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I. Humane Educator Resources Cornell's Lab of Ornithology offers a kit entitled Celebrate Urban Birds! With this kit, students can learn about city birds, watch birds for science, get involved in projects to "green" up their community, and increase conservation awareness. All materials are free (including bilingual posters and sunflower seeds) and give individuals, families, and groups all the tools needed to watch birds and collect data in cities, suburbs, and rural areas. E-nature is a privately-held website that provides marketing services to both non-profit and private sector clients, focusing primarily on wildlife and nature. The wildlife information on this site is the same data used to create the printed Audubon Field Guides. This site offers older children quizzes on many different species and their habitats, including Do You Know Scat?, The Mating Game, Winter Wildlife Quiz, The Name Game, The Bald Facts, Fur Factor, and Botanical Burgs. Everything Animals Resource Center, Inc is a humane education and animal welfare organization that focuses on the importance of respect, kindness, tolerance, compassion and personal responsibility towards animals. Their Humane Education Teaching Guide includes: Across the Curriculum Activities, Bright Ideas, and Reproducible Worksheets (Grades K-6.) They also offer two teaching kits. The Unhuggables focuses on the theme "living things who aren't cute and/or cuddly still have value." It shows that the earth is filled with important creatures who are slippery, slimy, spiky, crusty, creepy and incredible, and points out the importance of appreciating diversity as well as encouraging compassion and tolerance for all different forms of life. Enjoying Animals Safely focuses on teaching kids to ask permission before petting an animal they don't know, understanding body language, observing wildlife from a distance and washing hands after playing with animals. It highlights the simple steps necessary to be able to enjoy interacting and/or observing all kinds of animals. Many of the rules of respect addressed can be used in relationships with classmates and others. The kits include a humane education teaching guide, bulletin board material, a bingo game (30 blank boards for kids to fill in), a bookmark craft (for 30 students), and a cd with five original nature-inspired instrumental songs. (K-1) (2-3) (4-6) National Geographic Magazine has a free downloadable kids wildlife coloring book. Share the World is a free educational program designed to help your students better understand and appreciate the animals with whom we share our world. Their site offers reproducible activities that will help your grades 3-5 students use their thinking and writing skills to imagine the feelings and consider the incredible abilities of other animals, examine how our relationships with them have changed through history, discover alternatives to their use, and respond to situations in which their well-being is threatened. This website also provides you with book suggestions, newspaper articles, videos and other types of media information on humanity towards animals. Teaching Creatures' programs are designed to introduce children to the diversity of the animal kingdom and to help them make meaningful connections with the natural world. Though programs are aimed at young people, they can easily be adapted for adult audiences. All programs are offered 7 days a week, and provides a hands-on experience. Along with the animals, the audience gets the chance to touch real and replica skins, skulls, and other biofacts. Programs may also include, recordings of animal sounds, exposure to other languages, cultural artifacts, and music. Themes include, Raves for Reptiles, Hurray for Herps, Snakes are Super, Out of Africa, Creepy Crawly Critters, Animal Defenses, Wild about Whales and Story Stars. The American Humane Association is a network of individuals and organizations, which works towards both preventing cruelty, abuse, neglect, and exploitation of children and animals, and assuring that their interests and well-being are fully, effectively, and humanely guaranteed by an aware and caring society. Their website offers a free program that reinforces pro-social behaviors through a series of engaging and skill-building classroom activities centered on the humane treatment of animals. The program consists of three complete classroom units for grades 3-5, each featuring content pieces, classroom activities, ties to curriculum standards and skills, implementation suggestions, and multiple forms of assessment ranging from classroom projects to writing prompts and multiple-choice tests. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is a national and global animal protection organization that celebrates animals and confronts cruelty. Their HSUS Youth Pages are as follows: Summer Projects shows ways children and teens can help urban wildlife in the summer. It includes coloring books, teaching posters, activities, and projects. Wild Ways is a hand-out that will help teach children about the problems associated with keeping wild animals as pets. (Grades 3-4) Printables is a free download with the theme of "Sharing our world" with wild animals Their HSUS Teen Pages are as follows: Raise Awareness in Your Community about wild animals and how to live peacefully with them. Written for high-school students and their teachers, Into the Wild explores our relationship with wild animals and includes discussion of hunting, trapping, habitat loss, and wildlife in myth, culture, and commerce. This full color, 68-page book contains critical-thinking questions, projects, suggestions for independent study, and meaningful activities for high-school classes and student clubs. The Institute for Humane Education (IHE) is an educational organization dedicated to creating a humane world through humane education. Their web pages offer a comprehensive catagorized listing of useful links, books and other resources relevant to humane issues, samples of student work, and listings of humane education-related internships. The National Humane Education Society (NHES) provides humane education, rescue and relief assistance for animals, and screened adoption services. Their Guide to Humane Living & Learning will help local humane societies, teachers and individuals teach kindness to animals through interesting curriculum that promotes critical thinking as well as responsible decision-making. Materials include: 55 Tips for Humane Living, Information about Humane Education, Sample Lesson Plans, Activities for Children Who Want to help Animals, Innovative and Interactive Ways to Present Humane Issues, Lists of Books that Encourage Empathy for Animals, and Additional Resources for Implementing an Effective Program. NHES charges $10.00 per guide. Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc rescues, rehabilitates, and releases orphaned, injured, and displaced wildlife, and provides sanctuary with dignity for non-releasable animals, both native and non-native. Going to the Zoo? Zoo detective questions. Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation (WRR) believes that keeping, breeding and displaying wild animals in zoos does not respect wild animals' essential nature nor their need to live the kind of life that evolution has prepared them for. Nonetheless, they understand that a lot of families and schools take trips to the zoo. If you find yourself on such a trip, you can be a detective for the animals by following this activity. This website has a library where you can find their Wildlife are Wonderful but They are Not Pets! kids poster which aims to create empathy and respect in children for wild and exotic animals in order to prevent wild and exotic animals from being kept as pets. There is a teachers’ instruction booklet that helps teachers use the poster in writing, drawing, drama and research activities. Everything Animals Resource Center, Inc is a humane education and animal welfare organization that focuses on the importance of respect, kindness, tolerance, compassion and personal responsibility towards animals. Hope Takes Wing chronicles the history of the Whooping crane and highlights reintroduction methods developed by Operation Migration, Inc., a small Canada/U.S.-based nonprofit organization. See how this dedicated team uses ultralight aircraft, ingenuity, and a bit of extreme science to restore a migratory population of Whooping cranes to the eastern half of North America, an area from which these birds were wiped out more than a century ago. Follow along on a 1,200-mile ultralight-guided journey as Operation Migration pilots lead a young flock of Whooping cranes from Wisconsin to Florida and, ultimately, toward survival of the species. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is a national and global animal protection organization that celebrates animals and confronts cruelty. HSUS’ Youth Website has Troubadour’s Tales CD and Storybook, a medium for teaching humane values. The storybook features 20 short stories designed to kindle respect and kindness toward people and animals and build children’s interest in literature. Stories include such themes as the human/companion animal bond, wildlife appreciation, and responsible pet care. III. FIELDTRIPS IN NEW ENGLAND Audubon Society of Rhode Island maintains over 9,500 acres of natural habitat all over the State of Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts. Most of these refuges are open to the public and have groomed trails for hiking and nature study. Throughout the year, educational and fun programs are held for birders, beginners, families, and anyone who wants to learn more about the natural world. They are led by experienced naturalists at the various refuges, and at other locations throughout the state. There are weekend, evening and mid-week programs. The Education Department runs many after-school, school break and summer camp programs as well. Boston Nature Center and Wildlife Sanctuary, in Mattapan, MA is an inner-city sanctuary situated on a portion of the former Boston State Hospital property. More than two miles of scenic trails and boardwalks take visitors through wetlands, woods, and open fields where state hospital buildings once stood. Wildlife abounds at the sanctuary, with hawks, wild turkey, and pheasants, to name a few of the many natural wonders you'll see here. On site, the Clark-Cooper Community Gardens, Boston's largest community gardens, provide food and a green oasis for hundreds of Boston residents. Claire Birtz Wildlife Sanctuary in Southbridge, MA and Woodstock, CT, is 116 acres of New England countryside, consisting of upland hardwood forest, a red maple swamp, vernal pools, and perhaps its most striking feature, forty acre Morse Pond with its associated five acre freshwater marsh. Tucked away on the west side of Route 169, it is a green jewel that will forever provide beautiful views of the pond and hillside from this Designated Scenic Byway. Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic, CT, is a non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling its mission: to inspire and nurture appreciation of the natural world and foster a personal environmental ethic. They are a comination wildife sanctuary, visitor attraction and educational facility. The Center features all-new exhibits highlighting the habitats and wildlife of southeastern CT, as well as 8 miles of trails that wind through a beautiful 300-acre wooded preserve. Through natural history exhibits, educational classes and outreach programs, they seek to educate visitors of all ages about the unique interrelationships of animals, plants and non-renewable resources. EcoTarium, in Worcester, MA, is an organization dedicated to the study of science and nature. The private, non-profit institution was founded in 1825 as the Worcester Lyceum of Natural History and was incorporated in 1884 as the Worcester Natural History Society — EcoTarium's legal identity. Our transition from the New England Science Center to the EcoTarium in 1998 refocused the museum on its roots in the natural sciences with a focus on hands-on exploration and discovery. The name change accompanied a major capital development program that has transformed the building and grounds into an accessible learning and discovery center for families. Joppa Flats Education Center in Salem, MA, is located at the gateway to one of the country’s most productive, year-round, wildlife viewing areas—the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge and the Plum Island estuary. Highlights for visitors are the many species of birds that utilize the area’s extensive salt marshes, mudflats, rivers, bays, and coastal waters. During local area field trips, Joppa Flats program participants have recorded over 300 species of birds including the bald eagle, snowy owl, many warblers, shorebirds, and waterfowl. The new visitor center overlooking the Merrimack River includes second-floor observation areas—one indoors and one outdoors—a conference center, a guest services area, and interpretive displays. Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries throughout the state protect important habitat for wildlife, most are open to the public and provide a variety of opportunities for you to enjoy nature. The sanctuaries represent some of the most spectacular habitats in Massachusetts, ranging from beaches and salt marshes on Cape Cod to woodlands and mountains in the Berkshires. Mass Audubon's land protection efforts protect more than 30,000 acres of ecologically significant land in Massachusetts. Museum of Science, Boston presents live presentations, exhibits, films and lectures relating to the sciences of life and living organisms. The goal at New England Discovery, in Newburyport, MA, is to increase awareness and appreciation of wildlife and the natural world by helping people become more familiar with the wild animals that live around us, and how these animals interact with and depend on their environment. They offer guided walks, nature programs, and trips focusing on wildlife observation, animal tracking and behavior, and habitat exploration in Topsfield, Newburyport, Northfield, and Greenville, ME. New England Wildlife Center, in S. Weymouth, MA, is a native wildlife preservation and educational organization. We provide rehabilitation animal habitat and environmental protection, affording humane care to native and naturalized wild animals through our wildlife medicine hospital. Parker River National Wildlife Refuge is located approximately 32 miles northeast of Boston on Plum Island, MA. Plum Island is a natural barrier island stretching along the Massachusetts Atlantic coast between the mouth of the Merrimack River to the north and the mouth of the Ipswich River to the south. The Refuge occupies the southern three-fourths of the island and is 4,662 acres in size. Included within this space are 6.5 miles of sandy beach, approximately 3,000 acres of salt marsh, three managed fresh water impoundments, and one of the few unspoiled dune-beach complexes still existing in the Northeast. Several miles of foot trails meander through dune, shrub/thicket, freshwater marsh, and other Refuge habitats. Observation towers and platforms afford commanding views of the Refuge and surrounding lands. Located along the Atlantic Flyway, the Refuge is of special significance to waterfowl and shorebirds, including the federally threatened piping plover. Tracker-naturalist David Brown offers a variety of interpretive programs to thepublic. These are organized in two ways: sponsored programs are hosted by organizations at their location. These groups include conservation agencies, land trusts, state parks, wildlife sanctuaries, adult education centers and nature clubs. Quabbin Trails programs are arranged by David Brown, himself, and are usually conducted at Quabbin Reservation in central Massachusetts. Walnut Hill Tracking & Nature Center, in Orange, MA, offers slide shows, private field trips, school programs, wildlife inventories and habitat assessments. Programs offered include, ancient tool making, birding, photography, sand tracking, tracking camping, and more. Bowd, Alan, (1982) "Young Children’s Beliefs about Animals", The Journal of Psychology 110, 263-66 DeRosa, Bill (1988) "Wildlife through a Child’s Eyes" Children and Animals Wilkinson, Barbara, (n.d.) "Wildlife Education and Attitudes Towards Animals", California State University Association of Professional Humane Educators (APHE) provides professional development opportunities and networking for educators who promote humane attitudes towards people, animals and the environment. Also, see Professional Guidelines for Humane Educators. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) offers a certification program where participants that complete the self-paced courses receive a certificate of completion from Humane Society University. Those completing a minimum of four courses are eligible for Certified Humane Education Specialist (CHES) certification. HSUS also offers Teach Kids to Care training workshops designed to introduce animal care and control professionals and volunteers to important concepts and trends in humane education. Teach Kids to Care workshops will help administrators, board members, humane education specialists, and humane law enforcement officers enhance their credentials and use their limited time and resources in the most effective ways possible. The Institute for Humane Education (IHE) offers an accredited distance-learning M.Ed. in Humane Education (offered in affiliation with Cambridge College); a distance-learning Humane Education Certificate Program (HECP); intensive weekend humane education training workshops and MOGO (most good) workshops to help you act on what’s most important to you and achieve global change. Wildlife Conservation Society’s Project T.R.I.P.S. will show educators how to discover the richness of local resources by creating a partnership with an informal science institution. It will show educators how this partnership can help revitalize your entire science program, enhance professional development and improve student performance.
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