costs covered by a NOAA/B-WET 💦grant

Act 48: Successful completion of the course and final project will qualify participants for 27 Act 48 hours. Certified Pennsylvania classroom teachers working in IU13 and IU15 are also eligible for a participation stipend and reimbursement for funds connected to a student action project through a NOAA/B-WET grant.

Do you want to expand your student-centered learning projects to include stewardship and action in your local community? Do you want to learn outside? Join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and DCNR- PA State Parks for this three-day course that focuses on the management of action projects, from issue identification to project implementation. This course will walk participants through the essential MWEE💦elements and how to connect local resources to their content to create rich learning opportunities outside of their classroom walls while incorporating student voice and managing the process. Portions of the workshop will include stream/lake water investigations and a paddling experience. Participants are asked to complete NOAA's MWEE 101 online course prior to the start of the in-person course. Register NOW. CBF's COVID POLICY: Current policy requires that all participants of summer Chesapeake Classroom courses be vaccinated for COVID-19.

In-person at Johnson Flats and Kocher Park, 1519 State Route, 487, Orangeville, 17859

Pennsylvania Songbirds is a hands-on, interdisciplinary, K-12 educators’ resource and activity guide about Pennsylvania-specific songbirds. This workshop is open to all educators who work with students from pre-K to 12^th grade, from formal teachers to naturalists, scout leaders, & others! Participants will receive Pennsylvania Songbirds: K-12 Teacher’s Guide for Activities in the Classroom and other relevant resources. Registration for this workshop is limited and is required by Friday, June 17, 2022. Please call the Columbia County Conservation District at 570-317-9456 to register.

Online via Zoom by Presque Isle State Park, 301 Peninsula Dr., Suite 1, Erie, PA 16505

Virtually join certified PA State Park Educators for an interactive, hands-on Flying WILD educator workshop! Flying WILD is designed for educators working with middle school students and provides fun and easy to use environmental education activities focused on celebrating birds 🐦. The fee includes your very own Flying WILD Educator’s Guide, as well as most of the materials needed to complete two Flying WILD activities, which will be completed together virtually. Register and pay by June 18, 2022. Materials cannot be shipped until registration and payment is completed. You will receive a link to join the workshop via ZOOM, the day before the program. This workshop is open to both formal and non-formal educators. Pre-registration is required. Register NOW. Questions? Call 814-833-7424 or email John Laskos, EES at Jlaskos@pa.gov.

In-Person at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, 500 Kings Gap Rd., Carlisle, PA 17015

Act 48: Successful completion of the course and final project will qualify participants for 27 Act 48 hours. 

Are you interested in motivating your learners to think outside the box, take risks, and demonstrate their learning through real-world, hands-on, project-based learning that happens within their community? By blending hands-on investigations modeled on professional research methodologies, educators will participate in data collection💦and analysis, community networking and partnerships, stewardship, and service-learning activities—all skills that can be transferred back to the school setting. Join the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and DCNR- PA State Parks for this three-day institute. Register NOW. CBF's COVID POLICY: Current policy requires that all participants of summer Chesapeake Classroom courses be vaccinated for COVID-19.

In-Person at Ricketts Glen State Park, 695 State Route 487, Benton, PA 17814

Project WILD is an interdisciplinary environmental education curriculum which focuses on wildlife. This workshop is open to all educators who work with students from grades K-12, from formal teachers to naturalists, scout leaders, and others! Earn 5.5 Act 48 hours while experiencing hands-on activities related to wildlife that help develop awareness, skills, and knowledge resulting in informed decisions and responsible behavior regarding wildlife and the environment. Participants will receive the updated Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide which now offers STEM activity extensions, field investigation activities, a WILD WORK career section, and Outdoor Components. Register NOW. Registration for this workshop is limited and is required by Friday, July 15, 2022. Contact Rhiannon Summers, EES at rhsummers@pa.gov or 570-477-7780 for more information.

In-Person at Pymatuning State Park, 2660 Williamsfield Road, Jamestown, PA 16134

Join certified PA State Park Educators for an interactive, hands-on Flying WILD educator workshop at Pymatuning State Park! Flying WILD is designed for educators working with middle school students and provides fun and easy to use environmental education activities focused on celebrating birds 🐦. Activities address Pennsylvania state and national science standards and complement many concepts presented in Project WILD and Project WILD Aquatic curricula. Workshop highlights include taking part in a PA Game Commission duck banding field experience, a live birds of prey program presented by Tamarack Wildlife Center, 6.5 Act 48 hours, and a Flying Wild Curriculum book. This workshop is open to both formal and non-formal educators. Pre-registration is required. To register, contact Emily Borcz, EES at eborcz@pa.gov or 724-932-3142 ext. 106.

Join Climate Generation educator Seth Spencer as we dive into how to respond to questions about climate science or climate solutions, and how to connect students with HIGH QUALITY climate science data and information. Register NOW.

Cohort A will meet virtually weekly Thursdays from 4-5 pm ET - Click to Register

Cohort B will meet virtually weekly Fridays from 1-2 pm ET - Click to Register

Course Cost: $249/person. Discounts available for organizations that send multiple participants: 5% off for 5+ people, 10% off for 10+ people, 20% off for 20+ people.

This 7-week, 25-hour, web-based course helps participants begin applying social science research-based Strategic Framing techniques to climate change communications. Training includes a series of online video modules, facilitated webinars, and practice assignments to provide a comprehensive introduction to Strategic Framing, an overview of NNOCCI tools and messaging, and access to experienced trainers to support you in crafting impactful climate messages. The Crash Course is ideal for communicators who want to practice with applying NNOCCI techniques to their work. If cost is a barrier to participation, please reach out to Adam Ratner at RatnerA@tmmc.org as reduced or waived fees could be available for select participants. Registration closes on or before April 11, 2022. This is an excellent training that is highly recommended by PA State Park staff.

Saturday, April 23, 7:30 am - 5:30 pm, in-person at Kutztown University 

Fee: $70.00 for Educators & Pre-Service Teachers (non-Kutztown students) & $5.00 for Kutztown students with ID.

The Children's Literature Conference is a collaborative initiative involving Kutztown University's faculty and staff to provide current and future educators the opportunity to experience the work of award-winning authors and illustrators. The conference strives to challenge attendees to be active and creative in the learning process. There will be an opportunity to purchase books by each of the visiting speakers as well as have the book autographed as you meet that author/illustrator. Four published authors will be in attendance - Stacy Mcanulty, Jonah Winter, Anna Raff, and Elizabeth Zunon. Both Anna and Elizabeth have been awarded the NSTA Outstanding Trade Science book for Children. Register NOW. Question? Contact childlitconfku@gmail.com or call 610-683-4627.

Pennsylvania Fish 🐟 and Boat Commission (PFBC) R3 Grants for Education is seeking applicants for grants to support education programs that promote new interest in fishing & boating in Pennsylvania through the recruitment of new participants, retention of existing participants, and reactivation of former participants – collectively known as "R3."

PFBC R3 grants aim to connect Pennsylvanians with Commonwealth waterways💦by teaching fishing & boating skills and providing quality locations where these activities can be enjoyed. Through this grant program, organizations are encouraged to engage participants of all experience levels to learn the benefits of fishing and boating including community, wellness, and taking advantage of the outdoors.

The grants require a minimum of 25% cash or in-kind match of staff time and/or other project expenses. Questions? Email ra-be@pa.gov. More information about the grant program, including the application can be found on the PFBC R3 Grant Program page on the PFBC website.

The 2022 Healing the Planet🌏Grant Program, funded by The GIANT Company, is a competitive grant for tax-exempt organizations (including schools) that aims to improve the health and quality of waterways which will help protect water resources and improve the overall health of communities. 

• Eligible projects must be shovel ready with any required permits already secured. Eligible projects include: stream health and water quality monitoring activities, marine debris removal, storm water/MS4 education initiatives, lake/pond ecology, watershed education activities, watershed landscape measures, rain gardens, streambank restoration, erosion control, AMD remediation, rain barrels, pollution abatement, and source water protection.

Do you want to build science literacy, increase scientific credibility of information, and initiate actions to address pressing environmental issues with your students or your community?

Visit NOAA Planet Stewards Resources page to learn more information about planning a project for this grant.

Through federal funding opportunities of up to $5,000, NOAA Planet Stewards supports educators in carrying out hands-on stewardship projects with elementary - college age students, as well as the general public. Stewardship projects must make a substantive and quantitatively measurable impact on an environmental issue related to the educator’s community. Projects should focus on the conservation, restoration, and/or protection of human communities and/or natural resources in one of the following four focus areas:

• Marine debris

NOAA Planet Stewards is offering two opportunities to join a live video conference where you can ask questions about potential stewardship projects and the funding application process. This session WILL NOT be used to introduce information already posted on the web site. Take the time to read through ALL the information and supporting materials on our web site before joining this meeting and come with your questions in hand.

Click Here To Join The Event or copy and paste this link into your browser: 

If you are unable to join via your browser, you may dial in at: (US) +1 740-303-2558 PIN: 196289442#

Take the 🚮Leave No Trash Pledge🚮 to pick up just 30+ pieces of trash during the month of April and encourage your friends and family to join you. Your actions will not only help the environment but will inspire those in your community and your fellow Leave No Tracers to care for the outdoors this Earth Month. 

When we set off on a hike, 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ whether we’re with a group or on our own, we always feel better knowing that we’re fully prepared with the right gear and know-how to keep ourselves safe. Read on for more...here!

Are you looking for a fun and easy project that will make hiking more exciting for you and your students/kids? Kids can make their own making hiking sticks using mostly free craft supplies, nature-gathered items, & upcycled materials.

and sounds 🐸🌷

Join Green 2.0 and REI Co-op for a discussion on the numerous ways that the environmental and outdoors sector can create initiatives that foster diversity and inclusion in their organizations and engage young people of color in the movement.

Webinar on on Wednesday, April 13, 2022

FREE! Register Here

How do we create spaces in nature that are truly welcoming for disabled people? What does accessibility actually mean and how do we implement it? Join Loren Penman and Syren Nagakyrie in this webinar as we learn about the ways they are creating accessible, inclusive spaces in nature and how you can do the same. All eeWEBINARS are live captioned.

Need a little sanity in your life? The PA Parks & Forestry Foundation has created beautiful do-it-yourself🎨paint-by-number directions that are appropriate for all skill levels and can be downloaded and printed to make a work of art right in your own home.

Carissa Longo, Environmental Education Program Coordinator

Christine Ticehurst, Recreation and Interpretation Coordinator

Visit the DCNR Events Calendar- Teacher Workshops to find additional training opportunities! Click the arrows to see upcoming months.