Fish and Game Plans Summer Workshop for Teachers

If you are already a WILD teacher-one who has taken a Project WILD workshop sponsored by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game-then you have what it takes to go "wild" for Fish and Game's newest summer workshop. Come join us this summer for "WILD About High Deserts." This workshop will run from July 16 through July 20 at Camp Taylor on Scout Mountain only 12 miles from Pocatello. There, in a gorgeous mountain setting, educators will learn about the amazing beauty and fragility of the high deserts that surround us. They will also learn of the fantastic animals that live in Idaho's deserts, and the challenges they face in their unique environment. This summer workshop will include presentations, activities and other information tools that teachers can take back to the classroom. Experts will present programs on the high desert ecosystem, sage grouse, mule deer, elk, pygmy rabbits, coyotes, snakes, cutthroat trout, fire ecology and much more. Participants will spend an afternoon in the high desert at the Portneuf Wildlife Management Area searching for reptiles and kangaroo rats, and setting live traps for other fascinating high desert creatures. Imagine visiting the Bear Lake Refuge for an informational tour, learning to use radio telemetry equipment to track mule deer, and setting up nets to catch bats right in camp. In addition, participants will receive a variety of educational materials for the classroom, including activity guides, posters and DVDs. "Project WILD is a wonderful instrument Fish and Game uses to help educators get the students they teach connected to the outdoors and to Idaho's wildlife resource," said Jennifer Jackson, regional conservation educator for Fish and Game's Southeast Region. "If we can educate youth early on, they not only grow up with a love and appreciation for wildlife, they will be better stewards of the resource." The cost for "WILD About High Deserts" is $245, which includes transportation while at the workshop, all meals, lodging in Camp Taylor's cabins, and all materials. Plus participants can take this workshop for three credits at an additional cost of $150. To register, contact Jennifer Jackson at the Fish and Game office in Pocatello at 208-232-4703 or mail in the registration form found on Fish and Game's Website at http://fishandgame.idaho.gov.