The Onondaga Audubon Society is pleased to offer the Ruth Engelbrecht Scholarship to an educator who wishes to learn how to engage children with nature. Typically the scholarship covers everything except for travel expenses.
We are pleased to announce that our chapter will again offer a scholarship to an educator who wishes to attend camp next summer on beautiful Hog Island in Maine. The program, “Sharing Nature: An Educator’s Week,” will be offered from July 19-24, 2012. Print and complete this application: Scholarship Application.
The Ruth Engelbrecht Scholarship program awarded by Onondaga Audubon has in recent years sent local educators to National Audubon’s Hog Island Educators Week. Two local educators, Tracey Burke Laszlo of Onondaga Central School System and Chris Lajewski of Montezuma Audubon Center were the recipients of scholarships in 2011.
The following are their reports.
Hog Island was an experience of a lifetime. The setting is historic and beautiful. The people are dynamic, exceptional in knowledge, sharing and kindness. The variety of learning opportunities included birding, sea life, geology, pond and bog life, authors, illustrators, photographer, insects, after dark exploration and of course puffins!
Different breakout sessions were offered each morning and afternoon. There were also evening presentations as well as pre- breakfast birding and hiking. It was exciting to be with a group of over 70 like- minded people yet at the same time there was such diversity. The opportunity to learn from each other and share strategies and best practices will have a positive impact on countless numbers of students of all ages. As we
share what we have learned, in classrooms, nature centers, with friends and family, and in everyday life we create connections and a better understanding of the world we live in. As Charles Jordan (The Conservation Fund) said, “What they do not know, they will not protect, and what they do not protect, they will lose.”
Attending Educators Week at Hog Island was a tremendous gift. Thank you to the Onondaga chapter of the Audubon Society and the Ruth Engelbrecht Scholarship program for a life changing experience.
Tracey Burke Laszlo
I can summarize my experience on Hog Island in one word; inspirational. From the natural beauty of the rugged Atlantic coast, to the majestic mountains climbing high in the sky, from the playful Atlantic puffins and tasty lobsters to the knowledge and creativeness of the educators and facilitators, everything was inspiring. I realize now that opportunities like this will not come around too often. A week on an island with colleagues from around the world, sharing ideas to connect people with nature, swimming in the 60 degree ocean, no access to phones or emails; how magical!
Out of all the hiking, swimming, sharing, eating, and boating, the experiences that will remain with me the closest are those that I shared with fellow naturalist and Audubon employee Ted Gilman from Greenwich, CT. From birds to bugs and owls to opossum, Ted is an amazing naturalist! I followed him around and joined his training sessions as often as I could. With many years of experience, Ted openly shared ideas for connecting young children to birds. He mucked around with us in the pond looking for macroinvertebrates and shared ideas for connecting people to these small creatures. Ted is an excellent owl caller and he delighted us while having a conversation with a Barred Owl on the other side of the bay. I learned many new tricks of the interpretive trade from Ted and I have already used some to spice up my programs. Jokingly, I said to other educators at Hog Island that I wanted to kidnap Ted and bring him back to Montezuma with me! Ted is inspirational and I hope our paths cross again. But until then, I am loaded with new tools for my interpretive tool belt and it’s time to inspire!
Chris Lajewski
