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Discover the Flyway
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DTF Teacher Workshop
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Marsh Madness
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Nature Bowl
The Yolo Basin Foundation understands that teachers bear, in large part, the responsibility of building the foundation that our children will need to become well rounded, original thinkers who can make a difference in the world they live in. Therefore our environmental education programs have been geared with the ease of the teacher in mind.
The program goals are:
- Awareness: to help people acquire an awareness and sensitivity to the natural environment and the interactions which occur in the Wildlife Area.
- Knowledge: to provide a variety of experiences in and acquire a basic understanding of the environment in the Wildlife Area, including how it works, how it is managed, and what plants and animals live there.
- Attitude: to help students understand the value of the natural environment and to motivate them to actively participate in environmental improvement and protection; to see positive examples of how wildlife habitat can coexist with agriculture and surrounding urban area.
- Skills: to help acquire the tools for identifying, understanding, and solving environmental problems.
- Participation: to provide an opportunity to be involved with Wildlife Area restoration activities, and with the resolution of environmental problems in the community.
- Impact: to provide a format for the public to enjoy the Wildlife Area with minimal impact on its wildlife residents.
The Discover the Flyway school program is an education outreach program
which includes teacher workshops, classroom field trips and
volunteer training sessions. The program focuses on hands-on,
interactive learning experiences for K-12 students that create
a connection 
between ecological processes and the Yolo Wildlife Area. Yolo
Basin Foundation trains hundreds of teachers and hosts over
4,000 students and parents annually, predominantly from Sacramento,
Yolo and Solano counties.
Discover the Flyway school
programs are designed with the busy teacher schedule in mind.
All program activities correlate to the California State standards
for science enabling teachers to incorporate a field trip
to the Yolo Wildlife Area into their daily curriculum.
Before bringing students on a Discover the Flyway field
trip, teachers attend a one time only Discover the Flyway
Teacher Workshop, where they are given the materials needed
for a successful and education packed field trip experience.
All field trips are facilitated and directed by highly trained
Yolo Basin staff, interns and volunteers leaving teachers
free to experience the field trip with their students.
2011-2012 Discover the Flyway School Field Trips
Please read the following carefully:
- We are not yet accepting reservations for the 2011-2012 school year. Please check back soon!
- Field trips can be booked for a maximum of 40 students.
- At least one teacher per field trip date needs to attend a Discover the Flyway Teacher Workshop
prior to bringing classes on a field trip in the program.
- Adult chaperones are required. (1 adult for every 10 students required; 1 adult per 5 students strongly suggested.)
- Field trips run Tuesdays-Fridays, from approximately 9:00am-1:30/2:00pm.
- A $6.00 per student donation to assist with program expenses is requested for field trips.
- Transportation funding assistance may be available to Title 1 schools through the Transportation Mini-Grant Program.
The Yolo Wildlife Area, located in the Yolo Bypass adjacent to Interstate 80, is an exciting teaching resource. Completion of the workshop offers teachers staff support and use of field equipment for classroom field trips. This program is a great way to interest students and help them appreciate and understand the natural world. The program will focus on a thematic approach to integrating reading and writing with wildlife, science, and natural resources conservation.
Who should attend: K-12 educators interested in bringing their students on a Discover the Flyway field trip must take a workshop before they can bring their class. The workshop is also directed towards educators interested in learning to teach students about wetlands, wildlife and human history in the Central Valley. Teachers must attend the entire workshop in order to fulfill the requirement to schedule a field trip.
What is this workshop about? It familiarizes teachers with wetland habitats in the context of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area and provides suggestions and lessons for hands-on learning. Activities are tied to state teaching standards for science and social studies, and focus on the plants, birds, soils and wetland habitats of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, using the Demonstration Wetlands as an outdoor classroom. Activities covering Social Science for 3rd, 4th and 5th grades are also offered.
Where is it held? The workshop will be held at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area Headquarters in south Davis (45211 County Road 32B/Chiles Road). Outdoor activities will be held in the Demonstration Wetlands and the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area.
When is it? There will be two workshops for this fall: August 13th and September 17th. Registrations begin at 8:00 am, and the program runs from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. You need only attend one day.
What is the cost and what is included? The cost is $30.00. It includes a continental breakfast and lunch, workshop materials, and a guided carpooling tour of the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area.
How do I register? Contact Ann Burris, Education Coordinator, at (530) 758-1018 or aburris@yolobasin.org.
What teachers who have attended say:
- "I was able to see the different learning activities and fit them to my classes needs." (2nd grade teacher, Sacramento)
- "I felt that it was well organized and presented. My time was well spent!"" (3rd grade teacher, Davis)
- "A five. Very useful! The workshop was well done in that I was able to experience first hand all the wonderful activities that my students would be experiencing. The GL standards tied to the activities of the trip and organized in a nice binder made planning that much easier." (4th grade teacher, West Sacramento)
Teacher Workshop Information and Registration Forms will be available week of July 18th.
The Yolo Basin Foundation and the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) co-host Marsh Madness Youth Days for under-served elementary schools with limited resources in both metropolitan and rural areas. Each Marsh Madness Day brings 60 students to a public area near their community to spend the day learning about wetlands, wildlife, and conservation.
The students receive small group instruction and hands-on experience identifying birds, searching for signs of animal life, examining pond water, studying wetland plants, and much more. Their day includes discussions about conservation, hunting, and other outdoor issues. Following a lunch that features samples of wetland foods, the students play a Marsh Makers activity that ties together the lessons of the morning. During the activity, students role play as special interest groups and learn the challenges of creating a wetland. The activity emphasizes partnerships, finances, the food web, consumptive use, and other issues that promote critical thinking and decision-making skills. Buses and a barbecue lunch are provided by CWA. Ten to 12 volunteer naturalists are on hand to assist throughout the event. Other partners with CWA also include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the Sacramento Zoo.
If you are interested in volunteering to help with
a Marsh Madness Youth Day, or know a school that should be
considered for this program in the greater Sacramento area,
please feel free to contact the education
department at CWA.
Check the CREEC
website for more information about Marsh Madness.
Nature Bowl is a cooperative team competition for all 3rd through 6th grade students sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Game, California Waterfowl Association, California State University Sacramento SCATS, American River Natural History Association, American River Nature Center, Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Placer Nature Center, Sacramento Zoo, and the Yolo Basin Foundation. This engaging event introduces students to environmental issues, reinforces key concepts, increases critical thinking skills, and encourages student involvement in community conservation efforts. The competitive aspect of the event is de-emphasized so all students feel comfortable, achieve success in learning, and enjoy the activities.
Each school that participates can have teams of three to seven students in two divisions: 3rd through 4th and 5th through 6th grades. Each half-day session stresses teamwork, creativity and critical thinking. Students take part in activities such as Nature Investigations, Nature Relay, Team Problems, Bell-Ringers, Enviro-mercials and Nature Games.
Coaches can be parents or teachers
and orientation sessions are generally scheduled in December
and January of each year. Semi-finals events are conducted
in the Spring with the final competition being held at California
State University Sacramento in the late Spring. For additional
information and registration materials please contact Jennifer Tolman,
Coastal Region Education Coordinator of the California Waterfowl Association, at 916-648-1406.
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