Time For An Environmental Pop Quiz!

Lessons from the Environment:
Test Your Environmental Knowledge!

An environmental awareness quiz, brought to you by the National Environmental Education Foundation. This quiz covers issues that have been discussed in the media. The questions are designed to illustrate how much accurate information people are getting from television, newspapers, magazines, and other sources. Write down your answers and compare them to the correct answers below.

1. There are many different kinds of animals and plants, and they live in many different types of environments. What is the word used to describe this idea? Is it:
a. Multiplicity
b. Biodiversity
c. Socio-economics
d. Evolution
e. Don't know

2. Carbon monoxide is a major contributor to air pollution in the U.S. Which of the following is the biggest source of carbon monoxide? Is it…
a. Factories and businesses
b. People breathing
c. Motor vehicles
d. Trees
e. Don't know

3. How is most of the electricity in the U.S. generated? Is it…
a. By burning oil, coal, and wood
b. With nuclear power
c. Through solar energy
d. At hydro-electric power plants
e. Don't know

4. What is the most common cause of pollution of streams, rivers, and oceans? Is it…
a. Dumping of garbage by cities
b. Surface water running off yards, city streets, paved lots, and farm fields
c. Trash washed into the ocean from beaches
d. Waste dumped by factories
e. Don't know

5. Which of the following is a renewable resource? Is it…
a. Oil
b. Iron ore
c. Trees
d. Coal
e. Don't know

6. Ozone forms a protective layer in the earth's upper atmosphere. What does ozone protect us from? Is it …
a. Acid rain
b. Global warming
c. Sudden changes in temperature
d. Harmful, cancer-causing sunlight
e. Don't know

7. Where does most of the garbage in the U.S. end up? Is it in…
a. Oceans
b. Incinerators
c. Recycling centers
d. Landfills
e. Don't know

8. What is the name of the primary federal agency that works to protect the environment? Is it the…
a. Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA)
b. Department of Health, Environment, and Safety (the DHES)
c. National Environmental Agency (the NEA)
d. Federal Pollution Control Agency (the FPCA)
e. Don't know

9. Which of the following household wastes is considered hazardous waste? Is it…
a. Plastic packaging
b. Glass
c. Batteries
d. Spoiled food
e. Don't know

10. What is the most common reason that an animal species becomes extinct? Is it because…
a. Pesticides are killing them
b. Their habitats are being destroyed by humans
c. There is too much hunting
d. There are climate changes that affect them
e. Don't know

11. Scientists have not determined the best solution for disposing of nuclear waste. In the U.S., what do we do with it now? Do we…
a. Use it as nuclear fuel
b. Sell it to other countries
c. Dump it in landfills
d. Store and monitor the waste
e. Don't know

12. What is the primary benefit of wetlands? Do they…
a. Promote flooding
b. Help clean the water before it enters lakes, streams, rivers, or oceans
c. Help keep the number of undesirable plants and animals low,
d. Provide good sites for landfills
e. Don't know

Click here to compare your responses to the responses of a random survey of Americans. Click here for a report card on Americans' environmental knowledge.

(Answers: 1. b, 2. c, 3. a, 4. b, 5. c 6. d, 7. d, 8. a, 9. c, 10. b, 11. d, 12.b)

Quiz, answers, and links from the National Environmental Education Foundation website.

Layout Changes = More Options

The DOFAW blog has made some formatting changes, which will hopefully make it easier to navigate the site. Notice the tabs at the top? Each will take you to a separate page according to the type of info you need.

• Interested in funding opportunities, including scholarships and other awards? Click on the "Grants" tab. This page will be updated frequently as we find new and exciting funding opportunities. The "Volunteer" tab will also be kept up-to-date with ideas of how you can join community organizations in protecting and preserving our unique natural and cultural resources.
  
  
• Looking for info about native plant and animal conservation? Click on "Hawaii's Native Plants and Animals" to visit the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy webpage, where you can view fact sheets for many native species in Hawaii.
  
  
• Looking for more about DOFAW? Click on the "DOFAW Webpage" tab, and you'll be taken directly to the official website for the Division of Forestry and Wildlife. 

Online Environmental Education Resources

See below for two online resource centers for educators and advice for teachers looking to incorporate EE into the classroom:

Resource #1.

Attention High School Teachers! The National Environmental Education Foundation's Classroom Earth is an online resource designed to help high school teachers include environmental content in their daily lesson plans. This is not just for science teachers. Lessons are divided up by subject area, and include foreign languages, language arts, math, social studies, the arts, and of course, science.

Useful resources on the site include:

In the News: Find environmental news articles to connect to your classroom content.
Where in the World: Geographically-based environmental information, plus resources for incorporating geographically-based topics into your lessons.
Find your Course

• Use the Browse Resources by Subject lists to find content-specific resources.
• Look for many traditional high school courses identified on the right sidebar of Subject Area Pages and the Resource Library.

Look at Success Stories. The projects of other teachers can offer inspiration.

Explore Funding Opportunities
Teaching about the environment does not require funding, but if you have a creative idea that needs funding, or want to allow an opportunity to enrich your skills, browse the funding resources.

Discover Professional Development Opportunities
Are you looking for professional development opportunities to help you learn more about how to include environmental content in your high school classroom lessons? Look for tabs at the top of the home page or links in the bottom right hand corner.

Resource #2
The National Wildlife Federation has officially started the Eco-Schools USA Program. It is the new US component of an international network of 30,000 schools in 43 nations.

The Eco-Schools USA goals are simple:  1) green the school buildings,  2) green the school grounds, and c) green the educational programming at registered schools.

The program encompasses a rich set of educational "pathways" such as energy, water, green hour outdoors and climate change. Program partners include SchoolTube.com, Facing the Future, Al Gore's Climate Project, and the HSBC climate initiative. Schools and teachers can sign up online to be a part of the program and access valuable resources for "greening" your school!

And finally...
Advice from educators, for educators interested in incorporating the environment in their teachings.

• Look for real-life connections that students can relate to.
• Talk about science careers.
• Don’t brainwash students, let them reach their own understanding based on facts.
• Get the whole school involved. A holistic approach that incorporates the environment in more than just science classes.
• As the teacher, you need to get out in the field. Try a summer project with the Nature Conservancy or a university professor.
• Forge a connection with a university so that you can bring a scientist into your classroom.
• Show school administrators that you’ve done your homework and have a workable plan if you want to sell them on a class project that takes the kids outside the classroom.
• Learn how to write and apply for grants.
  
  *This list is part of the article "Teachers and schools embrace green curricula" by Harriet Blake for KABC TV - Los Angeles.

Calling all Graphic Artists, Designers, and Students!

Hawaii Conservation Alliance has just announced it's annual logo design contest for the 2010 Hawai’i Conservation Conference (August 4-6, 2010, Hawai’i Convention Center, Honolulu, HI).

The 2010 conference theme is "Pacific Ecosystem Management and Restoration: Applying Traditional and Western Knowledge Systems". This theme reflects the growing trend in Hawai‘i and the Pacific region of landowners, communities, natural resource agencies, and governments working together more collaboratively and utilizing different knowledge systems to better manage and restore island ecosystems.

Above: Orville Baldos' design was chosen for the 2009 Conservation Conference

Your logo could be selected to represent the conference, the largest gathering of conservation professionals in Hawai'i, expected to bring in over 1,000 participants. The winning design will be showcased on conference materials, including the conference website, signs, program booklet, and souvenirs. You will also receive a cash prize of $100 and free registration to the conference and other Conservation Week events (a value of over $300).

Click here to see highlights of the 2009 conference.

Deadline: Logo designs must be received by Wednesday, December 9, by 5:00 p.m. The winning design will be announced December 18.

For logo guidelines and instructions for submitting an entry, visit the Hawaii Conservation Alliance logo contest page.

This Week in Nature: The 3rd week in November

What's Happening in Hawaii 
during the 3rd week in November:

Humpback whales are now beginning to arrive for their annual, five-month stay in island waters. Humpbacks come to calve, and preferring warm, sheltered water for this purpose, they can often be seen from shore. Arrivals can increase in December and January, with the peak population being reached in February, when much of the calving occurs. 

At least a few humpbacks winter near each of the main islands, but they can be found in greatest numbers in the enclosed waters off Maui's southern flank and over a shallow bank west of Moloka'i.

Of the several hundred adults present, perhaps 30 will bear calves, and some will also mate before setting out in April or May for their summer feeding grounds in the North Pacific. Humpbacks are known for underwater song, and their music evolves while they are here. New themes are started and old ones dropped, so that they leave with a different song than they brought. 

To see a video of singing whales, visit the Whale Trust.org Humpback Whale Song site. This site also answers many frequently asked questions about whale songs.

Visit the Discovery Channel webpage to hear Humpback whale songs as well as noises from other interesting creatures. (You may need Quicktime, RealPlayer or Windows Media player to access these audio files. DOFAW is not affiliated with Whale Trust or the Discovery Channel.)

Want to learn more about the Humpback's migration? Visit the NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary site to play a fun migration game.


If you'd like to volunteer your time and join others to watch and count whales this winter, visit the NOAA Humpback Whale Sanctuary Ocean Count Volunteer page.

Natural history info and image taken from "Hawaii: A Calendar of Natural Events," 

published by the Bishop Museum and Kamehameha Schools in 1989.

How can you help Hawaii's unique and beautiful natural resources?

Here are a few ideas:

Get outdoors! Try out a new Na Ala Hele trail, visit a forest or spend some time in your neighborhood park. Appreciate what's out there, and spread your enthusiasm to others.

Before and after your hike, make sure to clean your shoes and pant legs. Seeds from invasive plants can stick to the bottoms of your shoes and pants, which can spread to native areas. Help the native forest by keeping it free of weeds!

Plant a tree! For advice about planting the right tree in the right place, visit the Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program webpage.

Plant some native vegetation. For a list of native plants, and tips for how and where to plant them, visit pages 6, 7 and 9 of the Backyard Conservation publication distributed this year on Oahu. Did you get your copy in your newspaper? If not, you can utilize this informative online resource right on your computer! While you're browsing through the booklet, learn about xeriscaping, compost, and water conservation.

Keep the environment free of litter. Make sure your trash goes into the trash can, and join beach and park clean-ups. Visit the Keep America Beautiful webpage for a list of community organizations working to keep Hawaii beautiful. If there are no clean-ups in your neighborhood or at your favorite beach, get friends and family together to start one!

Like spending time at the beach? Volunteer with the NOAA Hawaiian Islands Humpback Ocean Count program. Each winter when the humpback whales stop off in the islands during their annual migration, volunteers post up at beaches on Oahu, Hawaii and Kauai to watch for whales, and monitor their behavior. This information is then reported back to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by location team leaders. For more details about dates, locations and registering to help, visit the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale webpage.

What else can you do to help Hawaii's environment? Leave your ideas in a comment below!

The Richard C. Bartlett Award - A $5,000 Grant For Environmental Education

"Engaging youth to learn about nature and the environment is important. Positive solutions to achieve a sustainable planet begin in the classroom with teachers...who are true leaders in education."  

-Richard C. Bartlett

The Richard C. Bartlett Environmental Education Award is awarded annually to an outstanding educator who has successfully integrated environmental education into his or her daily education programs. The award is given to an educator who can serve as an inspiration and model for others.

A $5,000 cash award is provided for the recipient to continue their work in environmental education. Additionally, as part of the prize, the winner travels to Washington, D.C., to meet with representatives from the  environmental community to further his or her network. Read about previous winners of the Bartlett Award.

This award honors teachers that are bringing environmental education into the curriculum and the community, not just teaching about environmental challenges but also engaging students in the solution.

The award was established in 2007 by the National Environmental Education Foundation to distinguish the teachers who best represent Richard C. Bartlett’s passion for and leadership in environmental education. For more than 40 years, Richard C. Bartlett has been inspiring environmental educators nationwide.  For more information on Mr. Bartlett, read his biography. 

Applications are due January 15th, 2010

Interested?? You can fill-out the online application, which includes six brief essay questions and must be completed online. In addition, at least three letters of support (one from a school administrator, one from a fellow teacher, and one from a student) must be submitted to NEEF by mail or fax.

The winner will be honored during National Environmental Education Week, April 11-17, 2010, and will travel to Washington, D.C. at the end of the month to receive their $5,000 prize, and meet with representatives in the environmental education field.

For more about applying, eligibility, and any questions:

visit: www.neefusa.org/bartlettaward

Or contact Meghan Trossen, Bartlett Award Coordinator

Phone: 202-261-6466

E-mail:  bartlettaward@neefusa.org 

Good luck!