30 Sep Kinda Chic

This week was my first week, and my schedule has slowly started to fill up. I participated in my first outreach event this week; we set up a table at a community event called “Partners in the Park”. The purpose of this event is not only to provide a fun, free event within an at-risk community, but also to bring attention to different organizations. We attended as representatives of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, where I currently work. We also represented Golden Spike National Historical Site, Timpanogos Cave, and Fossil Butte National Historical Site. Although these places are a bit farther than most people were willing to drive, I shared ideas for fun day trips out in nature while learning about Utah’s history. 

At this event, our table had different animal furs and matching skulls, as well as real bird feet and fake skat samples for people to look at and touch. The furs were a hit, and it was interesting to see how many kids in this particular area had no idea what animals were native to Utah. It was also interesting to see how many people were freaked out about the idea of real animal fur, even when we explained that the furs were donated or given to the refuge decades ago and the animals had passed due to natural causes. However, this was a very urban area of Salt Lake City, so it was understandable that most residents weren’t as educated about their native species as someone with more access to environmental education. 

The next day I had the opportunity to tag along on an outreach field trip at an elementary school in my hometown. We taught a lesson about wetlands and macroinvertebrates to two fourth- and fifth-grade classes. They participated very well and were engaged the whole time. I learned a lot from the intern who made the lesson plans and saw how passionate she was about what she created. This specific intern will be leaving at the end of October, and I will be one of the interns taking over some of her work. As a result, it’s interesting to see what has and hasn’t worked for her and what I can bring to her work when she is gone. 

This week I also had some time to prepare for an outreach event I will be doing next week. Next week I have the opportunity to work at an outreach event for homeschooled kids in Northern Utah at Timpanogos Cave. I will focus on the Federal Junior Duck Stamp program, as well as the importance of water conservation and waterfowl species. I spent an entire day putting together a solid program that will hopefully give homeschooled children access to the Junior Duck Stamp Program and teach them more about water conservation in a way that makes sense to them. I will also be using this event to determine what works and what doesn’t when teaching younger kids about the Junior Duck Stamp Program. What works will end up on an outreach table I hope to set up next week in our visitor center!