Working with Kindergarten and First Grade students outdoors

Partnering with the city of Norwalk and through grants from FactSet, REI, the Nature Conservancy’s Community Resilience Building program, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, NRWA has put in over 30 trees and is restoring a wetland area overrun with Australian Phragmites to it native Spartina grasses and shrubs, like groundsel and high tide bush.Incorporating a method known as "Solarization", we first remove the standing invasive plants, down to the ground, and then we cover the site with 15mil black plastic tarps. The tarps are either weighted down by stones or we use plastic garden stakes to secure the covering to the ground. The tarps stay in place for at 12 months. The soil is not harmed in the process, in fact, the lifeforms below the ground surface survive quite well. However, the invasive plant life is eliminated from the target site. When the tarps are removed, the NRWA will plant the area with native shrubs that would be expected to be found in the habitat.We have also planted 40 trees in the park. Norwalk ranks fairly low in canopy coverage in the state, and these new trees will add tremendously to the park.

Much of the “original habitat” of the Norwalk River Watershed has been altered or destroyed over the past 150 years. Population growth and attendant development, roads, dams, channelization, rip rap, sewer discharges, accidental spills, and nonpoint-source pollution from fertilizers, pesticides, road salt and sand, warming asphalt, and other impacts from human activities have led to the extensive loss and continuing incremental destruction of natural habitats and degradation of water quality. In addition, invasive plants and animal species (e.g., deer) are altering habitats and threatening biological diversity.To slow this loss of habitat the Norwalk River Watershed Association, cooperating partners, and volunteers are working to implement and promote habitat restoration where possible. “Habitat restoration” means undoing the past, repairing the effects of pollution, and returning a habitat to a self-sustaining ecosystem. Restoration usually doesn’t focus on a single species but strives to replicate the original natural system. The goal is to help rebuild a healthy, functioning system that works much as it did before it was polluted or destroyed.Restoration or mitigation activities range from the simple to the complex but typically entail some or all of the following measures: Baseline assessments and performance standards, set by the state Long-term monitoring and conservation plans, The reconstruction of physical and hydrologic conditions through engineered activities, often involving heavy equipment, The chemical cleanup of toxic substances, by state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Revegetation of an area through native plantings or natural regrowth

The Naturalist will encourage a flexible, organized, responsible, supportive, and harmonious learning environment with the natural world. Prep and deliver interdisciplinary, conservation education programs to K-12 studentsAssist as needed with nature-based programs for adultsAssist with leading merit badge programs for Boy and Girl ScoutsAssist with the care and maintenance of education equipmentStrong understanding of of forest safety and Outdoor First Aid

Wilton Go Green is committed to engaging, educating and inspiring Wilton residents to embrace a lifestyle of environmental sustainability. Our initiatives encourage residents, schools and businesses to be responsible stewards of air, land, wildlife and other natural resources advancing a collective culture of conservation. We believe every individual can make a positive difference in green living and fundamentally change the health and welfare of the Town of Wilton, our residents, and the surrounding communities.

Habitat restoration scientists research, study and support the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human intervention and action.Essential elements of the approach are (1) introduction to ecological problems that restoration can address; (2) rationale for restoration; (3) training in a step-wise process for restoration; and (4) group problem-solving and design of ecological restoration projects to address various problems. Habitat Restoration Specialist, you must have keen observation and research skills. You start by painstakingly creating lists of animals, plants, or other natural elements found in the threatened environment. Once documented, each part can be brought back to health, and pollutants can be cleaned up. You then watch animal migration patterns and reintroduce new animals into depleted populations, all the while taking care not to overload the ecosystem’s delicate balance of life.Assist science team with monitoring, data collection, and other duties as needed.Carry out field work, including: invasive plant removal, native plant installation, green storm water infrastructure maintenance, integrated pest management, volunteer management and trail work. GoalsRevegetation- the establishment of vegetation on sites where it has been previously lost, often with erosion control as the primary goal. For example, vegetated buffers are strips of vegetation that protect water quality in riparian ecosystems from urban or agricultural runoff. Habitat enhancement- the process of increasing the suitability of a site as habitat for some desired species. Remediation: improving an existing ecosystem or creating a new one with the aim of replacing another that has deteriorated or been destroyed. Mitigation: legally mandated remediation for loss of protected species or ecosystems.

Vice PresidentThe Norwalk River Watershed Association, incorporated in 1996, is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to improve the water quality and fish and wildlife habitats of the 40,000-acre Norwalk River watershed; to restore the riverbanks, meadows and forests through invasive plant abatement and promotion of native species; to encourage recreational use of the river, the surrounding open space and its trails; and to promote research, legislative advocacy, education, cooperation, and action on the part of the stakeholders in the seven watershed towns in CT (Ridgefield, Redding, Wilton, New Canaan, Weston, and Norwalk) and NY (Lewisboro).

Connecticut Outdoor and Environmental Education Association is a network of classroom educators, naturalists, environmental educators, youth leaders, administrators, professors, and students who work toward a future where increasingly: An appreciation for and understanding of the environment is an integral part of all community education – including formal, non-formal, and informal education; Educators, environmental professionals, and the organizations and agencies they represent are well informed and are willing to work together to maximize resources; and People of all ages are environmentally literate and act as environmental stewards.

The Green Schools Alliance is an international environmental awareness program that asks schools and students to address their ecological footprint and pledge to make a difference by reducing their ecological impact on the planet. The GSA sponsors a summer conference, Student Climate & Conservation Congress, SC3, for high school students to communicate, collaborate and take a leadership role to reinvent the future. Starting in Summer 2013, I will serve as Dean of Students for SC3.

The graduating class of 30 recruits, ranging from 21-70 years of age, completed a 120-hour academy to become SCO EnCon Rangers. This is a seasonal, part-time position that will provide great support to DEEP’s EnCon Police. It is a reinvention of a program DEEP utilized in the 1980s and 1990s.SCO EnCon Rangers will be an extension of the EnCon Police’s “eyes and ears” working in the shoreline state parks- Hammonasset, Rocky Neck, Silver Sands, and Sherwood Island. They will be out and about, highly visible in bright yellow shirts, ready to engage with the public seeking to educate first, and if needed, enforce, the laws within the state parks. They do not have arrest powers, and are unarmed, though they can issue infractions.

SC3 is a high powered environmental education program that prepares students to take leadership roles in environmental education and sustainability. Working in partnership with the Green Schools Alliance and US Fish & Wildlife Service, we average 100 High School students a summer, from every state in America and several foriegn countries. SC3 offers each student the opportunity to work and study alongside USF&W staff and Science Teachers in the field and the classroom. Open Space Technology sets the stage for individual learning and project development at the beautiful NCTC facility in Shepherdstown WV. Students create a personal action plan (SAP) that they will take back to their school in September. Teachers and USF&W staff work with the students to help them continue with their SAP.

Strength and conditioning coaches have two primary goals. 1. The first is to improve athletic performance, which usually means improving athletes’ speed, strength,and power (although methods will vary according to athlete, gender, and sport). 2. The second primary goal is to reduce athletic injuries. To that end, conditioning coaches often design regimens to strengthen body parts that are prone to injury in a particular sport. Thus to prevent athletes from getting injured during training, conditioning coaches must know the correct exercise and lifting techniques and be able to teach them to athletes.

1. Direct and mentor all environmental research studies, serve a liaison between various campus entities to assure communication and resource coordination for sustainability programs and projects.2. Serve on school committees as assigned and attend meetings with external organizations to represent the St. Luke's School on sustainability issues.3. Work with all elements of the residential and academic campus community, including students, faculty, and staff to promote an understanding and awareness of sustainability issues by coordinating informational presentations and promoting energy and water conservation, waste minimization, recycling, sustainable building and landscape design, alternative transportation, procurement of green products, etc.4. Attends the Sustainability Advisory Committee meetings and implements recommendations made including promoting and focusing student enthusiasm and energy towards sustainability.5. Knowledge of environmental rules and regulations, and the ability to share technical ideas and concepts with public and non-technical personnel6. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.7. Knowledge of various computer software packages, and the ability to manage, lead, participate and schedule multiple activities

As department chairman, it was my duty to maintain the educational experience for all of the science classes offered by SLS.This included providing all supplies for each teacher, books, lab equipment, expertise and guidanceOther duties included; report yearly to Head of School and Board of Trustees, Evaluate each teacher as well as each student,Plan curriculum for all levelsAttend academic meetings with administrators and other department chairpeopleDevelop yearly budget and maintain flow of cashTeach classes to all levels and ages

Horizons is a summer enrichment program for inner-city children in New Canaan, Connecticut. The 90 students attending the program are in 6th through 8th grade. The day consists of morning classwork, followed by outdoor activities, ending with swimming.My job was to teach science and plan the outdoor activites for and aid the senior program director in planning and promotion. The outdoor education involved weekend camping. On these trips we would take on various activites such as white water rafting, rock climbing and hiking. Whenever I meet one of the program graduates, they immediately regale me with tales they remember about their camping experiences and how they would like their children to have the opportunity to take part in the program.

Activist and educator. Attend rallies and offer environmental presentations and workshops.

Science teachers help middle and high school learners understand scientific phenomena. They create engaging lessons, explain complex concepts simply, and enrich classroom time by using experiments. Science Teachers encourage students to be curious and to have respect for the natural world.

Educator and activist. Attend rallies and offer presentations and workshops. Offer science expertise for all activities.

Maintained several hundred indigenous animals in environmentally friendly enclosures.All medical, food, and other life requirements were directly my responsibilityTaught ecology classesWorked with local, regional and national environmental organizationsJoined and participated in Greenpeace and Earth First! activities