Events & views -November 2009
In This Edition
Go Forth and Role-Model!
by Allan Berkowitz, Executive Director
Anyone who parents a child, is the grandparent of a child, is the ‘outdoor mentor’ of a child, or teaches a child needs to know a few important facts about environmental education. Why? Because the future of the natural world depends on it. Three Important Facts about Environmental Education: |
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Important Fact #1: Knowledge isn’t everything. Attitude is! Researchers talk about the K-A-B continuum: Knowledge leads to a change in Attitude which leads to a change in Behavior. According to conventional wisdom, educate people with the facts and you will change their attitudes. And once they have an attitude adjustment, their behavior will change. Turns out that a change in behavior regarding the environment is influenced more by a change in attitude than acquisition of knowledge. So it seems that taking time to smell the roses is more valuable than learning the parts of a flower, at least as far as stewardship is concerned. (for the record: I do think knowledge is a critically important thing. There are many, many reasons to acquire knowledge, but that is the topic for a different article). Important Fact #2: Nature role-models change attitudes. In several studies in the United States and in other countries, a connection to an adult who enjoys nature increased positive environmental behavior among children. And in one study it didn’t even matter if that person engaged with the child in outdoor experiences. Simply being around an adult who held a positive and respectful view of nature led to a statistically significant increase in positive attitudes among children. Everyone can be a nature role-model. Important Fact #3: Age matters. Start young and save the world! In one study the tipping point was age 11. There is a correlation between positive nature experiences until age 11 and positive environmental actions embraced later on as an adult. In another study 8th graders outscored 6th graders on knowledge about nature. That makes sense; they had 2 additional years of learning. But 6th graders outscored 8th graders in the affective realm of positive feelings about nature and personal actions in support of the environment. So we see that playing in the dirt is not only a desired pursuit of young children, it may be the really important first step on their road to caring about nature. The conclusion is obvious: go forth and role-model. Share your passion for nature. Open a child’s eyes. Educate to the heart. It’s a fun prescription for that which ails the natural world. |
School Services Update
by Anita Rodriguez-McCaffrey, Program Services Coordinator
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Hello EVs! Thanks to everyone for helping us deliver 55 EV programs and reach more than 1,000 children in October. The Area Coordinators and I really appreciate you! I would like to especially thank the newest EVs who have been signing up for quite a few services. Please say 'hi' to them if you see them in a service, it is always nice to get that extra welcome from other EVs. |
Thank-You Letters For your enjoyment here are couple thank you letters from the students you touched. Dear EV, Thank you so much for coming to our classroom! I learned so much about the Ohlone! I can even choose which station I like best! I feel very old fashioned when I grind acorns, I have more fun that I can ever have when I play the Ohlone games, and it's just so interesting learning about what the Ohlone used! I wish you could come back so the whole thing could happen again. Sincerely, Coral. -Santa Rita School 3rd grade. Dear Volunteer, Thank you for coming in our class and teaching us awesome things about H2O. You elders are very smart. You explain things very well. I learned a lot of great and fun words. You elders make it fun and easy to understand! I liked when we put the eggs in water, it was very interesting. I help the environment by picking up trash. Also I use very little energy. I recycle almost everything I can. I use very little water. I take short showers. I don't waste much water. Sincerely, Kyle. -Cumberland 5th grade. |
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End of the Year Volunteer Survey Results
by Brittany Sabol, Education & Training Director
Thank you to all of you that participated in this year’s Year End Volunteer Survey. We appreciate all of your feedback and learned some useful things from the results. We would like to share some highlights from the survey with all of you. If you would like to see the full report on the results, you can contact me and I will happily send them to you.
To start, we were incredibly pleased to see we were getting very positive feedback in certain areas. Here are some particular examples:
Question: “From the training I have received and support from the education department, I feel I can effectively teach students.”
- 94% of you agreed or strongly agreed with this statement.
Question: “EV staff values my participation.”
- 96% of you agreed or strongly agreed with this statement.
Question: “When I run into issues, Anita and the staff are available to help.”
- 100% of those who responded agreed or strongly agreed with this statement.
It was also great to see that on the whole you did not feel we were doing horribly in any one particular area. However, we did learn some important things about how we could improve to support you better. We would like to highlight a few of these questions, and let you know how we intend to address them.
Question: “The newsletter helps me as a volunteer.”
- 54% of you responded that you feel neutral to this statement
- 15% of you strongly agreed.
What this highlights is that we haven’t answered the question, "what is the purpose of the newsletter?" The content of the newsletter will be different if the purpose is to help EVs do better as volunteers or if it is more of an informative piece meant to keep in touch. Over the next few months, we are going to take a look at our newsletter and determine what its purpose is, and then work to keep the newsletter focused on that purpose.
Question: “How do you typically learn a new kit?” (Top three responses)
- 67% Self-teaching
- 61% Reading the script on the wiki
- 46% Attending a training class
(Remember you were allowed to choose more than one option here, so that’s why the percentages don’t add to 100%.)
We were surprised to learn these were the top three ways you learn new kits. We thought attending a training class would rank first and options such as “I haven’t learned a new kit in ages” would rank higher than they did. Through the Kit Renovation Project, we hope to better support all of the volunteers who are self-teaching, and reviewing scripts online. We are working to update the scripts and have them very clearly explain the activity, the learning objectives, and how to work with a grade level.
Question: “I am helping teachers fulfill their curricular needs.”
- 50% of you strongly agreed
- 30% agreed
- 20% were neutral
While it is great no one disagreed with this statement, we can do more to help EVs see how they are helping teachers, and to do so more effectively. In the Kit Renovation Project, all scripts are being updated to better highlight their learning objectives and how they relate to the standards. In addition, effort can be made in training to help support EVs in this area.
Question: (For leads) “Have you ever asked a fellow EV to do the introduction for you?”
- 36% Yes
- 64% No
Question: (For leads) “Have you ever asked a fellow EV to help you pick up or return kits?”
- 65% Yes
- 35% No
Question: (From the Ways to Participate Survey) “Are you willing to help a lead EV do the introduction/transport kits?”
- 74% Yes – introductions
- 77% Yes – transport kits
We will encourage all leads to take advantage of the help that other EVs are willing to provide. In fact, in the comments for these questions, a lead expressed appreciation for EVs who offer to return kits after a service for them. We could work to encourage more support like this.
Specifically about transporting kits, some comments told of problems when picking up kits is delegated, sometimes parts of kits are left behind. We are working on a kit labeling system, and accompanying matrix that should provide anyone picking up kits, lead or not, the information they need to be sure they have all the bits. This, combined with training, could help leads feel more comfortable delegating the picking up task.
We also want to work to encourage lead EVs to get help doing their introductions. They already do so much to make each service happen, and we know there are EVs who don’t want to lead but are willing to help with specific components like introductions. New trainees are being trained in introductions, however some may be a bit overwhelmed to do an introduction early in their experiences.
Spring Training Schedule
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Believe it or not, we are deep into the school year and we have finalized the schedule for the spring training courses. As always, any volunteer with up-to-date paperwork, including dues and TB tests, may drop in for any training class. We only ask that you RSVP to Brittany so if there are last minute changes to the agenda, she can make sure you are informed. |
Living in California (Classroom Course) This course covers four of our nine subject areas: Earthquake Geology; Water Science & Conservation; Early California Indian Life: an Environmental Focus; and Energy & Natural Resources. Next Session: Peninsula Office Thursdays 9:00 – 1:30 March 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22. 29 Explorations in Ecology (Classroom Course) This course covers five of our nine subject areas: Baylands Ecology; Forest & Foothills Ecology; Marine Ecology; Nature in Your Neighborhood (Urban Ecology); and All About Birds. Next Session: South Bay Office Fridays 9:00 – 1:30 January 8, 15, 22, 29, February 5, 12, 19 Field Trip Training This course covers all six of our field trip sites: Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve; Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve; Los Trancos Open Space Preserve; Fitzgerald Marine Reserve; Huddart Park; and Stevens Creek Park. Next Session: At the various field trip sites Mondays 9:00 – 1:30 (Except as noted. All times including drive time.) February 22, March 1, 8, 15, 22, 26 (12:00-5:30) Prerequisite: Trainees must have taken or be taking a classroom course. |
Katie's Kit Notes
by Katie Donovan, Education Assistant
If you have looked at the Earthquake shelves recently you may have noticed that the oscilloscopes are missing. We are happy to report that they have been replaced by much lighter, handheld versions. The new oscilloscope and the geophone are now in the kit such that you will only need to pick up one bag (or box in the Peninsula) to have all of the pieces you need. The complete kit also weighs less than the oscilloscope did! I have updated the instructions in the kit to reflect the new equipment. The old oscilloscopes will be returned to USGS, who had graciously loaned them to us. |
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The Field Trip kits are also now in place. While they are marked as Multi Purpose kits, they are not on the shelves with the other Multi Purpose kits due to space constraints. In the South Bay, you can find them on the shelf to your immediate left when you enter the materials room. In the Peninsula, you can find them on the back side of the marine shelf (next to the aquariums). The kits contain first aid kits and information as well as walkie talkies with extra batteries so that groups can keep in contact in case of an emergency. As we have been reviewing the kits for renovation, one of the things that we are looking for is anything that may cause an anaphylactic or allergic reaction. There has been some concern about nut allergies and the acorns we have in some of our kits (as acorns are a form of tree nut). While there is little concern over whole acorns, we are already aware that there are potential problems with acorn grinding and ECI leads are checking with teachers before bringing that kit. Some families and classrooms will have a "better safe than sorry" approach that we want to respect. As a result, we are removing the acorns from the Nature in your Neighborhood feely boxes as the students do not know what is inside the cup before they reach in. However, we are going to leave the acorn tops, acorn woodpecker, and acorn grinding activities as they are because they very clearly indicate the presence of acorns. This will allow the students, teachers, and parents to make the decisions that are right for them. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me and as always, thanks for everything that you do! |
Post-service Letters to Parents
by John Armstrong, Outreach and Communitcations Coordinator
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Who's News: Meet Lila Jones
The EV has another wonderful teaching intern this year—Lila Jones. Like Dusten Dennis, Lila is in the multiple-subject credential program at San Jose State University. She will be observing and helping with classroom presentations as well as reformatting our scripts for printing.
Lila grew up in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania and graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in Political Science and an MBA. At the time, she wasn’t sure she really wanted to continue on this career path, so she joined AmeriCorps Vista, a national service project designed to fight poverty. She worked in Portland, Maine for 2 years, organizing events for young people, then moved to Oakland and worked for a year with the Cesar Chavez After-School Program, organizing youth service clubs. Working with children and appreciating their energy and enthusiasm led Lila to choose teaching as a career. |
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Living in the Bay Area has had its pluses and minuses for Lila. She finds its size a little overwhelming, but loves the many opportunities for camping and hiking. She is amazed at the state’s natural diversity —from redwood communities to the desert. Lila loves to travel and explore new places; she drove from Maine to California! Her favorite stop along the way was Arches National Park in Utah. Other avocations for Lila include swimming, reading, and watching movies. We are happy to welcome you, Lila, into the EV family. |
Passport to Adventure Recap
by John Armstrong, Outreach and Communications Coordinator
All participants qualified to become members of the Egret Club - a special Environmental Volunteers project designed to keep parents informed of our work, as well as nature opportunities you can enjoy with their families. We’ll do more of these fun activities, so keep checking out upcoming newsletters for future announcements. |
Paul Miller's Passing
Paul Miller (Edie Miller’s husband) died Oct 15. His wife had been a longtime EV and he continued to support us after her passing. The ceremony will be 3 PM Nov 14 at The Sequoias, 501 Portola Road, Portola Valley.
Memorial contributions please be sent to Midpeninsula Chapter of the United Nations Association.
Here Comes the "Fun Guy": The Mushroom
by Esperanza Sanz Escudero, Intern
Many good and devilish things have been said about the mushroom. There are countless species coming in every shape, size, and color in nature. Everyone has an opinion about them. You love them or you just hate them. During fall, there are many exhibitions all over the world (Asian and European culture use them heavily in their cuisines). Do you want to learn more about them?
Pictures: Corprinus on Middlefield Road in Mountain View, Oct 14th, 2009, and some mushrooms on a log in Jasper Ridge BP, Oct 15th, 2009. Just a few days after the big storm happened.
With the summer being over and the rainy season just started, and old friend comes to visit our lawns and forests: the mushroom. They are all over. They even appear in the last place you might think on Earth... Antarctica! The "mushroom" is in all of our planet's ecosystems.
Scientist studying them are called Mycologist, that comes from the Greek word myco meaning fungus. In addition to the most "famous" fungi, the mushroom, this group includes molds, rusts, mildews and yeasts. There are around 70,000 species of known fungi, but experts say that probably the number is much larger.
Science of mushroom is so interesting. Even today there is still some controversy over whether they are closer to plants or animals. Once they were classified as plants but nowadays they have their own kingdom (Fungi). They are neither plants, nor animals, but believe it or not they are actually closer to animals than plants. One of the main discoveries was that fungi have a cell wall structure similar to plants, but instead of cellulose, they are built with something called chitin, a protein normally found in the outer skeleton of insects, crabs, shrimps, lobsters and in other invertebrates.
They do not produce their own food (they don't have chlorophyll); instead they get their nourishment from organic matter (animals or plants). Fungi are decomposers. They reproduce through something called spores, that they drop from their gills to the ground and then produce mycelia the same way as seeds for plants sprout.
There are two major groups that are distinguished depending on where the spores are formed. The most common and also the most evolved mushrooms belong to the basidiomycetes group (like agarics, boletes, chantarelles and many others). In those, 8 spores are formed in a structure called basidium. When spores are formed in a structure called ascus (like truffles, morels and others), the group is called ascomycetes. The number of spores formed in those are 4. The most colorful, big, edible and poisonous mushrooms belong to the first group described.
Truth is that we live in a climate where mushrooms grow easily and there are many chances to see them around. In California, we are able to find many hundreds of mushroom species. Out of them, around 10 are deadly poisonous (even eating only small amounts) and many others could cause different reactions (going from mild to severe, depending on the type of fungus). Suggestion: do not pick your own mushrooms to eat. Trust the ones at the store. What could look so similar, might give you trouble at the end.
Sources:
"Field Guide to California" National Audubon Society. 1998
"Science Desk Reference " The New York Public Library. 1995
"Hongos" El Norte de Castilla. 1992
http://www.mykoweb.com/CAF/skey.html
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/search-for-northern--5427/
http://mycology.cornell.edu/
http://davidlnelson.md/Cazadero/FiveKingdoms.htm
http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/shroom.html
http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/Mushrooms/index.html
Pictures credits: Ignacio Martin Bragado and Esperanza Sanz Escudero
Muwekma Ohlone Toy Drive
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Dolores Sanchez Memorial |
Thanks to the generosity of our many friends, last year we were able to give presents to more than 200 needy Native American children from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and other local Indian children! Bring joy to these children this year by donating an unwrapped new toy (for children 0-18 years old). I will pick up donations at the area meeting, at the office and at the Holiday/graduation party. Monetary donations also accepted. Bob Dodge (Scatman) |
EV Snapshots
Click the PDF to the right to look at amazing photos by Tom Rossiter, a friend of the EV. These are aerial photos of the salt ponds around the southern portion of the SF Bay. The different concentrations of minerals allow different algae to grow which generates the color. |
________________________ Photo Credits School Services Update: Tuan Hoang (Mrs. Mack's 3rd Graders) Spring Training Schedule: Brittany Sabol Who's News: Lila Jones Here Comes a Fun Guy: Esperanza Sanz Escudero EV Snapshots: Tom Rossiter All other images: Wikipedia |