8TH Annual AUTUMN OUTDOOR CONFERENCE:​
Building bridges

Friday, September 20, 2024
​
NJ School of Conservation
1 Walapanne Rd.
Sandyston, NJ 07826

See you next Year!

Schedule at a glance:
Click to enlarge

2024 Workshops:

Strands:
  • Education for a Changing Climate
  • Connecting with Nature
  • Research and EE
  • Field Explorations
Concurrent Session I (9:30 - 10:45 am):
Bow Drill Friction Fire From The Landscape, David Alexander; Essex County Parks
Try this primitive skill. Participants will learn to select proper wood, understand the principles that lead to success and try their best effort at the form and technique required for flame.

Pollination Fascination, Pat Heaney; The Watershed Institute
Students engage in inquiry based field work by matching flowers to their pollinators. They collected evidence and make claims based on the data they collect.
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Sit Spotting as a starting Point to Taking Your Class Outdoors, Jennifer Carcich; Unity Charter School
This is an entry level workshop for educators who want to ease into outdoor classes. Sit spotting outdoors can contribute to a holistic development of children by fostering a connection with nature, enhancing various skills, and promoting overall well-being.

Sit spotting allows children to connect with the natural environment. Spending time outdoors promotes a sense of wonder, appreciation for nature, and a connection to the ecosystem. It helps in developing observational skills. Children can learn to notice and appreciate small details in their surroundings, fostering a greater awareness of the world around them.

Sit spotting encourages cognitive development by requiring children to focus their attention, concentrate on specific details, and make observations. This can enhance their problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. This practice can be used across many subject areas.

Closer to Nature - Time for a Ginkgo (Haiku Walk), Jeff Hoagland; The Watershed Institute
Haiku are tiny one-breath poems with a focus on the natural world. They are imagistic, and reflective and reveal a sense of discovery. Learn how the practice of haiku can bring you closer to nature, broaden your observation skills and restore your sense of well-being.

Introduction to Rewildling: Principles and Practices, Katee Lawlor; LionMan School of Rewilding
Rewilding is the process of restoring and protecting natural habitats to allow ecosystems to thrive autonomously. This workshop will be designed to introduce participants to the concept of rewilding, its significance, and practical techniques for implementing rewilding projects in various environments. By combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on activities, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to contribute to ecological restoration and biodiversity enhancement.

This workshop aims to introduce participants to the concept of rewilding, its ecological significance, and practical techniques for implementing rewilding projects. The session will include a mix of theoretical knowledge and interactive activities, covering topics such as the definition and principles of rewilding, ecological restoration techniques like planting native species and removing invasive plants, and creating wildlife habitats. Additionally, participants will engage in a hands-on demonstration and group discussion to reinforce learning. The workshop will conclude with a recap of key points, guidance on getting involved in local rewilding projects, and an open floor for questions and feedback. We believe this workshop will provide valuable insights and practical skills for all participants, empowering them to contribute to ecological restoration and promote sustainable living in their communities.

Kids in Nature - Overcoming a Universal Obstacle, Dagmar Wojcik; NJSACC
We’ve all heard about how positive it can be for kids to get outside to play and explore nature, and yet there are also many statistics listing how little time or few opportunities many kids may have to do that. Whether pre-k and school age kids live in forested, rural, suburban, or urban environments, there’s one potential obstacle to getting outside that they all have in common – the adults who care for them. Whether those adults are child care providers, teachers, camp counselors, or family, many of them experience or perceive obstacles that limit the time that youth are given outdoors. In this hands on workshop, we’ll explore ways to help adult child caregivers overcome these challenges and find motivation to get themselves and the kids in their care outside playing and exploring nature as often as possible each and every day.

MacroBlitz: How Bugs Tell the Stories of Aquatic Ecosystems (Extended Session), Tanya Sulikowski; NJ School of Conservation
Aquatic macroinvertebrates are water-dwelling creatures that are important to scientists, educators, birds, frogs, and others. MacroBlitz inspires and empowers people to find and photograph macroinvertebrates and upload these photos to iNaturalist for science and learning. Learn about this new National Geographic funded project and its applications in environmental education.
Concurrent Session II (11:00 am - 12:15 pm):
Nature Makes You Healthy, Anne Price; Waterspirit
Have you ever noticed that you feel better after spending a little time outside? It's no secret that nature makes us feel better. There are scientific reasons why Nature Makes People Healthy. Join us to learn how we need to deepen our connections to earth to be a whole person. Yoga mat or towel recommended.

Tracking with Transmitters, Jennifer Correa-Kruegel; Warren County Dept. of Land Preservation
With the use of transmitters and receivers, students will track down various animal species that are currently being researched in NJ. They will also learn about the animal and how researchers document the information they find during their research.

Climate Games, Mindy Voss / Jody Sackett; New Jersey Sea Grant 
Enhance your climate change lessons with a collection of short engaging games to teach students the mechanisms and impacts involved in climate change and ocean acidification, possible solutions, and connections to their local environment. Gameplay is highly interactive: some games are foot-stomping while others are more collected, but all are fun!

The Nature of You...Connecting Through Identity, Choice and Emotions, Ande Romano Schmitt / Chris Romano Schmitt / Zoe Romano Schmitt / Zach Romano Schmitt; The Philosophy Family Farm LLC
Join The Philosophy Family Farm as we explore creative ways to engage and connect learners with nature through three hands-on activities that showcase the benefits of learning with nature. Drawing from three of our farm’s books, we explore identity, choices in problem-solving, and emotional awareness through wildlife on our farm.
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Wild Edibles: Safe and Ethical Foraging, Joanne Lockwood White; Sprout House
Species identification is important but microbe-worship is even better. Lots of info will be provided on great resources, seasonal considerations, genus, species and hopefully incentive to learn families. We won't be eating but we will be learning. Camera needed.

Tracking Dragonflies for Citizen Science, Kim Anicito; Kim’s Critter Classes
We will investigate some of the current citizen science projects involving dragonflies and discuss past projects that still have significance. You won’t need to catch the adults because we will be looking at dragonfly larvae which can be done at almost anytime of the year. We will also be talking about behaviors and visual cues to identify adults and migratory species.

Gifts of the Spruce, David Alexander; Essex County Parks
​Together we’ll enjoy some spruce tea, make spruce pitch glue and learn to process spruce roots for cordage. The primary focus of the session will be on conifer pitch. Pitch can be used for things like fire starting, shafting arrow points and feathers, mounting a blade, patching holes in a birch bark canoe or tent, making a torch or even healing a cut or a sore throat. It’s entirely free as a woodland resource and always regenerating in the forest. It can be processed with a few simple steps to be made into a quality glue!

​PART 2 - MacroBlitz: How Bugs Tell the Stories of Aquatic Ecosystems
Concurrent Session III (1:45 - 3:00 pm):
School of Rocks: Geology for K-5, Victoria E. Devlin McLoughlin; Morris County Park Commission
During this workshop participants will engage in an interactive geology school lesson developed for K-5 with a human-sized, walk-thru dichotomous key. This lesson encourages kids to recognize that by using skills they already have: using their sense, asking questions, and making observations, they can learn to identify many common rocks.

The Watershed Project, Alessandra Rossi / Colleen Potocki; NJCWST at Montclair State University
During this workshop, the participants will build a watershed model using simple materials that can be commonly found in a household or classroom environment. In addition, the participants will have the opportunity to work together and brainstorm how to protect waterbodies in a case study.

Wood, Wind & Water: Easy-Breezy Watercolor Exercises for
Contemplating Nature, Susan Lewicki; Meadowlands Environment Center
Be introduced to watercolor as both an accessible art medium and a means to mindfulness. Using water from the site, guided reflection, and three classic exercises with a meditative spin, expression is in the process. No art experience required, just an open mind. All supplies provided.

Using Observations to Connect to Nature and the Curriculum, Roberta Hunter; New Jersey Audubon
Observation and noticing help connect us to nature, but they can also connect us to larger topics and curriculum themes. In this workshop, we will take time to observe the world around us using a variety of observation prompts, and develop our own to create a group collection.

The Benefit of Trees: An Interdisciplinary Project-Based Unit, Edward Cohen; Rutgers Center for Math Science and Computer Education
Trees benefit humans and the planet in numerous ways: they produce oxygen, sequester carbon, filter pollutants from the air and water, and provide shade and wildlife habitats. These essential functions make tree stewardship a critical factor in addressing the causes and impacts of climate change.

Climate Change Lobby, Lauren Madden; The College of New Jersey
Select authors from the forthcoming book, Climate Change Education Across Disciplines K-12:  New Jersey and Beyond, will share advice and ideas for integrating climate change across the curriculum and grade span inside and outside the classroom. You'll leave this conversational session with some easy-to-use ideas for addressing this critical topic.

If Streams Could Talk: Freshwater Stream Assessment Demonstration (Extended Session), Liv Stettler / Amanda Baksa / Michelle Hatfield; NJDEP AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors Program
Join members of the AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors Program to learn about stream ecology and how to assess the health status of a freshwater stream. Ambassadors will be demonstrating techniques and procedures to collect and interpret data from NJ Streams. Participation is encouraged, so please bring closed-toe, waterproof shoes.
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Forest Bathing: A Tool for All (Extended Session), Aaron Schomburg; Princeton Day School
From a brief introduction to Forest Bathing, and a session to experience, reconnect and feel present, participants will better understand how Forest Bathing can both benefit individual health and wellness as well as be used in small groups as a way to reconnect participants to the more-than-human world.
Concurrent Session IV (3:15 - 4:30 pm):
Never Say "Ugh" to a Bug, Jenny Gaus-Myers/ Mindy Schmitt; Morris County Park Commission 
Many children instinctively let out a loud "EW!" when confronted with an insect or other invertebrate. This workshop will teach you our time-tested methods for bringing kids around from fear and suspicion to respect and wonder, to the point where they will willingly touch one of our "big bugs." We'll also teach some simple field techniques for sampling invertebrates in a study area.

Freshwater Fishing 101, David Alexander; Essex County Parks
We’ll begin with an introduction to freshwater fishing and learn to target specific fish species, fishing equipment, knots, bait selection, and technique. Participants will make their own “Altoids Tin Fishing Tackle Kit” to take home. Basic equipment provided but you are welcome to bring your own.

Using Dendrology & Forest Metrics to Teach About Climate Change, Allyson Lance; NJ School of Conservation
Become a forester for the day as you learn to measure trees using the same skills and tools as foresters! Along the way you will learn how to use these metrics to calculate carbon sequestration and learn how land managers use forest cover to combat climate change.

Restoring Habitats and Growing Classrooms, John Guarino / Will Ferry; SeedEd
Our presentation will cover the need for habitat restoration in schoolyards and how these spaces should be created for use by students, with hands-on learning at the forefront. We'll share data, a 25-year-old project case study, and provide examples of how the spaces have been utilized by classes.

Bridging the Gap: How Nature and Language Can Bring Cultural Change within School Populations, Lauren Kurzius / Kevin Pacheco; Manville School District
Based on Voices from the Land, designed by the Monarch Teacher Network and a lesson plan written by Robin Anderson, the goal of this workshop is to help students develop a relationship with and respect for the natural world, as well as for other people and cultures.

This working is specifically designed with our ESL population in mind. It has been noted that many students within the ESL/ML population struggle to feel part of the greater school community. This workshop is designed to connect cultural experiences from their country of origin the beauty of nature found in New Jersey, allowing students to feel more connected to their school communities. Activities allow students to explore natural areas, reflect on the natural materials and create ephemeral art, create poetry that expresses the “voice” of the art. Emphasis on storytelling, art, nature, language, and making community connections will be explored. The workshop will be presented in English and Spanish.

Following the Leads of Children, Sara Lashbrook; The Auspicious Octopus
Are you curious about getting outside and connecting with nature? Our world is full of awe waiting to be discovered and we are already equipped with all that we need to explore. Curiosity and wonder are innate within us, so what is holding us back? In this session, surrounded by nature, we will ask questions, share and learn from one another so we can either get started exploring outside and all that nature offers for us to learn and we can expand what we already know and learn new ideas to try out on our next journey.

PART 2 - If Streams Could Talk: Freshwater Stream Assessment Demonstration

​PART 2 - Forest Bathing: A Tool for All

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Main Conference
8:00 am - 9:00 am
9:00 am - 9:15 am
9:30 am -10:45 am
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
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1:45 pm - 3:00 pm
3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Check In and light breakfast
Welcome and announcements
​Concurrent Workshops I
​​Concurrent Workshops II
​Lunch, Networking opportunities, Gift Shop open
​Concurrent Workshops III
Concurrent Workshops IV
  • Conference Registration has ended!
  • Sponsorship Opportunities​

Autumn ​2024 SPONSORS