New Project WILD Workshop Scheduled for Teachers

Project WILD's "Wild about Turkeys" workship is scheduled for May 7 and 8 in Stateline. Wild turkeys are strange in appearance and behavior. People often ask whether they are native to Idaho. When told that wild turkeys are not native to the Gem State, people ask how they came to be living in the forests and fields of Idaho. Other inquiries are likely to follow. "What do they eat? Do they gobble like barnyard turkeys? Is there a turkey hunting season? Do they taste like store bought turkeys?" K-12 educators or a youth leaders can learn the answers to these and many other questions about this strange bird by attending a new workshop developed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game called "Wild About Turkeys." The workshop is scheduled from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 7, and from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.Saturday, May 8. Yes, that's 5 a.m. We plan to head to the woods to try to hear and perhaps view this unique bird in the wild. The workshop will be at Cabela's in Stateline, Idaho, near Post Falls. This new workshop will focus on the biology, ecology, and management of wild turkeys here in Idaho, and is for those educators who work in the K-12 curriculum. Participants will be introduced to Project WILD activities geared toward turkeys, as well as receive a curriculum guide from the National Wild Turkey Federation, and Idaho Fish and Game educator's packet, book "All About Turkeys", dinner Friday evening, and other materials. As with all Project WILD workshops, participants will get hands-on experience with activities, projects, materials and a variety of educational tools they can take back to the classroom. And, this particular workshop will treat participants to a field trip to see wild turkeys. The registration fee for WILD About Turkeys is $30. As an option, participants can attend the workshop for college credit at an additional cost.