March 2020 Newsletter
Greetings,

Spring is nearly here! This means it's about that time when the weather is finally warm enough to go looking for crayfish.

We have a lot to share on some upcoming events as well as some interesting reads and updates from our amazing community. We've also done some new social media updating so don't forget to check us out.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Janice Elvidge,
Executive Director and Founder

The River Mile Network Sponsored Training Opportunities
Science Educator Workshop
Investigating Crayfish
+ Freshwater Ecosystems
Friday April 24, 2020
9:00 AM to 3:30 PM
A Joint Education Training Opportunity
Presented by:
National Park Service, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, The River Mile Network, Engaging Every Student and The REACH Museum
Location:
The REACH Museum
1943 Columbia Park Trail
Richland, WA 99352

Registration Deadlines:
When full or April 6, 2020
Save $ register early!
Before March 1, 2020 $30
March 2-April 10, 2020 $35
April 11-24 $40
Financial Assistance is available! For More Information and to submit a request  Click Here .
Project WET and IdaH2O Teacher Training
3rd-12th Grade Educators Training
May 13, 2020
9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Memorial Hall, Davenport, WA

A Joint Education Training Opportunity
Presented by:
National Park Service, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, The River Mile Network, and the University of Idaho Extension
Instructor: U-Idaho Extension Educator, Jim Ekins
208-292-1287      idah2o@uidah.edu
   
Registration Deadline: When Full  
 
Hands-On Resources, Curriculum, Lunch/Refreshments & In-Service Credit! 
Teacher’s Guide adaptable for grades 3-12 with reproducible handouts
FREE Resources Passed Out at Workshop
Student Science Symposium

May 20, 2020
Whitworth University
Spokane, WA
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM


We invite you and your students to participate in The River Mile's 13th Annual Student Science Symposium. Where STEM meets the Columbia River!

About The Symposium:

Cost
The symposium is free to attend! There are also limited funds for transportation reimbursements for schools that present a need for financial support.

Event Description
This event offers 3rd-12 th  grade students and teachers the opportunity to explore natural and cultural resources to learn about the environment and how scientists and resource managers study and manage these resources. Keynote speakers, special presentations and concurrent sessions are selected to enhance students understanding of the essential question: “How do relationships among components of an ecosystem affect watershed health?” The symposium serves between 100 and 250 students per year, with room for more.

Symposium Location
Whitworth University in Spokane, WA. This year our keynote will be in the multipurpose room and general session as the Weyerhauser Teaching Auditorium is being remodeled. Breakout sessions will occur throughout campus, indoors and out. Directions will be sent with your final information packet.

Concurrent Presentations
Most concurrent sessions are for 25-30 students per session (plus chaperones). If your group is larger than this, you will need to be divided into smaller groups and may be combined with a group from another school. Each small group will attend 2 concurrent sessions (see schedule below).
Sessions are  at least 1 hour in length  and occur in classrooms, outdoors, or a mixture.


We are also looking for presenters! If you would like to help us out and register as one please Click Here !
i-STEM Opportunity for Formal and Informal Educators
This is an amazing opportunity too good to pass up. With over 30 different workshop strands available to choose from, there's something for everyone. There are possibilities for participation sponsorship, but funding closes March 9 so hurry up and apply!

The cost for this program is $1000 for out of state, private school, home school, retired and vendor/for profit, but only $90 for Idaho educators , formal and informal.
Idaho educators participating in all 4 days are also eligible for travel reimbursement.
i-STEM at Lewis-Clark State College - Idaho STEM Action...

i-STEM at Lewis-Clark State College This year the i-STEM Institute at Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC) in Lewiston will be June 15-18, 2020. Over these four days, participants attend a workshop strand, participate in general sessions with keynote ...

Read more
stem.idaho.gov
Creating Outdoor Field Investigations
June 17-18, 2020
9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Lake Roosevelt Jr./Sr. High School, Coulee Dam, WA
A Joint Education Training Opportunity
Presented by:
National Park Service, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, The River Mile Network, and the University of Idaho Extension
Instructor:
Janice Elvidge, Education Specialist, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Registration Deadline: When Full  
Field Testing Opportunity
Exceptional opportunity to include your students in a field test of a critical real world issue - to save the last wild salmon system on Earth!

Have you seen the documentary film,  The Wild ? An urgent threat emerges to spur fisherman/filmmaker, Mark Titus back to the wilds of Alaska, where the people of Bristol Bay and its storied wild salmon runs face devastation if a massive copper mine is constructed.

Mark invites you to bring this critical issue into your classroom, allowing your students to participate in the urgent need to save the Bristol Bay watershed!  The
documentary film, The Wild, and the accompanying curriculum provide an exceptional opportunity for you and your students to engage in a real-life struggle to save the last fully-intact wild salmon system left on Earth. The film introduces students to stunning visuals of the pristine wilderness that is the Bristol Bay watershed and to those who survive and thrive on the bounty of this salmon run. They also learn of the very real and immediate threat to this unique place, delving deeply into the issues and perspectives of a variety of stakeholders.
By taking action, students can play a vital role in preserving this rare and valuable resource, as well as the lives of those who depend on the return of this healthy salmon run.

Become a field tester!
We need classes in grades 6-12 to field test the curriculum. The director, Mark Titus, wants to hear your feedback on how to make it understandable and effective for teachers and students to share nationwide. Classes can be one or more grade levels.

Requirements
1) Sign up by contacting Laura Tucker at  Ltucker@berkeley.edu . Include your grade level, time frame when you could field test the curriculum, and how this will benefit you and your students.

2) The curriculum and testing covers 7 sessions and will take 7-9 class periods. See the attached “Intro and Table of Contents” for the time frame and objectives. You will need to field test the whole unit in order to participate.

3) Complete a feedback survey after each of the 7 sessions
Free Online Teacher Training
Earth Day Turns 50 This Year!
Get Ready to Teach About Climate
To celebrate  50 years of Earth Day , we're teaming up with the  National Wildlife Federation  and  Project WILD  to provide a professional development opportunity you won't want to miss. On March 23, we're launching a FREE online training for educators on climate topics. This self-paced course will prepare you to lead your students in a full week of climate education, community building and storytelling.

Educators who complete the course will also receive access to two activities from our highly anticipated  Climate, Water and Resilience Educator Guide , as well as Project WILD climate activities and NWF resources. Did we mention it's all free? Sign up today to reserve your spot in the training!

Have an upcoming event
you'd like us to promote?
Our network partners are always on the move. If you would like to see your next event in our quarterly newsletter, please email us at LARO_river_mile@nps.gov .

Want to see it on The River Mile's website? Use the link below.

TRM State News
Woodlawn School Crayfish Reflection
Rick Reynolds

Woodlawn Elementary School in Portland, Oregon has been enthusiastically engaging in the Crayfish Study Program from The River Mile Network (TRM). This program allows students and staff from the school to participate in citizen science work in the community and connect to the school’s STEAM goals (science, technology, engineering, art, and math).
 
The third-grade classes were able to participate in lessons from the Investigating Crayfish and Freshwater Ecosystems curriculum last year, including hands-on STEAM projects such as building clay models of crayfish and explaining their adaptations, collecting data in the field at Oxbow Regional Park in Gresham, OR, and dissecting invasive red swamp crayfish. They presented what they learned to the rest of the school community during their STEAM Night, which even included a delicious crayfish étouffée that everyone had the opportunity to enjoy.
 
TRM educator and curriculum author Rick Reynolds teamed up teachers Christopher Ransom and Kim Howard, as well as a number of parent volunteers to lead the activities and take students on the field students. The Woodlawn PTA and principal Andrea Porter-Lopez have also been very helpful with providing support for busses and other logistical matters. The students and teachers are so excited to participate again this spring, and they are now more concerned about protecting and restoring water quality, because they know that crayfish, other wildlife, and people depend on clean water to survive. 
 
Woodlawn is a diverse Pre-Kindergarten to 5th grade school in NE Portland with 350 students. It is a Title 1 (low-income) school with 74% free and reduced lunch. They recently became the first Planetary STEAM school in Portland. They chose a Planetary theme to connect the students to a diverse scientific community who study our home planet, in addition to the world above us. They were also recently received the Green Flag award from the National Wildlife Federation Eco-Schools USA program for their students’ environmental work. There are only 94 Green Flag schools in our nation and Woodlawn was the second school in Oregon to earn this award.
 
Woodlawn students are passionate about learning about our planet and ways that they can help. The Crayfish Study Program complements the Eco-School USA Watersheds, Oceans, and Wetlands (WOW) pathway and curriculum for their 3rd grade classrooms. This citizen science project also allows the students to use their Vernier LabQuest water testing supplies (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity).
Check Out this Article!
Colorado River Is in Danger of a Parched Future

The Colorado River is a lifeline. It flows from the central Rocky Mountains of Colorado and Wyoming through five other U.S. states, 11 U.S. national parks and two Mexican states on a 1,450-mile-long journey that supplies water to 40 million...

Read more
www.scientificamerican.com
News from Around the Watershed
Invent Washington 2020 State Invention Convention in Spokane!

When
 Saturday, April 18, 2020

Where
 North Central High School
 1600 North Howard Street
 Spokane, WA 99205


Dear Invent Washington Teacher, Coach, Parent;

The time is now to register your school or program for the Invent Washington State Invention Convention to be held on April 18, 2020. Once you finish the registration process, you will be sent registration forms for your students, and detailed information about the 2020  WA iCon .
  
As part of Invent Washington, the inventive thinking process is taught to students through an interdisciplinary curriculum. The national "Next Generation Science Standards", Washington State's Common Core Standards, and the Professional Development Requirements for Highly Capable Programs are supported through student creative problem-solving, critical thinking and innovation activities taught in Invent Washington's curriculum. 
  
Schools, programs, individual students and districts have their own "Invention Conventions" and regional competitions. " Best of Show " winners from those competitions may participate in the  Invent Washington 2020 State Invention Convention in Spokane on Saturday, April 18th,   WA iCon . Payment options include credit card, check, PayPal and Purchase Order.

 
INVENT WASHINGTON
Open to students in grades K-9; 
Grade Divisions: K-2, 3-4,  5-6, 7-9
 
Invention Categories : Health; Energy/Environment; Agriculture/Animals; Consumer Services; Entertainment;
Jules Verne; Education; Public Safety.   CHOOSE ONE!
  • The overall theme of the invention must enhance the quality of life and be humane
  • Each invention must include a three-dimensional model, prototype, or actual invention
  • An Inventor's Logbook must accompany the invention documenting the invention process, assistance (if any) from others, materials donated or purchased, goal or problem solved by the invention, blue prints, diagrams, and so on.
  • Cost of new materials is not to exceed $25.00, including a free-standing display and model
Judging Criteria : Originality; Research, Communication & Documentation; Solution, Accomplishes Goal, Solves Problem; Display /Design; and Logbook

Cost :   $200.00 per school or program, which entitles you up to 64 invention project entries in the state competition...top three winners in each of the eight categories for each grade level division. Note: Individual Student Inventors, whose current school is not participating, may also register individually for $35.00. Just mark on the registration form, "Paying by Check", and then mail in the fee.

Deadline to Register: Friday, March 6, 2020!!
Register Early so your students have more time to submit their individual student registration forms.
 
Please, feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding registration. I'm happy to be of assistance in any way I can.
  
We look forward to seeing you at North Central High School in Spokane, WA on April 18, 2020!  
  
Sincerely,
 
Deb Johnson 
Invent Washington 
509-599-4200  

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is hosting a series of six statewide meetings for informal science educator professional development in 2020. All meetings are co-hosted with regional education service districts and will have similar agendas with locally tailored content. The meetings are designed to support informal science educators in implementing best practices for science, environmental, and sustainability education.

Each meeting will:
  • Include an overview of the state Environmental and Sustainability Literacy Plan (ESLP),
  • Provide an opportunity to review and provide input on draft revised goals for the plan,
  • Connect participants to resources and practices developed as a result of the state’s ClimeTime Proviso,
  • Provide time for active learning and networking among participants.

Meeting dates/locations:
March 27 – Professional Development Center/Tacoma, WA
March 31 – Brightwater Environmental Education Center/Woodinville, WA
April 28 – Spokane Water Resource Center/Spokane, WA
April 29 – ESD 123 Professional Development Center/Pasco, WA
May 1 – Central Washington University/Ellensburg, WA
May 12 – Vancouver Water Resource Center/Vancouver, WA

All meetings will open at 8 am for registration, begin at 8:30, and run until 4:30 pm, although this is subject to change. You will be emailed a confirmation when you register. Meeting organizers will send an agenda and additional information about two weeks prior to your meeting.
Meet Your Managers
An Introduction of Deb Berg

Hi!
My name is Deb Berg, and I am the membership manager for The River Mile (TRM). I am a retired teacher of 27 years and have been part of TRM since its inception. During my participation in TRM, my students and I inadvertently started the Crayfish Project in the fall of 2012. Since then, the students have taken a leading role in TRM trainings and programs, and are still going strong even though I have retired!

I’m happy to be able to continue working with The River Mile in the capacity of the membership manager! If you have any questions about The River Mile or its programs, please feel free to contact me at -  therivermile@gmail.com
Social Media News

Social Media Updates!

Some of you may have already noticed that we are finally giving some much needed love to our neglected media outlets.

Our first change has been made to our Facebook page in that we have a new one! From now on, updates will no longer come through The River Mile page and can now be found on The River Mile Network page.

Another change we've made is the reinstatement of our Instagram page. After it's first and final post in 2018, we figured it was time to go back. We have so many new ideas as well! There will be a photo contest every month for the best picture of a watershed. This contest is open to all; students, teachers, etc. If you'd like to show off your mile of the river, now's your chance! We also HIGHLY encourage sending us photos of your classroom or citizen science experiences, the more the merrier.

The Twitter page has also been put back to use and we are excited to get going with it. We want to showcase our network anywhere and everywhere so please send pictures, updates, comments, concerns, recipes, what have you. As citizen scientists, each of us knows all too well that all data is good data.

In addition, we'd also like to introduce a new friend of The River Mile, our (stuffed) crayfish Dorito. Much like a real crayfish, he likes to wander. For one week, Dorito will visit a classroom. During this time we invite Dorito's gracious hosts to snap pictures of him throughout the duration of his visit. At the end of the week, he moves on to invade other classrooms. If you would like more information or if you would like to sign up to receive Dorito, please send an email to kayla_morales@partner.nps.gov

This is an opportunity to get creative and spark interest, have fun with it!
Our Instagram handle is therivermilenetwork and our Twitter handle is @The_River_Mile
The icons below are also direct links to our accounts.

If you would like to submit any contest pictures or something that you would like featured on our media outlets, please direct message either of these accounts. You can also email the address above with further inquiries. If nothing else, follow us for some really cool content by clicking on the buttons below.
The River Mile Website News
Join the Community
Visit therivermile.org , click on "joinTRM" and complete the network registration form.

Community Groups
Once you log in you can request membership in community groups. Don't see a group you think would be valuable? Send the suggestion to the webmaster.



Crayfish Virtual Training
Sign up for the virtual training!



Seeking Feedback!
There are feedback buttons on the web pages for you to submit suggestions for content and organization ideas; and a form to submit documents, websites, PowerPoints, videos and other resources to the online library.