Playa Festival Educators

Playa Festivals would not be possible without the amazing folks who give their time and energy to making memorable presentations during Playa Festivals.

DAVID HAUKOS, PH.D.
David Haukos, Ph.D is a professor at Texas Tech University and a biologist for US Fish & Wildlife. At each Playa Festival Dr. Haukos presents two learning modules. The first is "Playa Overview" where Festival participants learn what playas are, what they do, and why they are important from this leading expert. Dr. Haukos also teaches "Playa Plants," a natural fit for the co-author of "Common Flora of the Playa Lakes."

GAIL BARNES & JASPER THE BARN OWL

Gail Barnes is the Educator for the South Plains Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Nightwings, non-profits in Lubbock, Texas dedicated to rehabilitation of injured, orphaned, or ill wildlife. Gail is state and federally permitted to do programs with educational animals (wildlife that could not be released back into the wild). She is usually the highlight of Playa Festivals delighting the children with Jasper the Barn Owl, and several other raptors that travel with her.

JIM STIERT

To delight Playa Festival participants with duck calls and pseudo thunderstorms is author and waterfowler, Jim Stiert. Jim's presentation, titled "Playa Lakes Buffers & Waterfowl" illustrates challenges faced by playa wetlands and the ducks and geese that depend on playas for habitat.

DARRYL BIRKENFELD, PH.D
Not only is he the Executive Director of Ogallala Commons! Darryl Birkenfeld teaches students about an array of subjects, including soils, macro invertebrates, and amphibians. His presentations are filled with stories about his personal experiences on playas. Dr. Birkenfeld also assists in leading the field trip to a playa on Day 1 of each Playa Festival.

JULIE BOATRIGHT, MS
Julie Boatright is the Education Coordinator for Ogallala Commons. She teaches Bird Identification and Nature Journaling at Playa Festivals, as well as serving as a guide at each Playa field trip.


NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE
At each Playa Festival a representative from the county NRCS office assists in teaching and scouting out field trip locations. This is an important and vital role for Playa Festivals.


All photographs are by Crystal Hogue, Education and Public Relations for UWCD in West Texas.

Conservation Education Days

2009 was a banner year for Playa Festivals and playa education! Over 1,300 5th graders in 18 schools were engaged in hands-on learning through 12 Festivals last year, as well as teachers, parents, and educators. Ogallala Commons (creator of Playa Festivals) and our partners at Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and county Soil & Water Conservation Districts…are now gearing up to make 2010 even more successful.

Ogallala Commons and these same partners will conduct 3 Conservation Education Days in early 2010 that will occur on school days. Each of these training days will provide educators basic information about playas and Playa Festivals, as well as opportunities for teachers to share tools and activities that enhance the Festivals. In addition, for a two-hour lunch period, area landowners who own playas will be joining our session to learn with the educators. This interchange is important for three reasons: 1) it will allow landowners to see that there is interest in playa conservation in local schools, with a new generation of students, 2) it will allow teachers to meet landowners who might have an interest in playa conservation, and/or school visits to their playas, and 3) it will enable teachers to learn some pertinent information about the Ogallala Aquifer and natural resource conservation.

The three dates and locations for the Conservation Education Days (see attached agendas) are:
-Wednesday, January 13 at Whiteface Elementary Auditorium, Whiteface, TX
-Wednesday, February 3rd at Swisher Memorial Building, Tulia, TX
-Wednesday, February 17th at the EMS Building, Bovina, TX(These sessions will be conducted from 8:30am – 1:10pm…and are limited to 20 teachers/educators each)

(An additional training opportunity…with a substantial outdoor format…is the Playa Educator Summer Training on Wednesday, June 2nd in Nazareth, TX…at the Home Mercantile Building (limited to 30 teachers/educators)

I want to let all schools know that demand for Playa Festivals is very high…currently more than we can provide in the fall semester or even the short spring semester. So, any schools selected to host or participate in Playa Festivals will need to assure that their 5th Grade teachers complete a training session before the Festivals take place. Now, here is the good news: the trainings listed above are free of charge, they will be energizing, and those who complete any of these training workshops are eligible to receive 6 hours of GT continuing credit through Region 16 and 17.

I would suggest is that any school interested in a hosting or participating in Playa Festival , strategize to send a teacher (or maybe two) to each of the scheduled training sessions. Since each session is a bit different with varied presentations, having some of your teachers represented at all the training sessions increases the information and resources that can be brought back to teachers and schools.

Let me know if you have questions or suggestions, or if you need clarifications. The schedules for the three Conservation Education Days are attached to this email. Also, please contact me by January 7th to reserve a spot at the session at Whiteface Elementary Auditorium on Jan. 13th, or by Jan. 27th to reserve spots at the Conservation Education Days in Tulia and Bovina.

Best regards,

Darryl Birkenfeld, Ph.D.
Director, Ogallala Commons
P.O. Box 346
Nazareth, TX 79063
806-945-2255