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Finding Our Way is a hands-on learning program that gets students involved in the environmental sciences of their surroundings and fosters lifelong interest in protecting our environment. Finding Our Way is a STEAM outreach program between Western Connecticut State University Department of Biological Sciences and local public school teachers. Programs are also offered in the summer depending on the availability of funding.
THE LITTLE THINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD
Tuesday, November 18, doors open at 6pm, screening at 7pm, panel discussion to follow
NRWA, the Pollinator Pathway, and local partners are thrilled to host this screening of the new documentary, THE LITTLE THINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD, from High Plains Films.
“THE LITTLE THINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD is a passionate and comprehensive deep dive into the ecological crisis facing flying insects and the ripple effects on global biodiversity.” Doc Screenings International Film Festival
The film introduces viewers to a diverse group of scientists, nature lovers, gardeners, farmers, and general bug enthusiasts–including some local Pollinator Pathway organizers–exploring the importance of flying insects amid rapid declines in their numbers.
The film documents the mysteries of the declines alongside creative and heroic human efforts to change the course of evolutionary history. What is causing this extinction crisis? What can be done to reverse the trend? THE LITTLE THINGS THAT RUN THE WORLD attempts to find answers to those questions and more.
Dive Deep into the Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound Mentor Teachers Elizabeth Brown and Curt Hayes from the Charles H. Barrows STEM Academy will lead a “Dive Deep into Long Island Sound” workshop at Meigs Point at Hammonasset Beach State Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025. Participants will explore contrasting environments to investigate adaptations, energy transfer, and the gathering of evidence to support a scientific argument. All activities incorporate NGSS standards and Ocean Literacy Principles. Educational materials and lots of resources are included!
Click HERE for the agenda and registration information!
Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo invites residents to become Citizen-Scientist volunteers and participate in a “FrogWatch” census in area wetlands. In a collaboration between the Zoo, The Maritime Aquarium, and Yale’s Peabody Museum of Natural History, volunteers will make regular visits to wetlands in their neighborhoods and keep a frog log to record the frog and toad calls they hear. Working with experts, volunteers will learn about local frog species, then visit wetlands once or twice a week for about 15 minutes each night this spring and summer.
FrogWatch Training During this training, participants will learn about citizen science, the important role amphibians play in the ecosystem, and how to identify ten species of frogs heard in Connecticut. After the training, participants will be sent a virtual assessment they need to complete in order to become a certified FrogWatch Volunteer.
All trainings are held from 7:00-8:30pm and are free with suggested donation.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
Join us for the Danbury Regional Pollinator Pathway Meeting!
On January 16th, 2025 at 4pm, Science Building Room 125.
Special Guest Speaker: Ethan Skuches Join us for an engaging talk by Ethan Skuches about the Native Plant Propagation Program at The Preserve at Vassar. Discover the fascinating work behind cultivating and preserving native plants in this inspiring initiative. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and connect!
Demystifying Climate Change – Science At Night With NOAA’s Tom DiLiberto
Recent climate events have us all wondering what the future holds for our homes and communities. Please join us for an evening Climate 101 talk with expert, Tom DiLiberto, who will dispel myths, answer questions, and share best practices and solutions for a changing climate that can help build resilient communities.
Visit the event page for more information as well as the event recording.
Aquatic Restoration Research Symposium Winners
We are happy to announce the winners of the 2024 Aquatic Science Restoration Symposium at Danbury High School. The group project’s name was “Go Green or Go Home” and earned the title of best poster, idea, and proposed solution for the current issue of storm water management at Danbury H.S. One of the group members, Gabriella Judnarine, is also a former Spring Watershed Steward Ambassador (SWSA), and we are proud to have had the opportunity to mentor her in the watershed sciences. In her words, “the program was an amazing opportunity to understand the environment and real-life issues that are going on in our community. With the steps we took as a group, we hope to motivate others to join in on the movement to better our community and the change starts with us.”
Congratulations to Gabby and her group!
Chemistry Day at WCSU
Part of our program’s goal is to connect you with other departments. This year we had an opportunity to engage Danbury High School chemistry students in college level experiments and meet faculty members. Check out this video highlighting what they did!
Chemistry Day Video
2024 Finding Our Way WCSU-DPS Spring Opportunities!
Paid Opportunities for High School Students
Announcing the 2024 SWSA Spring Program. This program is open to all Danbury High School students, preferably in aquatic sciences or past SWSA students. If you are interested in working outside this spring, please apply!
Link to apply is below as well as four forms that need to be completed and sent to silvamar@wcsu.edu
Apply Here:
Forms for download:
Aquatic Restoration Research Symposium!
In the spirit of last year’s winning project titled “Unlocking the potential of water quality through biodiversity and impervious surfaces”, we are happy to announce the 2024 Aquatic Restoration Research Symposium happening on May 22nd and 23rd (9am-12pm) at the Danbury High School.
*Prize money for best symposium group project*
Announcing the 2024 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition for Middle School Students!
A student competition focused on Environmental Stewardship, sponsored by WCSU Finding Our Way STEM Outreach Office.
Application Entries Due: 22 April 2024
Reports Due: 3 June 2024
Winners Announced: 11 June 2024
Download the 2024 Stewardship Application, 2024 Stewardship Competition Details, and the provided Final Report Project Timeline 2024
Want to see how you will be graded? See the grading rubric here.
Email completed forms to: guimaraes007@wcsu.edu
Final Projects must include:
1. Stewardship Report 2. Project Timeline 3. Pictures of the project or other evidence
In 2022 we celebrate the B-WET program’s 20th anniversary
In the 20 years Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) has been working around the country, it has been a powerful catalyst for environmental literacy. The B-WET program and the Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) framework support environmental education, foster student success and interest in learning, and empower students to implement environmental solutions in their own communities. Since 2002, the B-WET program has awarded over $110 million to support 874 projects. The program reaches thousands of educators and tens of thousands of students every year. Finding Our Way is just one of these fantastic projects that is funded by B-WET.
To learn more about what the B-WET program click on: B-WET Home
Details:
Visit the website for full details and Bow Seat’s Resource Studio, where you and your students can access curated resources such as articles, primary literature, etc.
2022 Summer Watershed Stewardship Ambassador Program
This program is open to all Danbury High School Students preferably Sophomore and Junior aquatic science students. A paid ambassador program focused on Environmental Stewardship, sponsored by WCSU Finding Our Way STEM Outreach Office.
Click below to apply!
2022 SWSA Student Application
For more information see the High School Summer Opportunities page!
Announcing the 2022 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition for Seventh Graders!
For more information, please contact Dr. Theodora Pinou, professor of Biology, at Pinout@wcsu.edu
If you would like to attend the Lake Symposium there are 3 sessions.
More Information CLICK HERE
If you missed any of the sessions CLICK HERE to watch the recording!
Congratulations to the 2021 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition Winner
2021 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition winner Jahmiya Beamon-Scott with her Westside Academy teacher Beth Manning
Link here to WCSU News
Link here to New Milford’s HamletHub
Announcing the First Place Winner for the
2020 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition
for Seventh Graders!
Eva George, Westside Middle School Academy, receives First Place WCSU NOAA B-WET Stewardship Award for 2020!
(Click here) To learn more about her project!
Western Connecticut State University Press Release ~ Local Middle Schooler wins NOAA B-Wet Stewardship Award
Danbury Middle Schooler Wins NOAA Science Award
Announcing the 2020 WCSU Environmental Stewardship Competition for Seventh Graders!
Looking for something to do while you are inside?
Apply for the Stewardship Competition! A student competition focused on Environmental Stewardship, sponsored by WCSU Finding Our Way STEM Outreach Office.
(Click the above link for more details!)
2018-2019 Stewardship Award Winners Announced!
(Click above link for details)
Congratulations to the seventh-grade students from Danbury and surrounding area schools who are winners of the 2019 NOAA B-WET Stewardship Competition.
Front row, l-r: Joshua Hattar, Diego Soto, Sabrina Serpa-Smith, Marisol Tapia, Juliet Dahlstrom, Joshua Maruffi, Esther Ribiero, Sereen Ammezane and Jake Ledan. (Missing is Matthew Waldron.)
Back row, l-r: Program Assistant Carol Ball; Jonathan Neuhausel, Magnet School Coach, Westside Middle School Academy; Program Director Dr. Dora Pinou; and WCSU Professor of Biology Dr. Hannah Reynolds. (Missing is Carrie Rowe, Science Teacher, Rogers Park Middle School.)
Read about Finding Our Way, and other community organizations in an article from The Ridgefield Press. (Click Here)
Water Stewardship Advocates: Make a Video and compete for $500! Click the link here!
Here is an opportunity for your students to win $500 for creating a video that addresses key issues related to stewardship!
More information here!
THREE FINDING OUR WAY ALUMNI EARN AWARDS
AT 2019 CONNECTICUT SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR
KHUSHI PARIKH, SRISHTI RAMAKRISHNAN, AND SHARVA KARTHIKEYAN ALL WINNERS!
Khushi Parikh, a ninth-grader at Danbury High School, won multiple awards for her project, “Engineering a Polylectic Biomimetic Micro Aerial Vehicle to Pollinate Flowers.”
Keep watching this space for more details about these vital environmental activities as it becomes available!
We encourage you to attend Western Connecticut State University events open to the public. Click on the links below for more information.
Upcoming University Events
View photos of our Finding Our Way Family Science Saturday, March 23, 2019!
See what finding our way has offered our students. Learn more about the STEM learning experience and the Finding Our Way program.
More info here!
Applications Open for Natural Resources Conservation
Academy
The NRCA engages high school students, conservation volunteers, and teachers in environmental ed and service-learning programming, and participants execute a long term conservation project in their own towns throughout Connecticut. Learn more at http://nrca.uconn.edu/ or see these fun videos on our Conservation Ambassador Program and Conservation Training Partnerships Program.
We visited the NASA Space Flight Center, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s satellite station, Chincoteague National Wildlife Reserve and Dover Air Force Base and the Air Mobility Command Museum. We met scientists…more information.
Watch our video here!
Connecticut Bird Atlas
CT Bird Atlas Volunteer Appreciation Event, October 5, 2019, 10:00 to 12:00 at Hammonasset State Park. Come enjoy a fall morning with food and beverages. We will present a preliminary review of two years of bird breeding data.
As of an update from a past event, the Atlas Project data, trends, and stats; present the winter survey protocol!
Check out our awesome video. Click here!
Summer activities 2018 schedule
