[Image: Marsh and Water ]The LSU AgCenter has been granted continued funding for 2011 from the Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration to continue the Youth Wetlands Week program throughout the state. Because of the success of the program, the AgCenter received a national Program of Distinction award.
The Youth Wetlands Week program develops and distributes educational materials FREE to any teacher who signs up for the program. The overall goal is to enhance students’ knowledge about the various types of wetlands found throughout the state and how they can help get involved with wetland conservation. During the past three years, the program has reached nearly 100,000 students throughout the state, and parish participation has increased each year.
The 2011 Youth Wetlands Week will be held April 18-22, 2011. This week was chosen because it falls after LEAP testing and the Easter holiday and it coincides with Earth Day, which is April 22, 2011. Although the Youth Wetlands Week program is slated for one week during the year, schools are encouraged to utilize the curriculum year-round.
Each teacher will receive the following materials:
- A wetlands DVD called Wet Work. This video will feature a high school student interviewing a variety of wetland professionals from across the state, and the student will be shown assisting the professionals in their jobs. The goal is to show students the variety of jobs that are available in wetland conservation.
- A NEWLY ORGANIZED curriculum binder including NEW wetland lessons, teacher guides, student worksheets and answer sheets, and pre-/post-tests pertaining to lessons.
- All materials needed to teach the grade appropriate lessons.
- Teachers may opt to receive wetlands plants for small restoration projects**.
The lessons that are being developed for this program include Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs). These are simple guides that public school teachers must teach during the school year. We feel that including the GLEs makes this program more user-friendly to teachers.
America’s Wetland Conservation Corps (AWCC) members will also be available during Youth Wetlands Week to assist in presenting the activities in the classroom and in developing restoration projects!
**Wetland restoration projects may include smaller projects that do not involve planting, travel or difficult logistics. These projects are not limited to the coast. We are very interested in getting projects in North Louisiana, Central Louisiana and South Louisiana. Some opportunities may include planting seeds of wetland species on school grounds that can be provided to a restoration project. This is a project where schools will not need to leave their campus, nor spend large amounts of money, as the program has materials and seeds available for such a project. Another opportunity might be to clean up litter in a wetland area near the school or elsewhere. Yet another might be to build wood duck boxes for use by a local landowner or conservation organization. These are just a few examples of projects for teachers to consider.
For more information and an online registration form, go to the Louisiana 4-H Youth Wetlands Week Web page.