FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 29, 2007

CONTACT: Tom Plante, 908-527-4746
Karen Inzillo, 908-789-3670 Ext. 7911

Teachers Invited to Learn about WILD School Sites at Trailside Nature & Science Center, April 12

Hazel England (L), director of Education and Outreach for the Great Swamp Watershed Association, leads participants in a search for animal signs during a WILD School Sites teacher training workshop last year. This spring, “WILD School Sites” is offered on April 12 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Participants can earn six NJDOE credits. Pre-registration is required. The fee for the workshop is $20 per person. “You don’t have to be a great naturalist to explore the great outdoors,” said Hazel England. “You just have to have an interest in nature to open the doors of learning to children.” To register for this workshop or for information about upcoming programs and special events at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit us on the web at: www.ucnj.org/trailside.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is offering a workshop about schoolyard habitat enhancement entitled “WILD School Sites” for teachers of grades K-12 on Thursday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Trailside Nature & Science Center.

“This program is part of a series of teacher training workshops that qualify participants for NJDOE credits,” said Freeholder Chairwoman Bette Jane Kowalski. “Its convenient location in the 2,060-acre Watchung Reservation provides the perfect classroom to have fun while learning about the environment.”

Teachers, students and wildlife benefit from habitat improvement. These projects can sensitize students to the needs of wildlife, and enable them to make a small difference right where they live to benefit local species. Having an outdoor classroom enables teachers to take field trips without leaving school. The stewardship skills that students develop for their outdoor classroom may reflect in greater ownership and care for the entire school.

Participants in the WILD School Sites teacher training workshop will receive six NJDOE professional development credits as well as a copy of the book Homes for Wildlife: A Planning Guide for Habitat Enhancement on School Grounds, the WILD School Sites booklet, grant information, landscaping information, and ideas for curriculum integration.

Pre-registration is required. The fee for this teacher training workshop is $20 per person. Light morning refreshments will be provided, but please bring a lunch.

To register for the April 12 workshop or for information about Trailside’s spring adult workshops and teacher training programs, please call
908-789-3670 or visit us on our website at www.ucnj.org/trailside. Trailside Nature & Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Broad of Chosen Freeholders.