National Environmental Education Week
Celebrate Environmental Education for All!
What: NEEF’s National Environmental Education Week: “Greening STEM: Rooted in Math”
When: April 17-23, 2016 (Earth Day is April 22!)
Where: Nationwide! Register your EE event here
NEEF’s 12th annual National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), sponsored by Samsung, encourages and celebrates environmental learning through EE events and projects across the country. EE events are led by formal and informal educators from various disciplines and include participants aged 1-100. Inspire others by sharing your plans for EE Week.
Share your event and become part of a larger community of people celebrating.
EE Week registrants receive:
- Discounts on EE publications + professional development resources from our partners
- Eligibility for NEEF’s Greening STEM Integration Grant
- Eligibility for EE Week contests
- ... and more!
Follow NEEF on Twitter and Facebook and engage with the community through the hashtag ‘#EEWeek.’ Free materials and educator toolkits are always available on the NEEF Greening STEM Learning Center. We hope you’ll join us in celebrating a simple equation: Environmental Education + Everyone = A Brighter Future for All.
Local Events in Environmental Education
Sacramento River Preservation Trust
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., ChicoBag Company and Klean Kanteen are hosting an Earth Day Movie Night on Tuesday, April 19, at 5 p.m. at Sierra Nevada’s Big Room. The event will benefit local non-profits working to protect regional natural resources and educate the public in a variety of ways. Groups benefiting from the event will be the Sacramento River Preservation Trust, Butte Environmental Council, Grub Education Program, and Earthshed Solutions. Admission starts at $5, with amazing gifts for increased donation amounts at the door!
Redding's Whole Earth & Watershed Festival: The Sacramento River Preservation Trust will be tabling at this incredible watershed event on Saturday, April 23, at the Redding City Hall from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please join your community at this FREE event and enjoy the more than 120 exhibits onsite. This is a family friendly event with innovative exhibits featuring interacting, educational fun for entire family, local artists, great food, live music on two stages, and activities for all ages! See you there!
Outdoor Education For All! (O.E.F.A.)
Outdoor Education For All (OEFA) and the Northern California Regional Land Trust are dedicated organizations and individuals who collectively promote a range of standards-based and high-quality outdoor learning experiences for students of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Through this work OEFA and the NCRLT Land Trust promote ecological literacy, health and wellness, and build a citizenry active in natural and cultural resource conservation and stewardship.
Feather Fiesta Days
Feather Fiesta Days, Oroville’s annual hometown celebration, is May 2-9 in historic downtown Oroville. There are events and fun for the whole family, including Paddles on the Feather sponsored by the Forebay Aquatic Center.
Feather Fiesta Days culminates in a grand parade, the Gold Rush Craft Fair, and a car show on Saturday, May 7. Check out the event Facebook page, and come for fun and history in Oroville!
Butte Environmental Council
The Butte Environmental Council is presenting several upcoming outdoor education events:
· On Sunday, May 1, in collaboration with Altacal Audubon Society and the California Native Plant Society, BEC will be hosting a Water-Wise and Habitat-Friendly Garden Tour to educate participants on how to convert their garden to a native landscape.
· BEC will be also be hosting its 38th annual Endangered Species Faire on Saturday, May 7, where local students will show off the puppets they've been working hard on in our "Procession of Species" follow by live music, dancing, and community education.
· Finally, the Watershed Program will host its final creek cleanup on June 4, from 9 a.m. to noon, focusing on the Lindo Channel.
In addition, the Butte Environmental Council invites the community to join them for its Citizen Science Outings, a scientific exploration of the Feather River. The two remaining events in April and May will explore the history of the Feather River through time, beginning with the traditions of indigenous peoples prior to settlement, the development of infrastructure throughout the watershed and the subsequent impacts on the Salmon population. These field trips are for anyone awed by the wonders of nature and who have a spirit for learning. These events are offered on a pay what you can basis, using a sliding scale from $15-$35. Last year’s programs filled up fast, so sign up soon! To register, please visit www.becnet.org or call the office at 891-6424.
The Taming of a River: Stairway of Power
Saturday April 16, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hydroelectricity, the impacts on fish and restoration efforts.
Activities: Investigating hydroelectric dams throughout the watershed focusing on the North Fork’s Stairway of Power.
Scientists: Allen Harthorn, Friends of Butte Creek; Dave Garcia, Sierra Club; representative from PG&E, representatives from American White Water
Lower Feather River Salmon Float
Saturday May 21, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Keystone species ecology
Activities: A two-hour kayak float from the Feather River Hatchery to River Reflections atop the migration of Spring-run Salmon on their return home.
Scientist: Andrew Hampton, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
CA State Parks Family Camp
Lake Oroville State Recreation Area, a California State Park, is proud to make available to the community Family Camp gear.
We have equipment for families and groups to enjoy an outdoor experience at one of our campgrounds. We have tents, sanitized sleeping bags, pads, and cooking gear — all designed for ease of use and available at no charge.
Come outdoors, enjoy the Lake Oroville State Recreation Area! For more information, contact Emily Koskondy at 530-538-2227.
The Forebay Aquatic Center
The Forebay Aquatic Center, operating in cooperation with California State Parks and Department of Boating and Waterways, offers the educational and recreational community a connection to the outdoors.
We work with Outdoor Education For All! hosting, organizing, and delivering boating and water safety programs along with high-quality environmental education.
Aquatic and Rowing Camps for elementary, middle and high school students begin June 6 and start every week through August 12. There are full-moon paddles, kayak lessons and excursions, Stand Up PaddleBoard Yoga, sailing lessons and much more waiting for you. Parties, reunions, business meetings and family picnics are extra fun at the Forebay!
Play begins at The Forebay Aquatic Center on Saturday, May 7, for weekends only until May 26 when we begin our full Thursday-Sunday schedule.
Find out more and sign up for an activity, visit www.forebayaquaticcenter.com.
Stream Team
Please join The Stream Team in tracking water quality in Big Chico Creek. Help kick-off The Stream Team's 15th Annual Citizen Science Water Quality Monitoring efforts on May 14 from 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the Five Mile Picnic Area parking lot (off Centennial Way), where teams will be assembled and head out into the watershed to test water quality, measure stream flows, and collect bacteria samples. Training is provided in the proper use of monitoring equipment and sampling protocols to ensure the information collected meets State Water Board standards and is useful for making decisions regarding the health of Big Chico Creek. Monthly monitoring events are held on the second Saturday May through October, and your assistance is needed to support this important citizen science effort. These events are free, and appropriate for all ages, although if you are under 18, you must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, please visit www.thestreamteam.org or call 342-6620.
Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve
The California State University, Chico Ecological Reserves have a K-12 program that serves about 1,500 people a year.
Kids visit both the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, 3,950 acres with 4.5 miles of Big Chico Creek on the far side of Bidwell Park, and the Butte Creek Ecological Preserve, a 93-acre preserve that protects a stretch of habitat for the largest population of wild spring-run Chinook salmon in California.
Kids learn why preservation of habitat is important through game playing, becoming scientists surveying aquatic invertebrates or bird populations, becoming experts in the ecology of a native plant, and using their powers of observation as field ecologists, identifying plants and animal signs.
Programs for adults and families include an upcoming Moth Night on April 9, a Wildflower Walk on April 17, and more. For more information about the reserve, visit our websiteand find us on Facebook.
Earth Day in Bidwell Park
The City of Chico Parks Division will celebrate the 46th Earth Day on Saturday, April 23, 2016, from 9 a.m. to noon in Bidwell Park. Volunteers will meet at the east side of Sycamore Field near Caper Acres at the South One Mile Recreation Area.
Projects include the removal of non-native, invasive plants and litter pick-up. All ages are invited to participate. Minors 13 and under need to be accompanied by an adult. Volunteers 17 and under need a release form signed by a parent or guardian.
Volunteers are advised to wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes and long pants. Volunteers should bring a container for water and gloves if possible. The Chico Parks Division with the help of its volunteer Crew Leaders, the CA Conservation Corps and Orchard Supply Hardware will provide tools and guidance. Participants are asked to pre-register online.