2023-2024 Trout in the Classroom Highlights
By Eleanor Hitchings, Science Educator Thank you! There are so many people who work together to make the magic of Trout in the Classroom happen. Thank you to the teachers who took on this project – it’s not a small amount of work, but it brings so much to your classroom and your students. You…
The Wild Places – Book Recommendation
Charles F. Rattigan – VINS Executive Director The ‘wilderness” books I’ve read include Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness and John Muir’s Steep Trails and I recommend both of these thought-provoking and mystical accounts of spending time in a quest to be truly in nature. These are first-hand accounts of the experience…
The Arbornaut – Book Recommendation
Charles F. Rattigan – VINS Executive Director I have a special affection for Dr. Margaret Lowman, Canopy Meg. Meg is an American biologist, educator, writer, and tireless advocate for trees, forests and their preservation. I first met her in 2010 when I was making field guide apps for smart devices (the iPhone). Meg was teaching…
The Invention of Nature – Book Review
Charles F. Rattigan – VINS Executive Director Recently, I was asked to share some recommendations of books that are particularly important to my understanding of nature and the role that humans play in shaping the environment through actions that either harm or sustain the natural world. I thought for this first effort, I’d recommend what…
New Owl Ambassadors
Last May, we acquired two new members from St. Louis, Missouri for our Environmental Education team at VINS.
Amphibians: Why Are They So Important?
– Mary Davidson Graham, Assistant Executive Director & Calah Beckwith, Press & Grant WriterIllustrations by Mal Muratori, VINS Environmental Educator Amphibians are incredibly sensitive to environmental changes, and they not only provide valuable ecosystem services, but they also provide information about how an ecosystem is functioning. Tadpoles are able to help maintain clean water by…
Celebrate in the Canopy on the 150th Arbor Day
This year, April 29th marks the 150-year anniversary of Arbor Day! Arbor Day is our national holiday specifically for celebrating trees, and all they do for our planet. And, believe it or not, trees do way more than you might think.
You Are Nature’s Best Hope
On Wednesday, March 9, 2022 VINS hosted Douglas Tallamy via Zoom for a lecture about “Nature’s Best Hope” – spoiler alert, it’s you! Douglas Tallamy is the T.A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has taught for 41 years. His main focus…
Taking Bird Training to New Heights
Journey to Nebraska with Lead Environmental Educator Anna Morris for the The International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators Conference.