Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Opportunities with National Wildlife Federation!

The following backyard habitat-related opportunities are available through your local National Wildlife Federation office:

Habitat Ambassador:
Help others learn how to garden for wildlife by hosting a table at a community event, giving a short presentation or distributing National Wildlife Federation literature. The training is done online with an NWF-provided CD and takes approximately five hours.

Community Wildlife Habitat™ Team Leader:
Once you have registered your own yard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat™, you can take your commitment to the next level by forming a Community Wildlife Habitat team and getting your community certified.

Habitat Steward:
Teach others in your community how to create habitat for wildlife by giving presentations, volunteering to create a Schoolyard Habitats™ site, writing articles for local media or restoring habitat in a public site. Training is in-person and more intense than for a Habitat Ambassador and takes 24 hours, usually over three successive weekends or you can participate in the Woodland Park Zoo Backyard Habitat Classes. Habitat Stewards make a commitment to volunteer for at least 30 hours within the year following their training.

Interested? Contact Courtney Sullivan, National Wildlife Federation Education Manager, at 206-577-7175 or sullivanc@nwf.org

Monday, March 19, 2012

Watershed Walks

Plan to attend a Watershed Walks training event Saturday, April 7, 1 – 4 pm and you’ll learn how to lead engaging, informative walks in your community that connect residents to their environment!

The Watershed Walks Program is designed to train Neighborhood Walking Ambassadors to educate residents about the natural ecology of the Longfellow Creek/Duwamish River Watershed. Individuals attending this event will become trained Neighborhood Walking Ambassadors. Camp Long Naturalist Jeanie Murphy-Ouellette and Feet First Volunteer Coordinator Darcy Edmunds will lead this training on how to effectively engage walking groups, what environmental threats affect our watersheds, and how individuals can reduce their impact on local ecologies.

The Watershed Walks Program provides an enjoyable way for people to learn about the relationship between their actions and a clean environment, and will provide participants an opportunity to experience their environment and community in a different, more intimate way.

Location:
Seattle Public Library - Delridge Branch
5423 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106

For more information or to register for this free training, contact Feet First Volunteer Coordinator Darcy Edmunds by emailing darcy@feetfirst.org or calling 206-652-2310, ext. 5. Participation is limited to the first 20 people. All individuals will receive a training packet including a full color watershed map of Longfellow Creek. http://www.feetfirst.org/events/watershed-walks-training

The Watershed Walks Program is a collaborative effort by Feet First and Camp Long, made possible through a grant from The Mountaineers Foundation.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Early Morning Bird Walk at Woodland Park Zoo!

Saturday, May 12, 2012
6:45-9:00 a.m.

In celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, take a guided tour of zoo grounds with a keeper and learn firsthand about the wild birds that call Woodland Park Zoo home, and those that make it a temporary home during their annual migration. Zookeepers and expert staff will be your guides, giving natural history and birding tips to participants of all ages and levels of experience. The walk will last approximately two hours. Please bring binoculars and weather-appropriate clothing. A light breakfast of pastries and coffee will be served.

Cost: $20 per adult non-zoo member; $10 per adult zoo member. Children 12 and under are free. Reservations are required. RSVP by emailing Eric.Kowalczyk@zoo.org. Space is limited to the first 50 RSVPs.