News

Category: Education

Monday, July 30, 2018

Another Successful Project WET Workshop

  On July 24th, a group of 20 educators earned certificates and took home a copy of the Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0 , after a day spent learning about water quality and the Wolf River, and sampling some of the activities included in the 592-page book - activities with titles such as "A Drop in a Bucket", "The Incredible Journey", and "Sum of Parts."  Thank you to our sponsors, Buckman and Crawford-Howard Private... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Monday, July 30, 2018
Education

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Hands-On Conservation with Citizens of All Ages

     Many thanks to the Webelos from Scout Troop 457, the Cordova Elementary School Robotics Club, the environmental science students and staff from Raleigh Egypt High School, and other adult volunteers who joined us in service projects during the first two weeks of December!    On Saturday morning, Dec. 10th,  several Webelos and their parents (Troop 457), and volunteers Natasha and Marcus Mayton attacked the privet near the trail... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Conservation Education

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Five Star Habitat Projects with SGIS and Kingsbury Students

    SGIS students On Oct. 21st, 9 eighth graders from St. George's Independent School (SGIS) joined WRC staff at Lovitt Woods to clear privet on a beautiful fall morning.  Working cooperatively and energetically, the kids accumulated a huge pile of cut privet in just a couple of hours. THANK YOU!      Before and after The Kingsbury High School garden club met WRC staff after school on Oct. 25th to continue the transformation of the... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Conservation Education

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

IP Raft Trips and a Five Star Service Project

     On May 19th and 20th, students from Winridge Elementary and Soulsville Charter School enjoyed raft trips down the last mile of the Ghost River section of the Wolf thanks to the generosity of International Paper, which sponsors these trips each year.  The groups also walk along the boardwalk at the William B. Clark Preserve and have a picnic by the river.  Even with the rain on Friday, the kids had a great time, and so did the teachers. It was... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Education

Friday, December 18, 2015

Two Water Workshops in Early 2016

Thanks to support from  Buckman, the Wolf River Conservancy will host two water workshops for educators and other interested adults in March 2016.   Healthy Water, Healthy People, designed for educators of grades 6 through university level, will take place at the campus of St. Georges Independent School on Friday, Mar. 11th.  One week later, on Mar. 18th, a Project WET workshop will be held at Memphis Botanic Garden.  Project WET is especially appropriate for elementary... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Friday, December 18, 2015
Education

Monday, July 20, 2015

Natural Highlights: Cliff Swallows

    If you are new to paddling the upper Wolf River, you might not have noticed the colony of Cliff Swallows on the downriver side of Bateman Bridge.  Cliff Swallows are easily recognized by their squarish tails, chestnut throats, light forehead spots and buffy rump patches which contrast with dark blue plumage.  Their gourd-shaped mud nests are small wonders of natural design, and you can watch the birds flying back and forth to supply nestlings with insects... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Monday, July 20, 2015
Natural Highlights Education

Monday, June 29, 2015

Summer Paddling for Youth and Families: Building Skills, Making Memories

Our Summer Paddling Program for Youth and Families was a great success this June, training 46 people of all ages, many of whom had never paddled a canoe before. Three different groups participated in three 4-day training sessions from June 8-25, starting out in the calm waters of a lake, getting a chance to try out a kayak and a stand-up paddleboard, and ending the week with a trip down a section of the Wolf River.  Families were able to learn together and now they'll be able to paddle... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Monday, June 29, 2015
Paddling Education

Monday, May 25, 2015

Spring Service Projects and Raft Trips for Kids

Students from Freedom Prep Academy, Kirby High School, Kate Bond Middle School, and Memphis University School have all worked on habitat restoration projects under WRC's FedEx Five Star Grant.  Most students continued work at the Lucius Burch trailhead area, clearing privet and preparing beds for native plants.  They also rotated through a variety of instructional stations on environmental topics such as the watershed model presented by Clean Memphis. Soulsville Charter School and... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Monday, May 25, 2015
Conservation Education

Friday, May 15, 2015

Our Summer Paddling Program Begins on June 8th!

Sign up now for WRC's Summer Paddling Program for Youth and Families!   Three 4-day sessions will be held June 8-11, 15-18, and 22-25, building paddling skills on nearby lakes and culminating with a trip on the Wolf River.  Kids of any age are welcome to attend with a parent or guardian;  kids 13 and up may attend without an adult.  Teachers and youth leaders are also encouraged to apply.  Other adults will be considered on an individual basis and as space... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Friday, May 15, 2015
Paddling Education

Monday, April 27, 2015

WRC's Faith in Action Clean Up Projects

WRC staff teamed up with Buckman and Nexair employees to clean up a stretch of N. McLean on April 10th. The results: 45 bags of trash and 40 tires; 25 volunteers.   On April 18th, we worked with another great group of 16 volunteers at our Gerber property on Mud Island, cleaning up 45 bags of trash and 75 tires.   And on April 25th, a hardy group of 12 volunteers attacked some huge piles of trash at Epping Way.  The results:  25 bags of trash, 220 tires, 5... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Monday, April 27, 2015
Conservation Volunteer Education

Monday, April 27, 2015

FedEx Volunteers Lend a Hand on April 8th

   A large group of FedEx volunteers helped with Wolf River Conservancy habitat restoration projects on April 8th as part of the FedEx-National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five Star Grant.  The volunteers began preparing butterfly beds and planted native trees at the Lucius Burch trailhead area, and at Lovitt Woods they installed a long row of bluebird houses and 2 large bat boxes with the help of volunteer Jim Waldron.  They also cleared privet and planted native... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Monday, April 27, 2015
Conservation Education

Monday, April 27, 2015

Volunteer Spotlight: Jim Waldron

           The Wolf River Conservancy wishes to express its gratitude to Jim Waldron who has devoted many hours and resources to building and placing nest boxes for birds and bats along the Wolf River.  Jim is an expert builder of nest boxes, having built and installed hundreds over the years, and both his skills and his equipment have been invaluable in enhancing wildlife habitat. As a volunteer for WRC, he has assisted FedEx volunteers with... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Monday, April 27, 2015
Conservation Volunteer Education

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Natural Highlights: Red Buckeye

       The red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is a beautiful small deciduous tree with red tubular flowers sought by hummingbirds as they migrate north in the spring. The large shiny seeds are commonly called buckeyes and they are avoided by most wildlife because they are toxic.  The large, palmately compound leaves are somewhat tropical looking, with five leaflets at the end of each stem. Red buckeye trees are always a pleasure to encounter in the forest, and make a... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Thursday, April 23, 2015
Conservation Natural Highlights Education

Friday, February 20, 2015

Natural Highlights: Wintering Monarchs

  You won't see any Monarch Butterflies in the Midsouth area this time of year.  Right now, the eastern Monarch population is concentrated on a few hectares of mountain forest in central Mexico.  The latest update shows a slight increase in the area occupied by wintering butterflies from last year, from .67 to 1.13 hectares. By comparison, as recently as 2002, butterflies covered 9.35 hectares.   This winter's slightly better numbers are still extremely low and... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Friday, February 20, 2015
Conservation Natural Highlights Education

Monday, January 19, 2015

Project WET Workshop Set for Mar. 13th

  Thanks to the support of Buckman, a Project WET Water Workshop is scheduled for Friday, Mar. 13, at the Memphis Botanic Garden from 9am-3pm. Project WET is especially designed for K-12 educators, introducing them to effective classroom activities to aid in teaching about water, and providing each with a copy of the Project WET 2.0 Curriculum and Activity Guide . Background information on water quality and the Wolf River watershed will also be covered.  The workshop is open to... Read More
Posted by Cathy Justis at Monday, January 19, 2015
Education