2024 LEEF Conference Workshops and Field Trips

Registration

• Field Trip: Birding and Community Science with Students in an Urban Landscape, Friday 9am-12 pm – $20.00
  Join the Orange Audubon Society as we hike through the varied habitats of Mead Botanical Gardens which was once a formal garden but is now undergoing areas of native plant restoration. During this hike, our focus will be on observing the various species of birds that use the urban landscape. Since this will be at the beginning of spring migration, we will also discuss what makes this location a highly desirable place for migrant birds. Assistance will be provided in how to instruct students in how to observe, identify and count birds as part of community science.
  
  Friday, March 22, 2024
  Time: 9am - 12 pm ***TIME CHANGE
  Location: Mead Botanical Gardens, Winter Park, FL
• Field Trip: Eco-buggy Tour of Lake Apopka North Shore, Friday 9am-12pm – $20.00
  Join the St. Johns River Water Management District's Lake Apopka Land Manager and Education Coordinator for an educational tour of the Lake Apopka North Shore. You will learn about the work the District does to protect and restore water resources and the restoration efforts and success of the Lake Apopka property. We will board the Eco-buggy, a trailer with bench seating, and tour Clay Island on the west side of the property. Please note this is not the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, so this area is usually only accessible by hiking or biking. We will tour the Little Italy restoration area, the Marsh Flow-Way, and stop by the Dedication Tower on Lake Apopka for beautiful views of the lake.
  
  Friday, March 22, 2024
  Time: 9am-12 pm
  Location: Clay Island Trailhead, Astatula, FL
• Field Trip: Friendly Flame-An Introduction to Fire Ecology and Forest Health for Classroom Applications, Friday 1pm-4pm – $20.00
  Join us as we learn from a Wekiwa Springs State Park Specialist about fire ecology and forest health complete with a fire truck, tools, science experiences, and a tram tour. We will spend some of our time with inside instruction and part of our time on a guided park tram tour at Wekiwa Springs State Park.
  
  Friday, March 22, 2024
  Time: 1pm - 4pm
  Location: Wekiwa Springs State Park (Conference Site)
• Workshop: Aquatic Species Collection Workshop, Sunday 9am-11am – $36.00
  The primary workshop objective is to promote best practices in the collection and maintenance of aquatic organisms for educational activities. Upon successful completion of the training workshop, a participant receives a certification that is authorized by both FMSEA and Commission representatives (FWC). The certificate does not supersede any state or federal regulations, but it does allow the collection of specified numbers of certain species for educational purposes and to use certain types of collecting gear that would not be allowed under recreational fishing guidelines. No fishing license required.
  
  Presenter: Dawn Miller-Walker, Science Eye
  Sunday, March 24, 2024
  Time: 9am - 11am
  *Workshop Fee: $36 *Fee includes certification
  Location: Conference Site
• Workshop: Florida-focused Climate Change Education: Resources and Tools for All Learning Environments, Friday 1pm - 4pm – $10.00
  In 2022, Florida Gulf Coast University and LEEF received NOAA B-WET funding to grow Florida’s climate change education community, awareness of climate change issues in the state, and climate change teaching resources. One outcome has been a “round-up” of Florida-focused climate change resources for teaching and learning in formal and non-formal contexts. In this workshop, the grant’s curriculum team will engage participants in 2 to 3 example activities and will provide access to the entire body of resources that has been collected to date. Participants will come away with an awareness of and optimism for the climate change education work that is already being done in our state and we hope they may also contribute resources to the growing compilation to be shared state-wide.
  
  Presenter: Heather Skaza Acosta, Florida Gulf Coast University
  
  Friday, March 22, 2024
  Time: 1pm - 4pm
  Location: Conference Site