19th Annual Environmental Educators Roundtable 

Please join us for our 19th Annual Environmental Educators Roundtable. This year's workshops are centered around the important theme: We All Need Trees! The cost of this event is $25 per person. Registered participants will be able to attend either one 2-hour workshop OR choose two 1-hour workshops from a variety of topics listed below. After reading through the descriptions, go to the Registration Form (Click 'Register Now!') and make your selection. Registration is on a 'first-come-first-served' basis, so please register now to ensure availability of your favorite programs!

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2 Hour Workshops (4:30-6:30pm):

A. Ecotour - Streaming the Rivers and Creeks of the Barnegat Bay Watershed  Led by Terry O'Leary and Don Crawford.  Hop in our vans and join Terry and Don for a guided ecotour to Gunning River, Double Creek, Lochiel Creek, Waretown Creek and Oyster Creek. You will visit access locations for paddling, fishing and nature photography, and enjoy scenic vistas. Teaching and learning concepts focus on the diversity of trees that play a vital role in the health and beauty of these subwatersheds of the Barnegat Bay. Please dress appropriately for outdoor learning.

 B. Tree ID Walk and Talk Guided and presented by McDuffy Barrow and Ginette Day of FREC (Forest Resource Education Center)  Take a guided "Tree Walk" outside through the woodlands of the Lighthouse Center, then discover ways to engage your students in the classroom with a "Tree Talk" and hands-on tree and shrub activities. Learn to identify trees using their leaves, bark, twigs and the habitat in which they grow. Explore the diversity of native trees in the Barnegat Bay watershed, and the many services trees provide to wildlife and people. Please dress appropriately for outdoor learning.

1 Hour Workshops Offered During Session One (4:30-5:30pm):

1C. Tree Mysteries  presented by Pat Heany of Kateri Environmental Center.  We all know about wood and paper, but what other common products come from trees? In this hands-on, interactive workshop we will explore tree products and take a closer look at the inner workings of trees using a tree layer costume. This program will feature activities that you can share in your indoor or outdoor classroom.

1D. Silviculture and Sustainable Forest Management  presented by Bernard Isaacson of New Jersey State Forest Service  Through PowerPoint and hands-on exploration, participants will be introduced to the biology of how forests grow, how foresters measure trees, what techniques are available for forest management, and how these techniques can be applied to the forest ecosystems of the Pinelands and forests of New Jersey. We'll examine the impacts of past practices on the landscape and explore options for shaping our future forests in the context of today's challenges.

1E. Sounds from the Forest  presented by Roger Smith of FREC (Forest Resource Education Center)  Musical instruments made from forest materials have been created and enjoyed for thousands of years. We will engage in a hands-on exploration of Native American style instruments such as drums, rattles, rain sticks and flutes, as well as modern-day instruments, to determine their construction materials, construction methods, and how they produce sound. Learn how to easily make alternative musical instruments that can be used in the classroom.

1F. Macros Need Trees!  presented by Lindsy Sigmund and Jane Mattson AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassadors  Trees and the canopy cover they provide are essential components of a stream ecosystem. Leaves that fall from trees into streams provide nourishment and habitat to the macroorganisms that live in the freshwater. Canopy cover regulates the temperature of the stream, which affects the health and survival of these small, but important creatures. We will explore live specimens of macroinvertebrates, as well as tree leaves, and use taxonomic keys to identify them. We will discuss the importance of macros as stream health indicators and discover how trees help macroorganisms and streams maintain optimum health.

1 Hour Workshops Offered During Session Two (5:30-6:40):

2G. Weather, Climate, Trees and the Importance of Understanding Storm Surge  presented by Mindy Voss of NJ Sea Grant Consortium  Research conducted throughout Sandy-impacted areas have found that many residents misunderstood the term "storm surge" and therefore did not fully grasp the severity of flood warnings for their communities. During this workshop, participants will learn about the weather conditions that cause storm surge, the helpful role trees play in storms, and how to share this knowledge with students through hands-on inquiry-based activities.

2H. Composting With Trees, For Trees  presented by Ocean County Master Composters  Tree materials such as leaves, fruit, bark, twigs and wood are essential components of compost. Decomposing organisms break down tree materials and other vegetative matter into nutrient rich compost. The compost can then be returned to the Earth to nourish the growth of the next generation of trees. Join us for an exploration of tree organic matter and learn the basics of composting.

2I. What Trees Lived Here Before My School Was Built?  presented by Pat Korotky and Patti Trasferini of Ocean County Parks & Recreation  This program introduces the concept of native woodland versus a planted schoolyard landscape. Modeled activities include collecting and pressing leaves of native species to make a site-specific field guide, making a simple device to measure the height of schoolyard trees, and an exploration of tree cookies.

2J. The NJ Pinelands - More than Pine Trees!  presented by Joel Mott of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission  Take a virtual walk through the woods and enjoy the sights, sounds and scenic beauty of the Pinelands. This lively talk and PowerPoint presentation will take you beyond the trees of the Pinelands, emphasizing the importance of water to the area, while highlighting the cultural, historic, and natural resources. Lesson plans and activity ideas will accompany this program.

Register Now! 

Keynote Speaker, Karen Walzer of Barnegat Bay Partnership - "Seeing the Forest For the Trees, with Jersey-Friendly Yards"

Trees not only add beauty to our yards, they provide countless environmental services like clean water and air, healthy soil, and habitat for wildlife. They also give us a "sense of place". From the Pinelands to the Highlands, New Jersey's native trees make us feel at home.

Jersey-Friendly Yards is an exciting new website with state-specific information and resources for a healthier and more environmentally-friendly landscape. Learn how to make your home or schoolyard more Jersey-Friendly by planting native species - trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, ferns and vines. We'll take a tour of the website and demonstrate how to search the Plant Database to find the right plants for the conditions in your yard. Jersey-Friendly Yards is a great educational tool for use in the classroom, as well as at home.

Karen Walzer is the Public Outreach Coordinator at Barnegat Bay Partnership, the National Estuary Program for the Barnegat Bay. She worked closely with the NJDEP, Ocean County Soil Conservation District, and Fusionspark Media to develop the Jersey-Friendly Yards website. Karen has a B.S. degree in Biology from Bucknell University and is licensed as a NJ Registered Environmental Health Specialist.