How to Raise Environmentally Responsible Kids

Grades PreK-3
Talking with your child about the environment and ways to help take care of our planet can help your child establish eco-friendly habits that make a difference!

Gaylord Nelson: A Vision for the Earth | Wisconsin Biographies

Grades 3-8
In this PBS Wisconsin Education resource, learn how Gaylord Nelson had an idea for a day focused on the environment. That idea would become the internationally recognized annual event Earth Day. Born and raised in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, Nelson went on to become a state senator, governor of Wisconsin, and a United States senator. All along the way, he made the environment a priority by protecting natural resources through advocacy, policies, and inspiring greater awareness of the need to care for the earth.

Earth Day: A View from Above | STEM in 30

Grades 3-8
The people of Earth didn’t see a photo of our planet until the late 1960s. Photos of Earth changed the way we think about our planet. In this webcast we look at the beginnings of Earth Day and how a better understanding of our place in the universe has evolved through photographic discoveries.

The Resilient Ones: A Generation Takes on Climate Change Collection

Grades 6-12
The Resilient Ones: A Generation Takes on Climate Change highlights the effects of climate change in the Adirondack region of upstate New York. In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, three high school students embark on a journey to meet local leaders and climate innovators in search of short-term adaptive strategies to extreme weather and long-term solutions to reduce carbon emissions. Explore this collection of resources that promote climate change education by inspiring students to make real-world connections within their own communities.

The Reality of Plastic | Engineering for Good

Grades 6-12
Plastic. It’s super useful but it’s also a big problem for the environment. Enough plastic is thrown away every year to circle the earth four times! The main issue is that plastic doesn’t break down, meaning it sticks around for a very long time. This video gives a quick overview of the scope of the plastic problem and what some people are doing to try to solve it.

Lake Champlain Basin Program 

The Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources, in partnership with government agencies, private organizations, local communities, and individuals.

The Wild Center

The Wild Center is a natural history center in Tupper Lake, New York, near the center of New York State’s Adirondack Park. The experiences, exhibits and programs at The Wild Center are designed to open new ways to look into the latest discoveries made by natural scientists and their educational programming serves to engage learners of all ages in an exploration of the natural world.

AdkAction

AdkAction’s mission is to create innovative projects that address unmet needs, promote vibrant communities, and preserve the natural beauty of the Adirondacks for all. Get involved with some of their initiatives like The Adirondack Pollinator Project, which helps promote the health of pollinators in our ecosystem and provides resources to become a pollinator advocate, and the Adirondack Compost for Good program, helping our communities turn food and other organic “wastes” into high quality compost.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive. Through their work they focus on innovative solutions to climate change, protecting and restoring forest, and helping communities build resilience. The Nature Conservancy has a local chapter in New York State focused on initiatives across the Adirondacks, Central and Western New York, and the New York Metro area.

Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center

The Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center is dedicated to fostering connections with nature for students, local residents, and regional visitors by providing outdoor recreation opportunities, experiential education programs, and year-round art exhibitions. Explore over 25 miles of year-round trails for hiking, nature watching, lean-to camping, and more! Stop in at the center for current trail conditions and day or season passes.

Wednesday, April 17

1 PM: TED Explores: A New Climate Vision

The documentary looks at the encouraging growth of technologies that can slow or reverse climate change. While the effects of climate change are growing, so are the world’s attempts to reverse them. Hosted by Manoush Zomorodi of the TED Radio Hour, this special from the team behind TED Talks examines the rapid technological revolution underway and the real possibility of a better future for all.

• PBS LearningMedia: Renewable Energy: Clean Tech Solutions | Exploring Energy

2 PM: We’re All Plastic People Now

Introduced by actor and environmentalist Ted Danson, We’re All Plastic People Now investigates the hidden story of plastic and its effects on human health. In an era of throw-away ease, convenience has cost us our well-being. We’re All Plastic People Now asks the question, how much evidence do we need before we decide to take action?

• PBS LearningMedia: The Reality of Plastic | Engineering for Good

Thursday, April 18

1 PM: Learning Wild

In the rugged backcountry of the Gila, Dr. Travis Perry of Furman University runs a unique field school, allowing biology and ecology students to live and work in this remote and challenging environment. See what happens when they interact with wolves, bear and other wildlife on their journey to become the conservation leaders of the future.

• PBS LearningMedia: Steve MacLean: Conservationist

2 PM: Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species

Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species is an exciting and informative film by Westfield Production Company. The documentary introduces the concept of invasive species and highlights some of the species threatening New York’s environment and economy, while also showing some innovative ways that New York State is combatting these threats. Uninvited features the collaborative work of DEC and its partners including NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets, the eight Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISMs), New York State Invasive Species Research Institute (NYISRI), and more.

• PBS LearningMedia: What are Invasive Species? | Uninvited: The Spread of Invasive Species

Monday, April 29

2 PM: Changing Planet: Coral Special

Every year over seven years, conservationist M. Sanjayan anchors a global storytelling effort to monitor seven iconic locations across the planet. In the third year of this 7-year project examining the issues facing the planet’s most threatened ecosystems, Dr. M. Sanjayan visits the Maldives to take an in-depth look at coral reefs and the urgent efforts to help them survive climate change.

• PBS LearningMedia: Coral Reef Restoration Through Assisted Evolution I Reef Rescue