March Workshops

March 3rd: Now You See Me, Now You Don't (Observation Skills)

Video Recording of the Presentation

Presenter: Teresa Root and Pam Welisevich, Naturalists

Target Grade/Age of Students: Elementary & Middle School

Details: From a monarch’s bright orange wings to a fawn’s spotted coat, animals use color to survive. In this session you’ll learn how to incorporate activities that develop students’ observation skills as they learn how animals use color to disguise themselves, to warn others, and for attracting mates.

Additional Resources:

(This article on the PLT website talks about different kinds of camouflage and shows pictures to illustrate them.)

  • This is a link to the Project Wild game "Thicket." (It's another way to get kids actively hiding and seeking by using observation skills.)

www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Region_1/NWRS/Zone_2/Inland_Northwest_Complex/Turnbull/Documents/EE/Field_Trip/The%20Thicket%20Game.pdf

Pam Welisevich

Teresa Root


March 10th: Immersive Virtual Learning: Creating an Interactive "Outdoor Classroom" Environment Online

Video Recording of the Presentation

Presenter: Jessie Barnett, Megan Schimek, Kristin Osiecki

Target Grade/Age of Students: Grades 5-12, and Higher Ed

Details: In this presentation, educators from The University of Minnesota Rochester and Pine Island High School (who partner annually to deliver health science mentorship courses with outdoor field experiences and curriculum) will share: 1) Resources, tips, and inspiration for creating an interactive virtual "outdoor classroom" learning hub using Bitmoji and 2) Practical examples of bringing nature-based learning into a shared online space.


Presenter: Caige Jambor, Schoolcraft Learning Community (Bemidji, MN)

Target Grade/Age of Students: Grades K-8

Details: Join me in this presentation where we take a look at research and traditions, both modern and ancient, on the benefits and joys of being in nature. Follow along as I show you how we here at Schoolcraft Learning Community close out each day in the forest with our Sit Spots. We practice using our senses to investigate and observe our own wonders and notices in the natural world around us, without ever leaving out Sit Spot, and of course, the joy of sharing our findings with the group in our closing circle, whether you are a scientist or a storyteller.



Caige Jambor

March 24th: YES! Outdoor Project Overview

Video Recording of the Presentation

Presenter: Deb Groebner, Regional Coordinator for Youth Eco Solutions (YES!)

Target Grade/Age of Students: YES! is for Students in grades 7-12 and their coaches (teachers)

Details: Learn about Youth Eco Solutions (YES!), which empowers youth to create solutions to today’s ecological challenges through hands-on projects with real-world impacts on environmental issues and opportunities important to their community. It is a statewide program operated from Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center in Spicer in partnership with Ney Nature Center in Henderson. During this workshop, educators will be introduced to YES! and learn about a few successful outdoor projects completed by students on YES! teams.

March 31st: Maple Syruping

Video Recording of Presentation

Presenter: Travis Zimmerman, Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post

Target Grade/Age of Students: Elementary & Middle School

Resources: