Packing Slip 
item |
A Learning Experience With National Wildlife federation's Utah Conservation Summit |
contact |
Ronald Dinchak (Mesa Community College) ronald.dinchak@mcmail.maricopa.edu |
college(s) |
Mesa Community College |
discipline(s) |
Life Science |
summary |
I participated in the National Wildlife Federations Utah Conservation Summit located at Snowbird, Utah. |
details |
I participated in the National Wildlife Federations Utah Conservation Summit located at Snowbird, Utah. The activities occurred from July 1 to July 8, 2006. All days involved outdoor field activities which included: 1. Avian studies of Little +Big Cottonwood Canyons 2. Flora of the Wasatch Mountains 3. Alpine Ecology 4. Riparian experiences of the Weber River 5. Service Project - Creating a Wildlife Habitat - Half Day indoor classes included: 1. Digital Photography 2. Bear Ecology 3. Mountain Lion and wolf Ecology 4. Mammal Tracking 5. Environmental Literature I introduce my students,especially in Natural History(BIO109) to the art of bird watching and the ecological significane of riparian communities. Being with a professional ornithoogist, Brette Griffin, was a great experience for me. Plant photographs of the alpine and mountain ecsystems will be a great improvement to what we are currently using in BIO 105 Mountain lion and wolf ecology were presented by Dr. James Halfpenny, who has worked with carnivores his entire career. We learned about the amazing physiology of these species and how they are interacting with humans. The numerous nature hikes and riparian studies brought together basic ecological and environmental principles. I took numerous photographs for classroom use and sharing with colleagues. Very useful information was obtained from mammal tracking, digital cameras, and green concepts. I will use this information in the classroom, for the Environmental Action Club and share it with colleagues. Facts on the affects of pesticide usage and habitat fragmentation are useful in explaining the current status of our planet. Finally, my involvement in a service project, creating a wildlife habitat, reinforced my commitment to this important activity. During our MCC intersession, I teach a class for education majors, in which we focus on creating a school yard habitat. I also do a similar activity in BIO 109 Natural History of the Southwest. By helping in this project I've learned more about organizing and installation of such projects. Learning about the array of children's nature literature and meeting Lynn Cheery(author of 30 such books) will asist me as I network withM.C.C. education majors. ------------------------------------------------------------ Outcomes: In a paragraph or two describe what worked well. Did you accomplish your objective(s)? Were you able to complete your summer project as written? If not, what did you modify and why? What did not go as well as expected, if anything? Were there any surprises? Note: Use the questions as guides for your outcomes. Do not include detailed list of workshops attended, speakers who presented, or a list of items you have seen, heard, or read. ------------------------------------------------------------ The conference was excellent. I was able to accomplish my goals and then some. 1. I made contacts with professional biologists, i.e., Breete Griffin, Dr. James Halfpenny, and Children's nature author, Lynn Cherry and will network with them if necessary. 2. I obtained valuable information to take back to my MCC students and fellow faculty. I will incorporate some of this information in BIO 105 Environmental Biology, BIO 109/110 Natural History of the Southwest and present it to MCC Environmenal Action Club. 3. Visual aids, i.e., digital photographs, videos, and handouts I obtained from this conference will be used in the classroom and shared with colleagues. ------------------------------------------------------------ Professional Growth: Your own professional growth is a large part of your project. Your professional growth is important to you, your students, your college, and possibly other colleagues. How did project affect you professionally? What skills did you learn? What environments were you working in and how might your summer project influence your teaching or other responsibilities? Did you gain a different perspective? Was it professionally valuable for you? ------------------------------------------------------------ The Utah NWF Summit was perfect for my teaching assignments at MCC. I am lead teacher in BIO 105 and actively improving curriculum in Environmental Biology and Natural History. During this conference I was able to personally experience the alpine ecology ecosystem, riparian ecosystems, and other field events that I can share with students and colleagues. Nothing like experiencing nature first hand. I will be able to relate from real experiences. From these experiences I've earned a deeper appreciation for these ecosystems. The project was extremely valuable to me. Additionally, I was personally involved in the installation of a wildlife habitat and exposed to three classes on very specific landscape scenarios. This will aid my community and K-12 outreach at MCC dealing with landscaping the Southwest. ------------------------------------------------------------ Dissemination: How will you share this information with your colleagues, department, students, or college? ------------------------------------------------------------ 1. To the Students: The slides I took and the information gathered will be delivered to students in BIO 109, BIO 110 (Natural History); BIO 105 (Environmental Biology); and the MCC Environmental Action Club. 2. To Biology Faculty: I will provide any faculty member access to the photographs and written information I obtained. 3. Biological specimens, i.e. scat, will be used in the classroom for hands on experiences for our students. Note! As a professional courtesy to the owner of this package, if you use some aspect of this package or have some thoughts about it, please share your feedback via the comments form below. |
web links |
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/fpg/ |
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extra |
Last modified: Sep-20-2006 Date created: Sep-20-2006 Visitor count: 2317 Dublin Core Metadata record  This package is included in the Faculty Professional Growth Summer Project Reports special collection. |
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