[MPWG] Announcing a new rainforest education program from the Rainforest Alliance

[Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov]

Thought this might be of interest to fellow MPWG'ers - although it is not
expressly medicinal, education outreach efforts can be important to the
cause.

----- Forwarded by Patricia De Angelis/ARL/R9/FWS/DOI on 09/23/2003 02:56
PM -----
                                                                                                           
                      Tensie Whelan                                                                        
                      <twhelan at ra.org>         To:                                                         
                                               cc:                                                         
                      09/23/2003 12:48         Subject:  Announcing a new rainforest education program     
                      PM                        from the Rainforest   Alliance                             
                                                                                                           
                                                                                                           




                LAUNCH OF RAINFOREST ALLIANCE LEARNING SITE


    The Rainforest Alliance to Kick Off Web-Based Curriculum to Connect
                         Children to Conservation


New York, NY-- The Rainforest Alliance is pleased to announce the launch of
the Rainforest Alliance Learning Site, a brand new, Web-based environmental
curriculum designed to teach children science fundamentals by way of
introducing them to the Rainforest Alliance's current on-the-ground
conservation projects. Beginning on September 15th, kindergarten through
sixth-grade teachers across the country can log onto the Rainforest
Alliance Learning Site at http://
www.rainforestalliance.org/programs/education/  for complete lesson plans,
stories, presentations and background descriptions of species and projects.
Additional supplemental material, such as children's books and essays on
tropical forests will also be available through the Rainforest Alliance.
All information is provided free of charge.


"By connecting children to our conservation projects, it helps them to
understand their role in protecting natural resources," says program
coordinator Julianne Schrader. "What makes this program unique is that it
teaches science, math, language arts and social studies essentials while
addressing the National Standards for Science. Addressing standards is key
as it allows educators to use the Rainforest Alliance Education Program to
meet their curricular demands." The curriculum presents information on
forests, wildlife and local communities, and provides a global perspective
on the importance of protecting the world's natural resources, while giving
students opportunities for direct action.


Through this education program, students will explore five of the
Rainforest Alliance's ongoing conservation initiatives in Latin America.
For example, kindergarteners will come to understand more about the
connection between rainforests and their supermarket as they learn about
Colombia's Cachalú Biological Reserve. The jaguars, manatees, howler
monkeys and loggerhead turtles that inhabit the mystical Maya forests of
Belize are sure to intrigue first graders. In second grade, children will
compare the rich culture of the indigenous Yanomami with settlers seeking a
better life in the Amazon.  Third and fourth grade students will learn how
chocolate is helping to protect forests in Ecuador. And, fifth and sixth
graders will study the connection between coffee and the migratory
songbirds that visit their own backyards each spring.


All of these units were developed by team of teachers with years of
curriculum development and classroom experience, as well as graduate
degrees in education. The team piloted the materials in their own
classrooms in Spring 2002.  Support for the development and distribution of
these education tools was provided by the Arthur K. Watson Charitable
Trust, AT&T, Universal Studios, the Puffin Foundation, the Perrin Family
Foundation, the American Conservation Association and the Independence
Community Foundation.


The Rainforest Alliance works to protect ecosystems and the people and
wildlife that live within them by implementing better business practices
for biodiversity conservation and sustainability. In 58 countries around
the globe, the Rainforest Alliance is helping communities, businesses and
governments to change their land-use practices and working with partners to
set standards for the long-term use of natural resources. For further
information about the Rainforest Alliance, visit
www.rainforest-alliance.org.