LEEF Fall Mini-Conference

Learn how to connect your students to authentic participatory science through bird counts. Participants will receive tips and tools to hold seasonal bird counts at their location. Excite your students with the discovery of what feathered friends visit your campus throughout the year. This presentation will include a short bird count with loaner binoculars.

This interactive presentation puts the spotlight on sit spot routines, which is the practice of observing nature from the same place repeatedly. Through this routine, students of all ages can build a deeper connection with nature, hone their observational skills and practice mindfulness. Katie Caldwell will share what she learned through implementing sit spots at Archbold's Ecology Summer Camp including tips, tools and recommendations for facilitating. Participants will even get the opportunity to practice at their own sit spot!

Audiences and players will learn about different kinds of pollinators. They will also discover some of the challenges they face when collecting pollen and nectar, such as avoiding predators.

This interactive session will explore why people of all ages seek encounters and connections with wildlife, and how environmental educators incorporate this fascination into programs. Participants will get a chance to share tips and challenges with other environmental educators and an educational researcher. The topics covered will include ideas for moving beyond charismatic megafauna, emphasizing respect & appreciation for other living things, teaching for interspecies empathy, and a framework for classifying what makes animal encounters & experiences significant.

At the Spring 2024 LEEF Annual Conference a group of passionate and/or aspiring climate educators came together to share activities and ideas. It was informative and inspiring to participate in a few activities, share our challenges, and envision a path forward. Let's do it again! Those attending this session will participate in a few new student-centered activities, contribute to a state-wide plan, and continue to map our next steps toward building a climate-literate Florida!  

What happens when youth are given the power to tackle environmental challenges in their communities? Explore Mapping Justice, where students learn how to use data, design, and technology for social change. In a showcase of student-led efforts to strengthen climate resiliency in Florida using GIS (Geographic Information Systems), this session will delve into their compelling projects, emphasizing the importance of geospatial technology in addressing climate challenges and social equity issues.

A conversation with the Florida Climate Education Network to discuss where we are with climate education in Florida, what support or barriers educators are having, and where we would like it to go.

Take a walk on the boardwalk through the mangrove forest with ELC staff to take an up-close look at the leaves, prop roots, and surroundings.