CWF Presents Wild Education Workshops in Calgary

April 29, 2010 – The Canadian Wildlife Federation is conducting professional development workshops for teachers in Calgary April 30 and May 1 featuring Guest Speaker Dr. Richard Mrazek, Founding Fellow of the CWF Learning Institute.

Dr. Mrazek will speak on “WILD Resources for the 21st Century Learner: Using emerging technologies and multi-media resources” Friday from 9-10 am and Saturday from 12:30 – 1 pm at the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre.  More than 100 teachers from both the Calgary public and Catholic school boards will have the opportunity to hear Dr. Mrazek’s presentation and participate in a full day of conservation education activities.

Through fun, hands-on workshops, teachers will experience a variety of learning activities from Project WILD and the companion program, Below Zero. Both these activity guides support the curriculum in language arts, math, science, social studies, arts education, health and physical education. All the activities have a co-operative learning base and suit classrooms with multi-level learners.

Project WILD features 121 complete lesson plans about terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. Below Zero focuses on how wildlife adapt to the Canadian winter snow and ice conditions.

Mrazek’s presentation features CWF video footage of the COP15 Climate Change conference in Copenhagen, as well as a webisode about a BC Wildlife Federation Wetlandkeepers course and water awareness public service announcements filmed in Lethbridge.

“As we celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity, we are faced with the alarming fact that almost one third of the world’s species are at risk,” Mrazek said. “Teachers can help make the conservation movement mainstream through leadership in environmental education. CWF is thrilled with the response from the Calgary area, with so many teachers showing how much wildlife matters to them through their involvement in these programs.”

About the Canadian Wildlife Federation:
The Canadian Wildlife Federation is a national non-profit charitable organization dedicated to ensuring an appreciation of our natural world and a lasting legacy of healthy wildlife and habitat. By spreading knowledge of human impacts on the environment, developing and delivering educational programs, sponsoring research, promoting the sustainable use of natural resources, recommending policy changes and co-operating with like-minded partners, CWF encourages a future in which Canadians can live in harmony with nature. For more information, visit CanadianWildlifeFederation.ca.

The Learning Institute, a new component of CWF’s well established education program, is conducting strategic and scholarly research, creating, piloting and studying educational innovation and technology-based learning; improving and advancing professional practice and promoting innovative learning about wildlife issues.

Contact:
Heather Robison
Media Relations Officer
(306) 550-4155
heatherr@cwf-fcf.org