Project WILD

OWLS Teachers Canoeing

 

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Project WILD is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program emphasizing terrestrial and aquatic wildlife resources. The goal of Project WILD is to assist learners of any age in developing awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment resulting in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment.

Project WILD is available nationwide and provides professional development for formal and non-formal educators. From awareness to action, this hands-on approach to learning engages students in investigating the world around them, connecting them to conservation careers, and participating in solid STEM activities.

Mission Statement

The Mission of Project WILD is to assist learners of any age in developing awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment to result in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment upon which all life depends.

Workshops

Project WILD's mission is to help students learn how to think, not what to think, about wildlife and the environment. All curriculum materials are backed by sound theory and instructional practices representing many fields of education and natural resource management from across the country. The curriculum guides encourage educators to give students opportunities to address contemporary issues knowledgeably, constructively, and responsibly.

The three major themes of the curriculum guide are:

  • Ecological Knowledge
  • Social and Political Knowledge
  • Sustaining Fish and Wildlife Populations

During workshops, participants learn about Project WILD and sample activities from the Terrestrial and Aquatic guides. Formal educators are able to receive six (6) hour of Professional Learning Credit when they attend a workshop.

Project WILD Educator Workshops

Thank you for your interest in a Project WILD Educator Workshop. This award-winning program provides a means for educators to teach important environmental and conservation concepts. Over 19,000 Georgia teachers have attended WILD workshops to investigate the teaching strategies of Project WILD, to experience exciting hands-on activities, and to learn more about wildlife and the environment.

At the one-day workshops, participants receive a set of supplementary activity guides which includes a basic guide and an aquatic activity guide. The Project WILD materials have been classroom tested and provide a framework to assist teachers in taking students from an awareness of the nature to responsible actions concerning the environment.

Upcoming Workshops

Project WILD Advanced Workshops

Project WILD offers advanced workshops to facilitators and educators who want to learn more about wildlife and the environment. These hands-on programs provide in-depth information on specific wildlife topics to help you prepare detailed lesson plans.

  • Climate Resilience Workshop: Climate change is a complex topic that can be intimidating to teach. However, understanding climate, including the ways it is changing and how that impacts the environment, is crucial to making informed decisions and building resilience. This training will introduce climate guides from Projects WET, WILD and Learning Tree which include 31 activities to incorporate climate change topics into your lesson plans or programs. This training is open to formal and non-formal educators and activities are created with Middle and High School age students in mind.
  • Teacher Conservation Workshop: Join us for a five-day professional development event that Explores forestry and natural resources management and how the two are interconnected. Activities are led by foresters, biologists, educators, and industry professionals. This interdisciplinary workshop focuses on the environmental, economic, and social benefits of Georgia’s forestry and wildlife communities.

  • Outdoor Wildlife Leadership School: Examines the flora and fauna of the different ecoregions of Georgia though hands-on activities around research and conservation. In 2023 we headed north to Explore the Blue Ridge and Cumberland Plateau ecoregions by snorkeling in the Amicalola River, discussing about black bear research, visiting a fish hatchery and caving for endemic salamanders and bats.

Project WILD Facilitator Workshops

For individuals looking to become certified to lead your own educator workshops. Most trained facilitators conduct workshops as a part of their duties in their day-to-day employment. Great examples include preservice education professors, extension educators, museum/nature center staff, natural resource professionals, school district curriculum specialists, and more. Have taken a PLT, WET or WILD educator workshop prior to this workshop. Attend the entire workshop to be certified as a facilitator in all three projects. The fee cannot be discounted on a per-project basis.

Upcoming Workshops

Friday, January 26 and Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 8:30 am – 5:30 pm daily at the Sandy Creek Nature Center, Athens, GA. Registration Cost is $125 and includes Friday and Saturday Lunch, Coffee and Snack Breaks. Register for the Joint Facilitator workshop today. For more information, view the 2024 Facilitator Training Flier.

Growing Up WILD

Growing Up WILD: Exploring Nature with Young Children is an early childhood education activity guide that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences, it provides a foundation for developing positive impressions about nature while also building lifelong social and cognitive skills.

Growing Up WILD’s activity guide:

  • Is written for early childhood educators of children ages 3–7.
  • Features 27 field-tested, hands-on, nature-based activities in a full-color 11"x17" activity guide.
  • Includes crafts, art projects, music, conservation activities, reading and math connections and much more.
  • Involves social, emotional, physical, language, and cognitive domains to help foster learning and development in all areas.
  • Supports developmentally appropriate practice allowing children to learn at levels that are individually, socially, and culturally appropriate.
  • Is correlated to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards and the Head Start Domains.

Upcoming Workshops

Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, Mansfield, GA. This workshop is a joint workshop with Project WET and Learning Tree so participants will receive all three early childhood guides. Cost is $60 and lunch is not included. Register for the Growing Up WILD Workshop today.

Flying WILD

Flying WILD is a Project WILD conservation education curriculum for middle-school students sponsored in Georgia by the Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division.

Flying WILD introduces middle-school students to bird conservation through school bird festivals and hands-on classroom activities. Flying WILD helps teachers by providing interdisciplinary, standards-based lessons that engage students in real-world learning. By participating in Flying WILD activities, students will gain opportunities to learn and lead. Half of the activities in Flying WILD are designed to involve students as leaders.Service learning is also an essential part of Flying WILD. The Flying WILD guide includes suggestions, instructions, and resources for doing service leaning activities, such as conducting a school bird festival and participating in habitat improvement projects. Flying WILD has the potential to help capture the hearts and minds of middle-school students in Georgia by harnessing their natural fascination with birds.

    Upcoming Workshops

    Educator Resources

    Project WILD Resources

    Listed below are resources available to Project WILD Coordinators:

    Correlations to the Georgia Standards for Excellence

    The Project WILD and Aquatic WILD Activity Guides have been correlated to the Georgia Standards for Excellence in Science, Language Arts, Math and Social Studies. Use our searchable database below to find the education standards matching each activity in Project WILD.

    Printable Master Lists