Discover the Flyway | DTF Teacher Workshop | 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.

Yolo Basin Foundation trains hundreds of teachers and hosts over 4,000 students and parents annually from Sacramento, Yolo, El Dorado and Solano counties.

Discover the Flyway school programs are designed with the busy teacher schedule in mind. All 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 them with their students.
• Field trips are conducted Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m, and last four hours.
• Field Trips can be booked for a maximum of 40 students. Additional numbers may be able to be accommodated but must be approved by Flyway staff.
• Chaperones: one adult for every ten students required, and one adult per five students strongly suggested.
• Cost: A $7.00 per student donation is requested to assist with program expenses.
• Transportation funding assistance may be available to Title 1 schools through the Transportation Mini-Grant Program. Please fill out the application (click the link below), then click the SUBMIT button on the top right-hand corner of the form. If you have any problems doing so, please contact Ann Burris at aburris@yolobasin.org. Download: Transportation Mini-Grant Application
• To register for a field trip, please contact Ann Burris for available dates (aburris@yolobasin.org or 530-758-1018).

The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, located between Davis and Sacramento 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.

When are the workshops? There will be two workshops for Fall 2011: September 17th and October 8th. Registration begins at 8:00 am, and each workshop runs from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. Teachers need only attend one of the workshops to fulfill the requirement to schedule a field trip.

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.

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? To register for a workshop, please download the following writable pdf form, enter your information, and save to your desktop. To send, click the "submit" button on the top right corner of the form, or manually email as an attachment to aburris@yolobasin.org.

Download: Workshop Registration Form

Questions? 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)

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 Corky Quirk, at 530-902-1918.