Environmental speakers: A resource for teachers

Teachers are always looking for material to bestow knowledge upon their students. It is sometimes a challenge to find material that pertain or relate to the unique island environment of the CNMI. In the absence of local teaching materials, many teachers tend to gather their own resources and fashion their own curriculum. A valuable resource that some teachers have discovered is the availability of speakers that are able to give presentations about the local environment.

Many of the environmental government agencies have an education and outreach section. Their job is to help broadcast information to the public that relate to the protection and the wise use of CNMI’s resources. This component of the agency most likely produces printed materials such as posters, brochures, pamphlets, booklets, as well as produce other materials of different media, such as public service announcements or spots for television, radio, and even the movie theaters. Educators can use these materials for their classes, but it is also important to know that there are speakers within the agencies that are available to make guest appearances in the classrooms.

A good example, and probably one of the better known and most requested of guest speakers is Nate Hawley of the Division of Fish and Wildlife Brown Tree Snake (BTS) Program. He is available upon request to visit a classroom and give a presentation about the BTS program. In his presentation he can inform students about the havoc that invasive species have upon unique island environments such as the CNMI. He can talk a bit about the history of the BTS’ arrival, where it came from, the biology, and how DFW is combating the problem. As a bonus, he sometimes brings a live snake, and maybe even a canine co-worker whose job is to sniff out the invasive pest from its hiding space. Now isn’t that a nice treat for the students?

There are many more speakers in the different government agencies that teachers could use as resources. Coastal Resources Management’s Kathy Yuknavage, for example, has been working on the Walk It, Don’t Drive It campaign for many years. Teachers can use Yuknavage’s knowledge and experience as her presentation touches on a variety of subjects such as endangered species, ecology, and environmental stewardship, to name a few. She can share success stories such as the improvements at Wing Beach where many different agencies and people from the public sector cooperated together in putting up barriers to block vehicle access, informative signs, tree plantings, road improvements, and trash clean up.

By contacting these speakers, teachers can incorporate into their lesson plans valuable sessions that are relevant to the CNMI, coming from people that have first-hand knowledge and experience regarding their topics. So pick up the phone and call, or email them online and give your students a treat. Invite an environmental speaker to your class today!

CoCo

(The voice of CoCo is provided by John Dax Moreno, Coastal Resources Management’s Education and Outreach Coordinator.)