Workshop Allows Teachers to Go WILD

Where else can Idaho's teachers earn three college credits while crawling in a real bear den, viewing a bald eagle nest, hefting a chinook salmon, studying elk behavior, mist netting for little brown bats and howling for wolves? Nowhere else; only at the West Mountain WILD Workshop from July 6 through 12. Sound interesting? Call 465-8465 for more information. And do it soon: space is limited. "Project WILD is an international, inter-disciplinary curriculum that allows educators to use wildlife as a vehicle for teaching everyday subjects such as math, social studies, english, music, biology and life sciences," Fish and Game conservation educator Evin Oneale noted. "While our agency offers basic, two-day WILD workshops to teach educators how to use this curriculum, we've taken that concept one step further by developing these week-long, in-depth WILD workshops. Participants will leave the workshop with a working knowledge of the fish and wildlife species studied during the week." Total cost for the workshop is $350, which covers meals, lodging, college credits and all materials, including a much-coveted Project WILD shirt. The location isn't bad, either; the workshop will be held at the University of Idaho Field Campus in McCall, on the shores of Payette Lake. Focusing on Idaho's treasured fish and wildlife resources, West Mountain WILD - hosted by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game - emphasizes hands-on learning. The outdoors is the classroom and the experiences are memorable. So for great food, camaraderie, and a lifetime of wildlife experiences packed into one week, plan to be a part of the West Mountain WILD Workshop.