Posts tagged education
Highlights from EcoExpress and Stormwater blogs
Nov 27th
As part of our mission, GreenTreks Network provides two main programs to provide people with multimedia resources to take action towards a more sustainable lifestyle. StormwaterPA provides video case studies and multimedia resources for the benefit of homeowners, municipalities, developers, landscapers, and clean water advocates. EcoExpress makes available GreenTreks’ extensive catalog of environmental documentaries for use by educators and students. Each of EcoExpress’ videos are correlated to state academic standards and feature related lesson plan materials.
The unifying aspect of both EcoExpress and StormwaterPA is that both initiatives provide engaging content focused on our local environment. Here are some recent highlights from both programs’ blogs.
Leaf Litter and Its Role in Storm Water Management
By Anita Brook Dupree
“High winds and stormy weather seem like a terrible thing to most of us, but these winds help shed leaves from deciduous trees. These leaves have to be shed. This is a story about the good things that all those leaves do for the environment (especially in wooded areas, forests, parks and even your backyard).”
Read Full Blog on EcoExpress.org’s Main Page.
No Child Left Indoors: Writing for the Common Core
By Anita Brook Dupree
“The Common Core ELA standards require the fostering of three writing capacities: writing to explain, writing to persuade and writing to convey real or imagined experience. A simple walk around the schoolyard can be the experience needed to get your students’ writing jump started.”
Read Full Blog.
Report Back from the Schuylkill Action Network Annual Meeting
By Meghan Filoromo
The Schuylkill Action Network Annual Meeting on 11/16 was quite inspiring! SAN consists of over 300 members who are working together to promote and protect the Schuylkill River! See some of my notes, and find out how you can get involved.
Read Full Blog.
What Happens to Superfund Sites after a Superstorm?
By Meghan Filoromo
“This morning when I was about to head out the door, I caught an interesting (and alarming) story on Morning Edition on NPR.
What happens to Superfund sites after a Superstorm? A few weeks after Hurricane Sandy, many are worried about the toxic chemicals from nearby Superfund sites.”
Read Full Blog.
The Street Art of Stormwater Stencils
By Meghan Filoromo
“Far too frequently, people use storm drains as mini illegal dumping grounds. Stormwater drain marking projects are an amazing (and beautiful!) way to draw attention to these oft-neglected parts of the developed landscape.”
Read Full Blog.
New Feature: Guest Blogs from PA Master Naturalists!
Jul 20th
People throughout Pennsylvania are doing amazing things to protect and preserve our environment. We at GreenTreks always strive to share these stories with you — both in our documentaries and through our blog posts.
We are thrilled now to be able to share the experiences of two people going through the Pennsylvania Master Naturalist program!
The Pennsylvania Master Naturalist program is a growing, statewide initiative designed to train master volunteers to conduct conservation education and outreach, citizen science, and service in their communities. The Program emphasizes community-based conservation by forging vital partnerships among community members and local organizations through service activities. The Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education administers the Master Naturalist program.
Over the course of the next several weeks, Master Naturalists Donna and John will be guest-blogging on the GreenTreks blog. We hope you enjoy hearing about their work in our community!
Greening at School: a Learning Tool for Students, Community
Apr 27th
From US EPA Region 3 Press Office
(PHILADELPHIA – April 26, 2012) A $200,000 grant announced today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will help fund projects to make South Philadelphia’s George W. Nebinger School and surrounding streets greener and healthier.
EPA’s grant, with matching funding from the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) and the nonprofit Partnership for the Delaware Estuary (PDE), brings the total award to $400,000 that will go towards a host of green features at Nebinger School and the adjacent neighborhood. The projects are part of the city’s wide-ranging plan, Green City, Clean Waters, to control pollutant-laden stormwater that inundates the city’s sewer system and causes sewage overflows into area waterways. EPA and the City of Philadelphia signed a partnership agreement earlier this month to help ensure the success of the city’s plan. Continued below >>
For a look at what the Albert M. Greenfield in Center City has done as part of its Greening Greenfield Initiative, check out this video:
Green Schools: Albert Greenfield Elementary from GreenTreks Network on Vimeo.
“This grant will help the city realize the environmental, economic and community benefits of the Green City, Clean Waters plan,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “In controlling stormwater runoff, we’ll also be helping students appreciate ways of preventing pollution and creating cost-effective, high-performance green streets adjacent to the school.”
In addition to the benefits for Philadelphia, controlling stormwater runoff is critical for reducing pollution to the Delaware River and Bay – the focus of joint efforts by PDE, EPA, and PWD as part of the National Estuary Program. All three are now teaming up with the School District of Philadelphia to develop what is intended as a national and international model for stormwater management and educational programming at the Nebinger School. The school is located at 6th and Carpenter Street in South Philadelphia.
Efforts at the Nebinger School will focus on using green stormwater infrastructure as a classroom, field and laboratory tool, and demonstration opportunity for students and the community. The green tools that may be integrated into the design of the school yard include rain gardens, porous play surfaces and pavement, and stormwater planters. These features will help manage stormwater runoff from the school yard and select adjacent streets.
Several streets close to the Nebinger School have been chosen as potential Green Street projects based on critical connections they create between significant neighborhood amenities and businesses, such as the Weccacoe Playground and the business corridor on Passyunk Avenue between 6th and 10th streets, which is part of the Passyunk Business Improvement District. Green tools that may be integrated into these Green Streets include stormwater trees and tree trenches.
Officials said the project may provide an opportunity for Philadelphia students to collaborate with similar schools in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Philadelphia’s sister city in stormwater management. This collaboration is an extension of the Joint Initiative on Urban Sustainability (JUIS), a partnership among the U.S. EPA, Brazil’s Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the City of Rio de Janeiro, and the City of Philadelphia, which was formed to advance sustainable cities.
For more information on the Green City, Clean Waters plan and the EPA-city partnership, visit PWD’s website >>
EcoExpress.org Event on 3/29 is Free and Fun!
Mar 9th
ATTN Teachers, Educators, and Community Members:
EcoExpress.org Presents
Spring Into Science Education
Thursday, March 29, 2012, from 3 to 6pm
at the historic Laurel Hill Cemetery
(3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19132-1840)
The 2nd Annual Spring into Science Education is a FREE networking event and celebration for local educators and community members. This event has a lot to offer!
Highlights of Spring into Science Education include:
- The Premiere of the EcoExpress Documentary about the Overbrook Environmental Education Center
- Exhibits by Local Environmental and Science Education Organizations
- Hands-On Activity Demonstrations
- Refreshments
- Prizes
- And more!
Getting to the Laurel Hill Cemetery is easy! Located just off of 76 in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia, there is a free parking lot right on site for drivers. If you are taking public transportation, the 61 Bus runs from Center City to Laurel Hill. Or bike the Schuylkill River Trail directly to Laurel Hill.
Organizations participating in Spring into Science Education include Delaware Valley Green Building Council, Earth Force, Educational Advancement Alliance, Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, iPRAXIS, Laurel Hill Cemetery, Marmota Environmental Consulting, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia Science Festival, Project BioEyes, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Stroud Water Research Center with the Philadelphia Water Department, Take A Walk Books, and Weavers Way Community Programs.
While Spring into Science Education is a free event, attendance space is limited. Teachers, educators, and community members interested in attending are encouraged to register at EcoExpress.EventBrite.com.
Philly Hosts another Green Conference: Cities Alive
Oct 20th
Hot on the heels of the recent Low Impact Development Symposium at the Loews Hotel, Philly will host another flock of transformative thinkers the end of next month.
Cities Alive, the 9th annual Green Roof & Wall Conference, is coming to the City of Brotherly Love November 29-December 3, 2011.
This international event is co-hosted by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, the City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability, and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Why here, you ask? Check out the video from our friends at PHS for a few of the answers. All in all, we’d say this is just one more indication that Philadelphia is at the leading edge of the sustainability curve.
For More information visit Cities Alive.
