Environmental Education Committee:
Here's some events that the EE committee is doing this fall.
See spreadsheet for upcoming events:
The EE committee is planning to start a school stewardship program between New Jersey schools and Forsythe.
The schools to the North of Forsythe (Reedy Creek) such as Point Pleasant and Brick will be invited to environmental lessons at the Forsythe followed by a cleanup of the area.
Those in central locations such as Berkeley and Lacey will be involved at the Warren Grove site for environmental lessons followed by a cleanup.
Barnegat and Southern Regional areas will be asked to participate in the Barnegat and West Creek Dock Road sites. The Brigantine division will be covered by schools in that vicinity. This plan is still in it's developmental stages.
The EE committee is also involved in the After school programs at the Galloway Charter school, Leeds Ave school in Pleasantville, and Washington Avenue School also in Pleasantville. We will be adding Assumption Regional Catholic school to the list. All 4 schools will be participitating in the Urban Bird Program of Cornell University Ornithology lab in which they will learn and observe 15 birds which are common to our area.
In December, the EE committee will be conducting an assembly at Absecon Elementary for 400 children. Along with Forsythe, we have included Atlantic County Utilities with a recycling presentation and Atlantic County Soil Conservation District with a soil presentation, to include thier simulation tunnel in which kids can walk through and observe what it would look like if they were one of the underground species in an area.
With all of the above activities coming up, the EE committee could really use and nee the help of volunteers. We are usually short of help. Volunteers are important to help thse programs run and to help children to gain knowledge of their outside enviornment, (since some of the groups are as many as 100 students). Please check the EE calendar at the refuge and feel free to sign up. These trips have been a very gratifying experience to all that have been involved. No experience necessary, just sign up for a trip or activity that interests you and you will not be sorry that you did. Many of the activities last no more than 3 hours and we are constantly learning something on every session. PLEASE join us. If interested please contact Geroge at halimaarboc1@comcast.net.
If you are a teacher, or retired educator, we would like to ask for your help in the development of new activities and lesson plans. We develop lesson based upon core curriculum content standards. Many teachers that bring groups to Forsythe find these plans usefull in fulfilling their obligation to present these standards to their students. If interested email George at halimaarboc1@comcast.net
Past Event Information:
During the summer, Les Murray worked with the summer campers at Bayside Camp in Ocean City and did a fine job with all of the children and also had an enjoyable experience in teaching the children about solar energy, the seashore just to name a few of the subjects.
The EE committee already had 2 field trips to the Refuge with students from Lacey Township High School. All had an enjoyable time and said they learned a lot. They were especially amused by the sighting of a huge Black Racer snake which we estimate to have been at least 6 feet long.
