New Class Offered for Teachers and Youth Leaders

"Wild About Raptors" will cover Idaho birds of prey. Coeur d'Alene: The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has scheduled a new class aimed primarily for teachers and youth leaders. Called "WILD About Raptors", the class will study Idaho's birds of prey. A live bald eagle, several live owls and falcons, and a boat cruise to view bald eagles will be highlights of the class. The class is slated for December 8-9 at Woodland Middle School in Coeur d'Alene. The workshop includes Friday evening (4-9 p.m.) and Saturday (8 a.m.-6 p.m.). Space is limited. Reservations and a $20 deposit are required. Call the IDFG regional office at 769-1414 for reservations or additional information. The new class is part of the IDFG Project WILD program. However, this is an entirely new course with new course numbers. Participants are eligible to receive one hour of college credit even though they may have received credit for the basic Project WILD class. Each participant in the class will receive a free "Flying WILD" activity guide. The guides were developed and tested by teachers, and are used nationwide. Project WILD activity guides contain wildlife oriented, multi-disciplinary activities for use with students. The activities develop awareness, knowledge and skills concerning the relationships between humans, wildlife and the natural world. Wildlife concepts are related to social studies, mathematics, language arts and other subjects and do not take time away from established curricula. Each workshop involves participants in the activities and demonstrates techniques for integrating the provided materials onto classrooms and informal learning settings. A $20 course fee covers all of the materials and an eagle viewing cruise on Coeur d'Alene Lake. One hour of college credit is optional, available for $50 from most Idaho universities. Project WILD is used in 50 states and seven countries. The goal of the program is to assist learners in developing a commitment to responsible and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment. Wildlife is an indicator of environmental health, and is important to our quality of life. Where there is abundant wildlife there is likely to be clean air, clean water, diverse vegetation and healthy soil. Young people are fascinated by the study of wildlife, opening windows of learning into all subject areas. Project WILD is based on the premise that young people and their teachers have a vital interest in learning about the earth as home for people and wildlife. Over 70 percent of Idaho teachers are currently incorporating " Project WILD" activities in their classrooms.