KIDS GONE WILD! STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT CONSERVATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Contact: Lori Haynes (561) 236-8431
Gary Morse (863) 648-3200

What’s it like to be a sea turtle hatchling making its life-threatening trek from sand to sea? How does a bug see the world? Why do birds have feathers? Why is a flounder flat?

Students nationwide, including many in Florida will be getting their hands dirty and their curiosity piqued this school year as they answer some wild questions about wildlife.

Project WILD, one of the most widely used conservation and environmental education programs in the nation, has taught 1 million educators how to bring the outdoors into the classroom. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission provides the materials and training to Florida teachers, who pass their knowledge of the natural world on to their students. Each year, about 55,000 teachers nationwide receive training, including 1,738 in Florida this year who have reached about 43,000 students.

“It’s rewarding to see students get excited about wildlife and the environment,” said Lori Haynes, statewide Project WILD coordinator. “After every lesson, we hear, ’Can we do this again? Can we do this again?’”

In the past 23 years, Project WILD facilitators have trained almost 60,000 Florida educators, our state’s portion of the one million teachers trained nationally.

Project WILD capitalizes on the natural interest that children and adults have in wildlife by providing hands-on activities that enhance student learning in all subject and skill areas. With lessons like “Oh, Deer!” and “Turtle Hurdles,” students learn about wildlife populations, habitats and how animals adapt to the changing planet.

So just how does it feel to be a bear roaming around in Florida looking for the 80 pounds of meat, berries, leaves and insects it takes to fill its belly every 10 days? Ask a Project WILD kid.

For more information on Project WILD, visit MyFWC.com/educator/projwild.html or projectwild.org.