Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m, PT 

Format & Length: In-person, 4.5 hours

Audience:  Early learner - 6th grade educators, formal and nonformal, including educators working with 5th and/or 6th graders in outdoor school settings.

Curriculum: Project Learning Tree’s Explore Your Environment K-8 Activity Guide 

Join us at the beautiful Oregon Garden in Silverton to delve into Project Learning Tree (PLT) and to experience and explore Nature Journaling, a flexible, engaging, and adaptable teaching tool that helps students develop both scientific (NGSS) and social-emotional competencies. We will practice close observation, inquiry, and connection-building using Nature Journaling activities. We will also practice giving feedback on journal entries to promote a growth mindset and model outdoor facilitation strategies. We will utilize How to Teach Nature Journaling, by John Muir Laws and Emily Lygren, participants will receive Project Learning Tree’s  Explore Your Environment guide, and we’ll dive into and discuss how to incorporate nature journaling with PLT lessons. 

Dress for time spent indoors and outdoors, including a smooth path with some inclines. Bring a notebook and a pencil, water, and bag lunch. 

Stipend: A $90 stipend is available from OSU Extension Service Outdoor School to support the attendance of eligible outdoor school educators who are not being compensated by their employer for the time they attend the workshop. Please contact with questions about stipend eligibility.

Brought to you by: OSU Extension Outdoor School (ODS), and Oregon Natural Resources Education Program (ONREP).  

Registration required. Offered at no cost to Oregon educators. PDUs available. Substitute Reimbursement available on teacher workdays.