MU Environmental Network News
August 2009, Vol. 15 No. 8
Editor - Jan Weaver, 208Tucker Hall, MU 65211
No Child Left Inside
by Jan Weaver
The Federal No Child Left Inside Act of 2009 seeks to incorporate the benefits of outdoor and environmental education (EE) into public school curricula. The justification for the act is research showing that high quality EE improves student performance on standardized and qualitative measures of academic achievement in reading, writing, math, science and social studies. It also reduces discipline and classroom management problems, increases student and teacher engagement and enthusiasm for learning, and provides a non-regulatory mechanism for improving environmental conditions locally, regionally and globally.
I volunteer in programs to get kids outside, and I can see the power that nature has to engage students’ interest and attention. For example, we provide twigs and bark for kids to use to make and float boats at various watershed festivals. In addition to developing their fine motor skills, the boats prompt informal engineering trials as kids work out the most efficient ratio of mast length to boat length, or the effect of boat width to length on its speed in the stream's current. The natural materials provide hundreds of possible combinations, and the stream provides a real world context. You just cannot duplicate this kind of experience inside, with textbooks, computers and/or prefabricated kits. NCLI would help ensure that every child has a chance to engage in this kind of real world problem solving in authentic contexts by developing state environmental literacy plans (SELPs), providing grants for EE professional development and grants to build state capacity in EE.
The state environmental literacy plans have six elements: 1) specific content standards, areas, courses or subjects where instruction takes place in schools; 2) a description of how state graduation standards will ensure environmental literacy; 3) a description of programs for professional development for teachers; 4) a description of how literacy will be measured in students; 5) a description of implementation, including funding; and 6) the role of school facilities and grounds.
The EE organizations in EPA Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) organized a workshop this past June to educate about the SELPs and to begin development of state plans. Missouri's team was organized by Jenna Rhodes, current Missouri Environmental Education Association president, and included Andrea Putnam (DNR -State Parks), Nikki Davenport (Kirkwood Schools), Amy Buechler (Conservation Federation of Missouri), Fran Fry (Niangua Schools), Donna Utter (AbitibiBowater - KC), Angelette Pritchett (Department of Higher Education), Linda Dooling (DESE), Regina Knauer (MDC - Education), Jim Lubbers (DNR-Education), Erica Cox (Project WET), Jan Weaver (University of Missouri). The group has prepared a draft Action Plan for Missouri's SELP and will be meeting Sunday August 23 from 10 - 3 in Jefferson City to continue developing the plan. Please contact Jenna Rhodes jenna.rhodes@csd4.k12.mo.us if this is an effort you would like to be involved in or is something you have an opinion about.
In Memorium - Robert Llewellyn Wixom, 1924-2009
by Jan Weaver
When I started as Director of Environmental Studies in 1995, one of my first responsibilities was finding out what was already happening on campus. One key player was Bob Wixom, a Biochemistry Professor active in both educating students and in transforming campus operations.
He took students on field trips to the UN in New York City to bring them up to speed on global environmental issues. He organized setting up displays in the Ellis Library display cases by student groups during April to educate the general student population about environmental issues. He tabled at any and all events on campus that involved the environment, and pulled students into his environmental orbit with his passion and commitment.
Bob also saw the need for a larger vision of environmental sustainability on campus, one that looked at education, energy use, natural landscapes and hazardous materials as well as recycling. So Bob helped establish the Environmental Affairs Council, now the Environmental Affairs Committee, and served as its first chair from 1990 to 1994. His initial efforts helped pave the way for the committee's annual Environmental Sustainability Reports, and most recently, the establishment of a Campus Sustainability Office.
Bob didn't limit himself to campus either. I met him at Earth Day events, sustainability fairs and environmental education conferences throughout the state and he participated in national conferences on the environment through the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). He also compiled 2 bibliographies : "A Bibliography on the Earth Summit Conference and Related Environmental Subjects"; and "After Rio: Resources for the Road Ahead, a Bibliography for Agenda 21"; and initiated and edited one book "Environmental Challenges for Higher Education: Integrating Sustainability into Academic Programs" on the environment.
Bob was a terrific asset to MU's early environmental efforts. He was also a warm, kind, dedicated force of nature in nature's defense. It was a privilege to know him, and I will miss his presence on campus, at local fairs and in state conferences wherever education and the environment intersect.
Special Events, Activities and Workshops
Organization Meetings and Contact Information
AUDUBON SOCIETY: 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, Unitarian Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd.
BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION: http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Weds 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.
CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING: 875-0539 or http://www.midmopeaceworks.org/sustainableliving.php
CHOUTEAU GROTTO: http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, The Casteel Building, 1518 Business Loop 70 East
COLUMBIA CLIMATE CHANGE COALITION: 573-529-9273, Meet 3rd Thu http://www.columbiaclimatechangecoalition.org/
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE: 882-7463 or http://foodcircles.missouri.edu/sources.htm
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOL. PROGRAMS: 874-6271 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Volunteer/Opportunities/#PW
COMMUNITY GARDEN COALITION: 875-5995 or cgardenc@yahoo.com or http://cgc.missouri.org 3rd Thursdays 7 pm Columbia Public Library
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF BIG MUDDY: friends@friendsofbigmuddy.org or www.friendsofbigmuddy.org 2nd Tues, 7 pm, Bryant Cabin
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.: 815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
GET ABOUT COLUMBIA: http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/GetAbout_Columbia/index.php
GREEKS GOING GREEN: new group for fraternities and sororities at MU sauzp5@mizzou.edu
GREEN SANCTUARY: 1st Fridays, 7:00 pm UU Church 2615 Shepard Blvd alternates green movies and discussions g_baka2002@yahoo.com
GREENBELT LAND TRUST OF MID-MISSOURI: 442-4789, greenbelt.land.trust @gmail.com or http://greenbelt.missouri.org
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORE: 815-9836, drop off/ buy 1906 Monroe St. Columbia Mon to Fri 8:30 to 3:30, Sat 8-1 1pm,
MISSOURI ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: www.meea.org
MO NATIVE PLANT SOC.: http://columbianativeplants.missouri.org/, 2nd Mon, odd months, 7 p.m., UU Church, 2615 Shepard
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK: 573-256-2602 or www.moriver.org or moriver@coin.org
MISSOURIANS FOR SAFE ENERGY: http://www.mosafeenergy.org/Content/ first Tuesdays, 7:15, Peace Nook on Broadway
PEDNET COALITION: email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
RIVER RELIEF: http://www.riverrelief.org/
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK: 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION: (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB: 875-2916, http://missouri.sierraclub.org/osage/index.htm 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Found., 1107 University Ave
SUSTAIN MIZZOU: http://students.missouri.edu/~sustainmizzou/
WILD ONES: 573 882-9909, ext 3257 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays.
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