Growing Greener Minds - Summer 2008 (PDF - 453KB)

Teachers and Educators - Please take this survey (External Site) to help us make the Growing Greener Minds newsletter a beneficial tool for you. 

• Expand Your Environmental I.Q.
• Earth 911 - Making Every Day Earth Day (External Site)
• Earth 911 for Students & Teachers
• Our Environment Needs Your Help (External Site) - a partnership with WFTV Ch 9 
• Keep your vehicles in good repair and make breathing a little easier for everyone (2.4MB - requires Adobe Flash Player) 

Air Quality

External Sites

• eXtraordinary Road Trip • XRT - a computer game for eco-drivers
• Air Defenders • the Quest for Clean Air

Biology & More

External Sites

• Tips for Seeing Fall Migrations (NEW !)
• Bird Watching How & Where
• Wildlife viewing
• Florida's Diverse Habitats
• Orange County Great Outdoors
• Critter Questions
• The Florida Snakes Quiz
• Go Fish

Carbon Footprint Calculators

External Sites

• BP's Carbon Footprint Calculator
• Californians Against Waste

Climate Change & Greenhouse Gases

External Sites

• EPA's Climate Change Kids Site
• Thirty Eight Tips for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions (PDF - 397KB)
• What Can You Do About Global Climate Change? Mother Earth Living

Energy

External Sites

• Kids Saving Energy • U.S. Department of Energy

Green Building

• What is Green Building?

Pollinators

External Sites

• Pollinator Partnership
• North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
• US Forest Service - Pollinators
• Status of Pollinators in North America - National Academy of Sciences

Pollution Prevention (P2)

External Sites

• U.S. EPA Pollution Prevention
• FDPE Pollution Prevention Program
  • FDEP Recognizes Pollution Prevention Week
• Florida Pollution Prevention Roundtable
• National Pollution Prevention Roundtable
• US Department of Energy P2

Waste and Recycling

• Recycle City (External Site) 
• Great ReUses for Common Household Items!

Water Science and Conservation

External Sites

• USGS Water Science for Schools 
• St. John's River Water Management District (SJRWMD)
• SJRWMD - Legacy Water Resource Education
• South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD)
• Orange County Water Atlas

Young Kids

• EPD Coloring Book (PDF - 963KB)

Climate Change and Carbon Reduction

External Sites

• DoSomething.org 2008 Increase Your Green • due December 15
• Global Climate Change Education • NASA Research Announcement • Notice of Intent due August 29 • Proposals due October 24 
• National Civic Education Project & Climate Change Educator • due September 12 & September 26 (respectively)

Environmental Education

External Sites

• American Honda Foundation
• Captain Planet Foundation
• Grant Wranglers • K-12 school & teacher grants
• Kids in Need Teacher Grants • due September 30
• Live Green: Teacher Grants
• Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation • due September 27
• Sea World / Busch Gardens Environmental Excellence Awards
• Toyota Tapestry Grants (Science Teachers)
• The Volvo Adventure Competition

Plants, Gardening & Outdoor Education

External Sites

• The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation
• KidsGardening.org
  • Youth Garden Grants
  • Hooked on Hydroponics
• Lowe's Outdoor Classroom Grant Program
• Project Learning Tree: GreenWorks! Butterfly Garden Grants 
• Wild Ones: Seeds for Education

Weather

External Sites

• National Weather Association Sol Hirsch Education Fund Grants

External Sites

Climate Discovery Courses • National Center for Atmospheric Research 

Facing the Future: Educating & Inspiring a Global Generation • The Heritage Institute

External Sites

• Eco-Schools
• Eco-Cycle - Green Star Schools
• Green Schools Initiative
• Alliance to Save Energy - Green Schools Program
• US Green Building Council (USGBC) - About Green Schools
• NWF Campus Ecology

External Sites

October is International Walk to School Month

1     World Habitat Day 

1-7  World Wildlife Week

1-7  Junk Mail Awareness Week

8     Walk to School Day

• iwalk: "the official Web site of International Walk to School Day"
• International Walk to School
• National Education Association (NEA) - Walk to School Day
• FL Department of Transportation - Safe Routes to School
• National Center for Safe Routes to School
• Safe Kids

12-18  Earth Science Week

12-18  National Wildlife Refuge Week - U.S. Fish & Wildlife

18       World Water Monitoring Day

19-25  Waste Reduction Week

25       Make a Difference Day

Summer Swimming

While that freshwater river, lake or pond looks inviting, there may be more in there than meets the eye during the hot summer months.  Look at these links and documents before you and your family dive in!

• Florida Department of Health • Dangerous Parasite in Lake and Pond Water (PDF - 101KB)
• Center for Disease Control • Parasitic Disease Information - Naegleria Infection (External Site) • Print Version (PDF - 137KB)
• Healthy Swimming Starts with You (PDF - 83KB)

DEP's Green Travel Web site

Looking to get away without depleting your wallet, gas tanks or the environment?  With the summer travel season approaching, travel close, clean and green with 2 new FDEP (external) sites:

• Green Travel  
• Florida Green Lodging Program locator map