Flying WILD Training for Manatee Audubon Members

Manatee County Audubon Members who are interested in learning more about teaching children about nature and birds are welcome to join this meeting held at Emerson Point Preserve on Saturday November 2nd from 8am to 12pm. MCAS is working with the Conservation Foundation of Southwest Florida and the Manatee Parks system to bring you this opportunity.

The purpose of the Flying WILD program is to engage middle schools in bird education efforts with the intent of encouraging increased environmental stewardship among youth. Special emphasis is placed on creating an approach that is readily adaptable for urban schools, often with underserved students who traditionally receive few opportunities to participate in environmental education initiatives.

This program is from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Take a Peek Inside…
Flying WILD: An Educator’s Guide to Celebrating Birds includes these key elements:

An overview for teachers
Details how school bird festivals and International Migratory Bird Day events can provide enriching and meaningful experiences for students while meeting educational objectives in science, social studies, language arts, etc.

Urban environmental education “guidelines”
Communicates best practices for urban educators.

43 fun, hands-on, minds-on activities
Provide students with ample opportunity to learn about basic avian biology, migratory bird facts, bird identification (bird flash cards) and environmental issues affecting migratory birds…before, during, and after a Flying WILD bird festival.

A list of bird education resources
Includes NFWF’s bird education website, additional bird education materials, bird education groups, other applicable web sites, posters, maps, and videos on migratory birds and IMBD.

A mail-back survey instrument
Encourages students and teachers to provide program feedback.

A “how to” fundraising section
Provides guidance for schools in securing supplies and donations for Flying WILD festivals and action projects.

“In Step with Science Standards” boxes
Accompany each activity and indicate the activity’s specific correlations to National Science Education Standards.

Questions for reflection
Accompany each activity as a means of assessing student knowledge and attitudes as they learn more about birds and their conservation needs.

A Service-Learning Projects section
Provides ideas for potential bird-related service-learning projects, including a case study of one successful project, and step-by-step instructions for participating in an ongoing nationwide bird count.

We will provide more information the closer we get to the event.

If you are interested please connect with Patty Ford, MCAS President. 585-690-9762, pattylford@yahoo.com

For more info go to- https://www.fishwildlife.org/projectwild/flying-wild/become-facilitator