Conservation Education Council Updates

July 2015 - The Intertwine Alliance Portland-Vancouver Regional Eco-Blitz Series is a multi-partner effort to establish ongoing species-identification events throughout the region, and to make the data collected easily accessible through iNaturalist. The series aims to raise awareness of biodiversity; generate appreciation of natural resources; establish a shared effort among science professionals, educators and the general public; and create a shared database of regional species and natural resources. The first event is set for Saturday, September 26, at Vancouver Lake. 

June 2015 --The Intertwine Alliance held its third Health and Nature Forum on June 11. With about 65 people in attendance, we rolled up our sleeves and dug into the possibility of creating collaborative projects. There was enormous enthusiasm and interest, with many new voices joining the rich conversations.

Because this work could encompass so many efforts, we spent the bulk of our time in break-out sessions looking at potential projects in the areas of workplace wellness, the transformation of school properties, the medical-environmental connection, bike and pedestrian-related projects, and directly connecting with nature through hiking, restoration and education. 

We examined activities currently taking place in our region and whether they might be expandable. Discussion also took into consideration barriers to these efforts, especially equity-related issues.

At the fall forum, we will take this discussion to the next level, beginning to flesh out a plan for implementation of a specific project or projects. 

March 10, 2014 | Portland, OR -- The Portland Children's Museum has announced that the official open of its innovative Outdoor Adventure area will be Earth Day, April 22nd.

Staff say that transforming the 1.3 acres of previously unused space on the museum's grounds into an ADA-accessible natural play area will be a wonderful introduction to nature play for the thousands of children that annually visit the museum.

Among the features of the nature play area will be a monumental natural material sculpture from internationally renowned artist Patrick Dougherty.

Visit the museum website for more information.

As captured by volunteer Dara Snyder.

The last Office Hours were hosted by the City of Vancouver's Water Resources Education Center onJanuary, 25th, 2013.

An opportunity to examine and exchange ideas regarding the most pressing issues arising from efforts individual education providers are undertaking. Topics covered include:

• a program’s overall evaluation strategy,
• data interpretation methods and
• program evaluation and refinement.

This is a productive space for dialogue and to have the provider community’s work examined by experts who act as coaches as well as teachers, as well as by conservation education peers in the field. An engaging roundtable, the ‘Evaluators’ Office Hours’ event accepts up to 12 participants, by prior arrangement. A dozen has proved over the past 5 meetings to be an optimal number of participants to balance participation and learning from the experience and perspectives of others. This event serves to re-ignite the provider community’s enthusiasm for their program delivery and inspire confidence and direction in all the work unfolding in the field.

The relevant topics and related concepts that were discussed include:

Evaluation Strategies

• Learn to demonstrate measurable differences as a result of program implementation/participation.
• Review and compare different measurement tools (such as Likert scales, proficiency scales and rubrics); engage in hands-on reviews of your own instrument (optional) as well as those of other roundtable participants.
• Refine and align your instruments to measure and extract the most relevant and compelling information. Engage in discussion around how to capture changes for participants that occur, even at a very subtle level. Examine sample questions and determine how to fine-tune them to be more aligned with program goals and needs.
• Review relevant concepts such as: pilot testing, pre and post- tests, triangulation, control groups, sampling methods, quantitative and qualitative methods, identifying evaluators, and the application of evaluation models such as Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels and Bennett’s Hierarchy of Program Effectiveness.

Data Interpretation

• Explore different ways of measuring and reflecting change, be they qualitative or quantitative (color coding; adjusting instruments to demonstrate change more clearly), as well as how to demonstrate the most subtle shifts that have occurred as a result of program implementation.
•  Examine the strengths and weaknesses of your instrument.

Program Evaluation & Refinement

• Learn how to engage with current challenges in order to support program objectives and goals.
• Learn how to better align program implementation with meeting internal goals as well as goals of funders and other stakeholders.
• Network and tune in to the resources that you can tap into- those that the facilitators are aware of as well as the ideas of others at the table! Explore possibilities of strategically linking your work to established programs in order to access additional resources and streamline your efforts.

Next Evaluators’ Office Hours will take place in May, 2013. Interested in supporting this event? Location sponsors are needed that can host an evening meeting on a Friday afternoon. Please email the Conservation Education Council here to express your availability.

The Outreach and Engagement committee is working to strengthen the network of traditional and non-traditional conservation education providers, identifying tools that would allow providers to share resources and best practices, and supporting direct communication from the Conservation Education council to the network of providers. The committee is welcoming new members to help define and implement projects that range from the short-term such as monthly meet and greet discussion groups to long-term events such as an annual summit.

Next Meetings:

Jan 23- 4pm to 6pm, Metro Regional Center room 270

Mar 27- 4pm to 6pm, Metro Regional Center room 270