FRIDAY
FRIDAY 9:00 – 10:30
Friday, 9:00 Room: Outdoor Class - Meet outside Ballroom Grades: Pre-K - 8
Presenter:
Jeff Hoagland, Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association
Allison Jackson Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association
Who Lives There - An Outdoor Excursion
Join us on this inquiry-based outdoor exploration. In small teams, outside the
conference center, we will categorize and search for signs of animal life. We will
also examine the interdependent relationships within this habitat as well as the
challenges presented by winter. Dress for the outdoors – expect challenge and fun.
Friday 9:00
Presenter:
Room: Einstein
Grades: All and Facility Directors
John Henry, NJ School Boards Association
Jaimie Cloud Cloud Institute
What will it take to lead your district to a sustainable future?
In this session, John Henry of NJSBA and Jaimie Cloud of the Cloud Institute for
Sustainability Education will discuss their leadership development work with school
board members and other education leaders in NJ. What do staff and school board
members need to know and what do they need to be able to do in order to champion
green building initiatives.
Friday 9:00
Presenter:
Room: Madison
Grades: 6 – 12
Janice McDonnell, Rutgers University
Carrie Ferraro, Kristin Hunter Thomson, Josh Kohut, Oscar Schofield
Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (ICE)
How do you get middle and high school students excited about scientific inquiry?
Have them join a collaborative research team in Antarctica or the Arctic! Polar
Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (ICE) is a new NSF funded project designed
to develop opportunities for scientists and educators to work together to develop
and implement polar science projects that represent the NGSS core ideas, cross
cutting concepts and science practices. In this session, we will share lesson plans
and teaching strategies focused on using scientific data from the poles.
Friday 9:00 Room: Wilson
Grades: 6 – 12
Presenter:
Michele Bakacs, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County
Getting Youth Excited About Composting
Whether you have a school garden or not, incorporating composting into a
curriculum is a great way to teach kids about relationships in ecosystems, soil food
webs, the cycling of matter, and reducing waste. A sample lesson plan, getting youth
excited to compost, common pitfalls at schools, the basic concepts and supplies
needed to get started will be discussed.
Friday 9:00
Presenter:
Room: Stockton B
Grades: 6 – 12+
Mindy Voss, NJ Sea Grant
Diana Burich, NJ Sea Grant
Weather, Climate, and the Importance of Understanding Storm Surge
Research conducted throughout Sandy-impacted areas found that many residents
misunderstood the term “storm surge” and therefore did not fully grasp the severity
of flood warnings issued for their communities. During this workshop, participants
will learn about the weather conditions that cause storm surge and how to share
this knowledge with students through hands-on activities.
Friday 9:00
Presenter:
Room: 204
Grade: K – 12+
Becky Laboy, Ocean County Soil Conservation District
Karen Walzer, Barnegat Bay Partnership
Building the Foundation for a Native Plant Garden in the NJ Coastal Plain.
Healthy soil is the foundation for a healthy garden. Native NJ soils in the Coastal
Plain (central and south Jersey) are sandy, acidic and nutrient poor – a perfect
recipe for growing native plants. Get to know your soil and the beautiful native
plants that thrive in these conditions. Discover how to grow a healthy native plant
garden for your school or outdoor facility that can be used as an educational tool for
teaching about soil, plants and the ecosystem.
Friday 9:00 Room: 205
Grades: 4 - 8
Presenter:
Tim Grant, Green Teacher
Holistic Education for Grades 4 -8
To address the challenges of the 21st century, we need a model of education that
uses integrated, thematic learning to develop critical thinking and places value on
long-term outcomes such as environmental responsibility, community service and
active citizenship. After presenting guiding principles that promote this,
participants will have an opportunity to practice hands-on activities related to
topics such as bird migration, human food systems and ecological footprints. Free
copies of these activities will be provided.
Friday 9:00
Presenter:
Room: 206
Grades:
Kirsten Holt, Duke Farms
Clifford Berek, Manager of Volunteer Resources and others
Finding their Passions: The Keys to Maximizing Volunteers and Service-Based
Programs
Harnessing passions and maximizing your volunteer’s abilities is one of the most
difficult things for a non-profit organization to do. This workshop will introduce
you to different training methods and resources to maximize your organization’s
reach through happy and devoted volunteers so you can reach new audiences and
achieve your mission.
Friday 9:00 Room: 207
Grades: 6 – 12
Presenter:
William York, smallFEAT Education
Thinking Locally-Acting Globally: GenNXT Green News
Today students are using eco-journalism, community engagement, place-based
projects and service learning to think about local environmental issues. However,
with technology and social media, they are also peer consultants, mentors and
activists in countries outside their own. GenNXT Green News in Action connects
students here and abroad in this very way. Find out how!
FRIDAY 1:30 to 2:30
Friday 1:30
Presenter:
Room: Einstein
Grades: Pre-K – 12+
Heather McCall, Sustainable Jersey for Schools
Donna Drewes, Co Director, Sustainable Jersey and
Veronique Lambert, Program Coordinator, Sustainable Jersey for
Schools
Sustainable Jersey for Schools: Roadmaps & Resources for Whole School EE
Sustainable Jersey for Schools (SJS) is a voluntary and free certification program for
public and charter schools. In the first program year, SJS has awarded over $500K in
small grants and certified 59 schools. Find out how you can take advantage of this
program’s technical and financial resources to support your environmental
education goals.
Friday 1:30
Presenter:
Room: Madison
Grades: 6 – 12
Janice McDonnell
Carrie Ferraro, Kristin Hunter Thomson, Josh Kohut, Oscar Schofield
Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (ICE)
How do you get middle and high school students excited about scientific inquiry?
Have them join a collaborative research team in Antarctica or the Arctic! Polar
Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (ICE) is a new NSF funded project designed
to develop opportunities for scientists and educators to work together to develop
and implement polar science projects that represent the NGSS core ideas, cross
cutting concepts and science practices. In this session, we will share lesson plans
and teaching strategies focused on using scientific data from the poles.
Friday 1:30
Presenter:
Room: Wilson
Grades: Adults
Roberta H. Hunter, Rutgers University
KANP: Using Problem-based Learning for Water Quality Professional
Development.
This workshop describes a recent PD program - Knowledge and Action on Non-point
Pollution (KANP). KANP uses PBL to help educators develop an understanding of
nonpoint-source water pollution. Over 7 sessions, participants work collaboratively
to create an action plan for a coastal lake in the fictional town of Bayburg.
Friday 1:30 Room: Stockton B Grades: Pre-K through 5
Presenter:
Jared Rosenbaum, Wild Ridge Plants, LLC
The Puddle Garden: Native Plant Ecology and Gardening for Children
Integrate native plants and wildlife into school gardens and curriculum through the
medium of the children's book The Puddle Garden. The author will discuss plant
ecology and selection, welcoming pollinators, garden creation, and habitat-related
curriculum.
Friday 1:30
Presenter:
Room: 204
Grades: K-12
Brittany Musolino, Stony Brook Millstone Watershed
Association/River friendly Coordinator
Lauren Theis, Julie Blanco, Aaron Schomburg
River-Friendly Schools Program: Connecting Students to Our Waters
Learn about the River-Friendly Schools Certification Program, expanding rapidly
among schools throughout the Raritan Basin. Hear from program coordinators and
school representatives who have been through the certification process.
Presentations will be accompanied by a hands-on activity to give you many great
ideas for making your classroom River-Friendly!
Friday 1:30 Room: 205
Grades: 6 – 12+
Presenter:
Jared Flesher, The Creature Show
The Creature Show: Employing Narrative Documentary Storytelling to Engage
Students
The Creature Show is a multimedia environmental resource available free to all New
Jersey educators at www.creatureshow.com. Each documentary-style episode tells
the story of a threatened or endangered species in New Jersey. Creature Show
director Jared Flesher will screen an episode about the federally threatened
Northern-long eared bat, and then discuss the potential of documentary storytelling
to excite and inspire students.
Friday 1:30 Room: 206
Grades: K – 12
Presenter:
Julie Karavan, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Joining the JOIDES: A Partnership with Scientists at Sea
Engage in science in search of earth's secrets! Explore beneath the ocean floor with
the Joides Resolution, a seagoing research vessel that drills core samples. Join the
JOIDES online to engage students in science, literacy and technology through Skype
sessions with scientists, tours and games, art projects, and hands-on experiments.
Friday 1:30 Room: 207
Grades: 6 – 12+
Presenter:
Bill Sciarappa, Rutgers University – NJAES
Using On-line Technology to Educate and Activate Students and Adults
This session will highlight using on-line tools and video technology to inform and
excite volunteerism in environmental education. Projects focus on water
conservation and storm water management using rain barrels, rain gardens and
living shorelines. Experienced educators and community activists will dialogue on
successful approaches problems and connecting with community supporters.
FRIDAY 3:00 to 4:00
Friday 3:00 Room: Einstein
Grades: 9 – 12+Administrators
Presenter:
Robert Evangelista, Rowen College at Burlington County
Rapid In-Vessel Composting of Cafeteria Food Waste
Currently, approximately 5% of food waste is recycled. Most of the remaining food
waste ends up in a landfill, anaerobically degrades to methane---a potent
greenhouse gas, and escapes into the atmosphere. Rowen College at Burlington
County has begun to aerobically recycle its food wastes into compost. We are
developing a process to safely and quickly make the transition from waste to valueadded-product.
Friday 3:00 Room: Madison
Grades: 6 - 12
Presenter:
Melanie Reding
Ocean Literacy Through a National Coastal & Estuarine Science Curriculum
Discover and explore NOAA’s Estuaries 101 Curriculum created for students and
teachers throughout the nation to become more ocean literate through increasing
their knowledge of coastal and estuarine science and how estuaries affect their daily
lives. Resources and lessons provided during this fun hands-on workshop.
Friday 3:00 Room: Wilson
Grades: 6 - 8
Presenter:
John Volpa
Hands-on Human Ecology and Geography for the Next Generation
Discover interdisciplinary activities to explore global population trends, carrying
capacity, human impacts on environment systems and paths to sustainability.
Engage in memorable lessons designed to meet the Next Generation Science
Standards and NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards.
Friday 3:00
Presenter:
Room: Stockton B
Grades: 6 – 12+
Mindy Voss, NJ Sea Grant
Diana Burich, NJ Sea Grant
Weather, Climate, and the Importance of Understanding Storm Surge
Research conducted throughout Sandy-impacted areas found that many residents
misunderstood the term “storm surge” and therefore did not fully grasp the severity
of flood warnings issued for their communities. During this workshop, participants
will learn about the weather conditions that cause storm surge and how to share
this knowledge with students through hands-on activities.
Friday 3:00
Presenter:
Room: 204
Grades: K-12
Brittany Musolino
Lauren Theis, Julie Blanco, Aaron Schomburg
River-Friendly Schools Program: Connecting Students to Our Waters
Learn about the River-Friendly Schools Certification Program, expanding rapidly
among schools throughout the Raritan Basin. Hear from program coordinators and
school representatives who have been through the certification process.
Presentations will be accompanied by a hands-on activity to give you many great
ideas for making your classroom River-Friendly!
Friday 3:00 Room: 205
Grades: Adults
Presenter:
Kathleen Farley, Tenafly Nature Center
Effective Engagement Strategies for the Next-Generation of Adult Nature
Lovers
Workshop will give a brief history of adult involvement in nature/environmental
advocacy to more effectively engage adults in supporting conservation and nature
through participation in nature-related events and being supportive of
environmental programming and legislation. The presentation will outline a
strategy for effectively marketing messages tailored to adults.
Friday 3:00 Room: 206
Grades: K - 8
Presenter:
Julie Karavan, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
4-H Private Eye
4-H Private Eye incorporates engineering, art and science. Youth observe the
natural world and develop analogies and instruments to explore significant species;
discovering how scientists “spy” on nature. Participants interact with Rutgers
scientists learning about the importance of oysters, horseshoe crab conservation
efforts and the plight of the Monarch Butterfly.
Friday 3:00 Room: 207
Grades: all
Presenter:
Marc Rogoff
Skywatching – An Introduction to Looking Up!
This workshop introduces the novice sky-watcher to the pleasures of looking up!
Learn tips, tricks, and stories of what you see, how best to see, and where to go to
see the best the sky has to offer. Make a sky map to take outdoors any evening.
FRIDAY 4:15 to 5:15
Friday 4:15
Presenter:
Room: Einstein
Grades: Pre-K - 12
John Henry, Sustainable Schools Specialist and LEED Green Associate,
NJ School Board Association
NJ's Green Program of Study: Preparing High School Students for Green
Careers
In several NJ schools, students will graduate high school in 2016 in the Green
Program of Study for Sustainable Design, Construction and Energy. This five-year
program is aimed at expanding educational options that prepare students for highdemand careers in our emerging green economy. The program links high school
with collegiate study, advanced training and apprenticeships to prepare students for
a variety of green careers. NJ was one of five states selected by the US Department of
Education in 2009 to participate in the development of a five-year green program of
study.
Friday 4:15
Presenter:
Room: Madison
Grades: 6 - 12
Melanie Reding, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research
Reserve
Ocean Literacy Through a National Coastal & Estuarine Science Curriculum
Discover and explore NOAA’s Estuaries 101 Curriculum created for students and
teachers throughout the nation to become more ocean literate through increasing
their knowledge of coastal and estuarine science and how estuaries affect their daily
lives. Resources and lessons provided during this fun hands-on workshop.
Friday 4:15
Presenter:
Room: Wilson
Grades:
Lauren Madden, The College of New Jersey
Eileen Heddy, Jeff Passe, Louise Ammentorp, Marissa Capobianco
Environmental Sustainability Education at TCNJ
We will present an overview of the environmental sustainability education efforts at
TCNJ and engage in a hands-on activity using multiple sources data to explain claims
about climate change.
Friday 4:15 Room: 205
Grades: 9 - 12
Presenter:
John W. Eppensteiner III
Teaching Sustainability and Social Justice: A Resource for Educators
This session reviews a resource that educators can use to deliver a semester-long
class on environmental and social sustainability. The resource includes lesson
plans, lectures, and projects designed to impart an understanding of current and
future environmental issues and the implications those issues have on human health
and well-being.
SATURDAY
SATURDAY 10:15 – 11:15
Saturday 10:15
Room: Einstein
Grades: 9 – 12+
Presenter:
Jim Cummings, Director of Experiential Learning/UrbanTrekkers
Plus teen student presenters from the UrbanPromise Academy & the
Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium, Cheronda Frazier
– Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium, Joey Rodriguez
– Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium, Kourtney de la
Cruz – UrbanPromise Academy
Urban Youth embracing Urban Rivers-Knowledge, Stewardship, Advocacy
Camden teens from the Center for Aquatic Sciences and UrbanPromise Ministries
continue their partnership as they further their knowledge and advocacy in
protecting and caring for the watershed of the Delaware River and its tributaries.
They will demonstrate the ways in which they are changing behavior through action
and experience.
Saturday 10:15
Room: Madison
Grades: K – 12+
Presenter:
Katrinka Somdahl-Sands, NJ Geographic Alliance
Christopher Ale
Running a Modified BioBlitz on Your School Grounds
A BioBlitz is an event that celebrates the ecological diversity that exists in our
students’ everyday lives. These events are biological field study programs that
incorporate fun and active participation. We have designed our BioBlitz to be run on
school grounds, to familiarize students with animal and plant life at an intimate
level. This workshop will give you the tools to run our modified BioBlitz introducing
students to biology, ecology, and species variation.
Saturday 10:15
Room: Wilson
Grades: 6-12
Presenter:
Laura McCluskey, Parsippany Hills High School
Think Locally: How to Encourage Environmental Stewardship in Teenagers.
This workshop will focus on high school environmental science lab activities that
have been successful in raising student interest in environmental issues. The secret
ingredient will be reveal during the workshop session. Take aways include the lab
activities that will be ready to use as soon as you return to school. No expensive
equipment or unusual materials required.
Saturday 10:15
Room: Stockton B Grades: K - adult
Presenter:
Tim Grant, Green Teacher
Learning about Invasive Species
Nothing unites a community more than dealing with an invader in one’s backyard.
Apart from examining the challenges of teaching young people about invasive
species, we’ll briefly explore programs and hands-on activities that exemplary
educators from across North America have used with great success. Then we’ll try a
few activities.
Saturday 10:15
Room: 204
Grade: 6 - 8
Presenter:
Pat Rector, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Dan Ross
Updating Rain Garden Handbook – How did we do?
Updating the Rain Garden Handbook for New Jersey Student Education is underway
and this interactive workshop enables participants to join the process. One module
(Rain Garden) has been updated to the NGSS but let’s take it apart, see how it was
done and how to do it better!
Saturday, 10:15
Room: 205
Grades: K - 12
Presenter:
Missy Holzer, Chatham High School
The Language of Science: Using Science Talk in a Classroom and in the Field
In this session participants will be introduced to the language of science as
presented in the classroom and supported by NGSS practices. Key gradeappropriate terms and how to support student engagement in these terms will be
shared.
Saturday 10:15
Room: 206
Grades: 9 - adult
Presenter:
Catie Tobin, Clean Ocean Action
Applying Citizen Science to Help Solve Problems in the Microplastics World
Many studies have pointed to the value of collaborations between researchers and
volunteers, often termed “citizen scientists.” Clean Ocean Action’s Beach Sweeps
Program and microplastics research are just two examples of ways in which
volunteers can get involved in citizen science.
Saturday 10:15
Room: 207
Grades: 6-12
Presenter:
Liz Jackson, NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife
Alanna Newmark, NJDEP Division of Fish & Wildlife
HOFNOD: Strategies for Creating Youth Fishing Clubs
Hooked on Fishing- Not on Drugs; a youth-centered education program designed to
teach about fishing, and aquatic natural resources as a deterrent to drug and alcohol
abuse. This session provides ideas for creating/enhancing your youth fishing club,
models selected activities and highlights specifications of eligibility for funding
through NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife.
SATURDAY 11:30 to 12:30
Saturday 11:30
Room: Einstein
Grades:
Presenter:
Tanya Sulikowski, Duke Farms
Damon Lofton, KidsOutdoors , Jill Comerchero, Barack Obama Green
Charter High School and teen representatives of TALON.
Engaging the Urban Teen Community: The TALON Program
The TALON (Teen Action & Leadership Opportunities for Nature) program is a
collaborative effort between Duke Farms, the Barack Obama Green Charter High
School and KidsOutdoors. Learn how TALON is designed to engage high school
students from underrepresented socioeconomic and ethnic groups in an intensive
program in conservation biology that builds personal connections with the natural
world through hands-on field experiences.
Saturday 11:30
Room: Madison
Grades: K – 12+
Presenter:
Katrinka Somdahl-Sands
Christopher Ale
Running a Modified BioBlitz on Your School Grounds
A BioBlitz is an event that celebrates the ecological diversity that exists in our
students’ everyday lives. These events are biological field study programs that
incorporate fun and active participation. We have designed our BioBlitz to be run on
school grounds, to familiarize students with animal and plant life at an intimate
level. This workshop will give you the tools to run our modified BioBlitz introducing
students to biology, ecology, and species variation.
Saturday 11:30
Room: Wilson
Grades: K - 12
Presenter:
Jeff Hoagland, Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association
Going with the Flow – The Changing World of Stream Field Trips
This presentation and group discussion examines the changing landscape of stream
field trips. We will start with a familiar field trip at the heart of the mission the Stony
Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, How Clean is Your Stream. We will examine
the evolutionary pressure of the Next Generation Science Standards, and discuss
what others in the room are doing to address NGSS.
Saturday 11:30
Room: Stockton B
Grades: K -adult
Presenter:
Katharine Jaworski, Rider University and New Jersey School Boards
Association
Melissa Greenburg, Rider University Sustainability Manager and LEED
GA
Sustainability in Higher Ed: Integration from Classrooms and Offices to K-12
Rider University is a small private college that despite its size still manages to make
huge strides in sustainability. In this session, the programs and practices that led
Rider to be named the one of the greenest schools in NJ will be discussed.
Particularly, the Sustainability Symposium for high school students and teachers.
Learn how to green your school, and how solving sustainable issues connects to
“Crosscutting Concepts” of the Next Generation Science Standards.
Saturday 11:30
Room: 204
Grades: ALL
Presenter:
Tanya Oznowich, Environmental Education Supervisor, NJDEP
Anne Galli, ANJEE Advocate, Retired EE Professional
EE Evolution: The Building of EE Capacity at Federal and State Levels
How does the new federal “Every Student Succeeds Act” support environmental
education (EE) delivery? What other federal bills can advance EE and nature study?
What statewide organizations and programs are currently advancing EE in New
Jersey schools and informal settings? Participants will learn about how the State’s
capacity to deliver EE is evolving with increasing support for sustainability, STEM,
stewardship and green practices. Participants will also discuss and help shape how
ANJEE, New Jersey’s leader in environmental literacy, can help meet the needs of its
members in 2016 and beyond.
Saturday 11:30
Room: 205
Grades: K - 8
Presenter:
Linda Burroughs, TCNJ
Bird’s Nest Engineering
Birds have developed extraordinary methods in meeting environmental demands
for nesting and chick survival. Their nest engineering lends itself well to teaching
Design Portfolios, natural materials and critical thinking. An appreciation for using
environmental materials to enhance survival will be demonstrated. Participants
work to match these skills.
SATURDAY 1:45 – 2:45
Saturday 1:45
Room: Einstein
Grades: K-8
Presenter:
Susan Lewicki
Engineering to Do Nothing: Student Models for Passive Solar Design
Sustainability of the built environment is a natural application of E-STEM lessons!
Join in this hands-on program using small box models to explore passive solar
design. We’ll investigate the Sun’s path through the seasons, look at natural home
lighting, and modify our models to engineer a better building.
Saturday 1:45
Room: Madison
Grades: k- adult
Presenter:
Nicole Esposito, Cora Hartshorn Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary
Scouting, Environmental Education and Self-Led Learning
As scouting requirements have been changing, how can we best adapt? In this
hands-on workshop, explore how Inquiry-based learning leads Scouts to make their
own decisions while increasing students’ critical thinking skills through your
expertise and learn how to build an effective lesson plan.
Saturday 1:45
Room: Wilson
Grades: K-8
Presenter:
Marc Rogoff
Extinct New Jersey
Dinosaurs, mammoths and sharks…Oh My! Examine native wildlife from the past!
Free fossils for all participants.
Saturday 1:45
Room: Stockton B Grades: K - adult
Presenter:
Tim Grant, Green Teacher
Teaching the Greatest Challenge of Them All: Climate Change
The presenter will share his “four dimensions of climate change” that enable youth
educators to properly frame the issue, and then introduce a variety of hands-on
activities that help young people understand the causes and consequences and take
action in their communities. Handouts will be provided.
Saturday 1:45
Room: 204
Grades: Adult
Presenter:
John Volpa
Connecting Outdoor Recreation, Sustainable Open Spaces, and Volunteerism.
This session reviews a resource that educators can use to deliver a semester-long
class on environmental and social sustainability. The resource includes lesson
plans, lectures, and projects designed to impart an understanding of current and
future environmental issues and the implications those issues have on human health
and well-being.
Saturday 1:45
Room: 205
Grades: Pre-k – 12+
Presenter:
Christa Wood, Somerset County Park Commission
Vanessa Darras, Somerset County Park Commission
Missy Holzer, Chatham High School
Biomimicry: An Introduction
After being introduced to the topic of biomimicry and how it is used by scientists,
engineers and designers, participants will engage in a hands-on activity employing
this concept. Ideas on how biomimicry can be incorporated into STEM lessons,
programs and classrooms will be shared and discussed.
Saturday 1:45
Room: 206
Grades:
Presenter:
Paul J. Kurtz, NJ Department of Agriculture
Invasive Species: Impacts on the Ecosystem and the Cost of Global Economy
An overview of invasive species in different ecosystems across the animal kingdom.
The lecture will discuss colonialization and global economies and how these human
actions have led to unwanted pests in the rural, suburban and urban landscapes of
the United States. It will also address the response to non-native threats and the
opportunities for new jobs in science for future students.