Update and Opportunities- Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners Fall semester 2007
Greetings! We write to update you on the teaching resources and activities of the Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners (NCEP), a project of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation of the American Museum of Natural History, and individual faculty members and institutions in the U.S. and abroad. NCEP Modules On the NCEP website <http://ncep.amnh.org/>http://ncep.amnh.org, you can download and use a series of teaching modules on topics related to biodiversity conservation. These modules are free to users, and are designed to encourage student-active and engaged approaches to the material. Currently available modules include our core or base modules: What is Biodiversity?, Why is Biodiversity Important? and Threats to Biodiversity: An Overview Also available are the following (most with all components, a few with only Exercises) Applied Demography, Assessing Threats in Conservation Planning, Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystem Management, Biodiversity Conservation and Integrated Conservation Development Projects, Biological Invasions, Conservation Genetics, Ecosystem Loss and Fragmentation, Fundamentals of Nature Interpretation, The Global Carbon Cycle and Climate Change, International Treaties for Marine Conservation and Management, Introduction to Marine Conservation Biology, Marine Conservation Policy, Marine Protected Areas and MPA Networks, Marine Reserves and Local Fisheries, Metapopulations, Monitoring for Adaptive Management in Conservation Biology, and Protected Areas and Biodiversity Conservation I: Reserve Planning and Design, New modules and case studies available for the first time this semester include:Ecological Consequences of Extinctions, Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystem Management, and The Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals (case study.) Visit the NCEP website <http://ncep.amnh.org/>http://ncep.amnh.org to download the most updated versions of these modules, and browse the list of available modules or do a search to find specific modules and case studies. Many of the existing topics are also available in Spanish and French. (Note: Registration and downloading are free and are open to the public; module Presentation Notes and Exercise Solutions are available to teachers and trainers upon request after registration by contacting us at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]). If you have questions about NCEP or using the modules, please contact Dr. Nora Bynum, NCEP Project Director, at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] and we will be happy to review your syllabus with you and discuss how any of the currently available NCEP topics might be useful in your courses. Participating in NCEP Please consider becoming part of our Faculty Focus Group (FFG). The FFG is working with NCEP to test and develop content and process skills assessment tools. Members of the FFG also have the opportunity to attend active teaching faculty development workshops, and in some cases can receive support to attend professional meetings to present the results of using NCEP materials in the classroom. For example, eight spring 2007 FFG participants recently presented the results of their work with NCEP at the meetings of the Ecological Society of America (ESA). Please contact Christine Engels (<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED]) if you are interested in participating in this effort; we are especially interested in recruiting participants from minority-serving institutions (MSIs). Please note that you do not have to be a member of the FFG to use NCEP modules; modules are open to all and the FFG is simply another way of being involved. There are many other opportunities to become involved in NCEP. You can help test and assess the materials with your students, review parts of modules or help develop new materials. For more information about these opportunities, please email us at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] We look forward to hearing from you. As NCEP strives to provide resources to support teaching conservation, we will keep you informed of new modules and other relevant resources. Please help us spread the word, forward this message to anyone who you think may be interested in NCEP. If you would prefer not to receive periodic updates, please let us know and we will take your name out of our list of contacts.
