University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum

University of Wisconsin-Madison ArboretumEarth Partnership for Schools (EPS) Spring 2014 Distance Learning Course

Funding generously provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency through the Great Lakes Restoration InitiativeSteve Laubach, Course CoordinatorWatershed Outreach Specialist

Welcome from the UW Arboretum!

Claire Shaller, Webinar SupportOffice ManagerCleveland-area Participants:Cuyahoga Valley National ParkPam Barnes, Local CoordinatorCVNP Education Specialist

Chelby BensonWoodridge High School Art Teacher

Attached is a photo of myself at the beach with a life preserver. My first teaching job was at an inner city elementary school near (about 5 miles from) Lake Erie. As an art teacher, I teach young students how to decipher between different landscapes in art and be able to recreate them based on their real life experiences with nature. During our "seascape" unit we learned about different waterways including The Great Lakes. We learned about lighthouses, native rocks, sand, and how the sky appears at different times of day. I found many students did not visit the lake for recreation on a regular basis. Many had not been to the beach at all. Most students did not have any experience swimming. We learned about beach safety including what to do if you or someone else is drowning when a lifeguard is present, and when a lifeguard is not present. The students drew pictures to promote beach safety. I used this photograph to illustrate what a life preserver looks like and to discuss when to use one, and why it is important to not play with them when there is not a dangerous situation.

4Mary DravesBerea-Midpark High School

Here is a picture of me this past summer in the Galapagos Islands. A colleague & I took 12 students there for a 2 week adventure. It was a Biology teacher's dream come true! Here I am on Santa Cruz Island hanging out with some Galapagos Sea Lions. One day we pulled invasives from a national park...so they are experiencing the same issues in this pristine archipelago as we do here in the states. 5Barb MetzgerStewart Early Learn ProgramEarly Learning Teacher

I am biking with my husband in Cape Cod6Tracey JensonEvamere Elementary SchoolGrade 1 Teacher

7Emily GiffordStewart Early Learning Program Preschool Speech Therapist

8Karen GreenwayGarfield Heights Middle SchoolScience Teacher

This picture relates to nature because it shows the beauty of fall:)9Matt MihalyovGarfield Heights Middle School8th Grade Teacher

In the picture is myself and my two children (Connor and Parker) who are part of the way I love to connect to nature. My wife and I love to camp, hike, kayak, and relax outdoors. Sharing those experiences and teaching the things I've learned about nature with my children are very important to me. The picture was taken of us at SaltFork State Park. We had gone for an extended weekend to camp and hike. We had heard it was beautiful and there had been bigfoot sightings. (Parker wore his binoculars and kept a lookout the whole weekend.) We had a great time and it certainly was beautiful but we never caught sight of any bigfoots.10Ashley OkelCuyahoga Falls High School Science Teacher

11Kim KeatingBath Elementary5th Grade Teacher

Here is a picture of me and my husband in the CVNP. We got engaged and had engagement photos taken in the park- one of our favorite places to be!12Detroit-area Participants:Cranbrook Institute of ScienceLisa Appel, Local CoordinatorWatershed Education Coordinator

Mircea GuiCody High School9th Grade Biology Teacher

Hello everyone! My name is Mircea Gui. I teach 9thgrade Biology at DIT (Detroit Institute of Technology) @ Cody High School in Detroit. I love being outside skiing extendedly in the state of Michigan and oversees, particularly in Bucegi Mountains, Romania. Conversely, the picture is taken at an Alpaca wool farm in Mitspe Ramon, the Negev desert, Israel, last summer.14Jenn CouryLake Orion High SchoolEnvironmental Science, Biology, Physics, Scientific Inquiry

15Virginia CallaghanFisher Upper Middle School 8th grade science

I am the one holding the cage. We are setting traps for mudpuppies in the Detroit River off of Belle Isle to tag.16Kathleen DoughertyOakland County Parks

Here is a photo that I have of me and my husband. The place is the Smoky Mountains which is one of the most wonderful places on earth. It has everything trails, birds, wildflowers, rivers that talk and mountains that I can climb.17Jennifer GrivinsEaton Rapids High SchoolChemistry & Env Science

This picture was taken last summer at Tahquamenon Falls in the UP with my 2 buys 8 & 12. I spend much of my free time outdoors, hiking, biking, skiing, swimming and gardening. I include my family in all these activities. The work I do at school which includes nature trail maintenance, recycling, gardens and greenhouse upkeep I do for our students k-12 including my own kids and because these are life passions of mine.18Tara HaddadEdsel Ford High School9th Grade Teacher

I chose a picture of my daughter Madeleine and I from this summer on our trip to Mackinac19Chad SegristCody High SchoolEarth Science

Location - Belle Isle - Detroit, Michigan

Urban Forestry program. A wonderful group of students and I were identifying native species and participating in an invasive species removal effort. A beautiful day with my students.

20Laura AmatulliAvondale Middle School8th Grade Science

We took a family trip to the Badlands and Devil's Tower. This was taken right before my husband stepped on a Pygmy rattlesnake.21Chicago-area Participants:McHenry County Conservation DistrictMary Kozub, Local CoordinatorMCCD Education Outreach Coordinator

Dotty PainterElementary Art Teacher

This is me Dotty Painter I teach art to pre sch, adaptive, & k-5 students. as well an after school Outdoor Club gds 4-823Mary OLearyPrairie Grove SchoolLMC Director

Winterfest: Trails & Tales - Nature Tells a Story!This annual event is organized in cooperation with the McHenry County Conservation District, our Literacy Partner at the Prairieview site. I'm pictured with Mr. Forsman our music teacher. We have been organizing this nature winter event for 10 years!24Linda WilliamsJr. High Art Teacher

This picture was taken a few years ago in Custer State Park. My family and myself went to South Dakota for a few days. It was amazing to see Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. Every day we would drive through Custer State Park, which would take many hours. We loved viewing the beautiful landscape and watching the animals, prairie dogs, donkeys, bison, .. Our last day we were stuck in an hour long bison parade, it was spectacular. Instead of viewing the area caves we decided to take a horse back ride. It was a great choice.

This place was special because it is one of our favorite vacation memories. We travel often and enjoying camping. This June we will go to the Grand Canyon.

25Carol SevreyJr. High Biology Teacher

26Hope McCarthyRingwood School Primary CenterSpecial Education Teacher

My name is Hope McCarthy and I am a special educator at Ringwood School Primary Center. I am blessed to work with special education students in the primary grades. We go out as often as possible! Outdoor learning is where the students really respond! Always challenging myself to new forms of learning I enjoy kayaking and standup paddle boarding in calm waters of Crystal Lake, Illinois.27Fran OBrienElementary Teacher

28Jeff SchumacherMcHenry County Conservation DistrictSite Steward

29Karen GriswoldKane County Youth Detention FacilityEnglish teacher

I teach English to male youth ages 13 to 21 in a detention facility in Kane County Illinois. I enjoy our local parks (pictured) and the County Conservation District woodlands. I'm looking to learn some environmental science and share that in my work. The technology component of the course will be a learning experience as well!30Milwaukee-area Participants:Urban Ecology CenterKathy Palmer, Local CoordinatorUEC Education Specialist

John Wamser Washington DuBois Christian Leadership Academy3rd Grade Teacher

Johanna FrenchLake Bluff Elementary1st /2nd Grade Teacher

Hiking with the family on the Ice Age Trail33Sachin PandyaLake Bluff Elementary School5th/6th grade teacher

It is me near the top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire this summer on a road trip with my family.34Muskegon-area Participants:Muskegon Area Intermediate School DistrictErica Johnson, Local CoordinatorMAISD Mathematics and Science Center

Ann DeWittFruitport Beach Elementary3rd Grade Teacher

My husband and I enjoy traveling and enjoying nature. Here is a picture of us at Niagara Fall in New York this summer. 36Jessica LamdenBlanford Nature Center

37Deb IwemaNewaygo Middle School6th Grade Teacher

This is a picture of me with a couple of my students working on a property pulling Garlic mustard. This was a part of the West Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Project.38