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Hands-on Ecology Focused Environmental Education Since 1993
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| John Foster, Naturalist |
Staff training and Professional Development |
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Hands-on Ecology Focused Environmental Education Since 1993
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| John Foster, Naturalist |
Staff training and Professional Development |
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What is the
New England Naturalist Training Center??
The New England Naturalist Training Center (NENTC) is an environmental
organization dedicated to the teaching of hands-on ecology focused environmental
education; to the general public and staff training for environmental
organizations.
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What
is ecology?
Ecology is defined as “the complex of relations between living organisms and their environment.”
In simple terms it is the nuts and bolts of nature. It is
the parts that make up the whole. Using this concept, it is not enough to
identify a red-backed salamander but to understand why the animal was present
in the first place. It is not enough to identify porcupine tracks and scat but
to come to an understanding about what in the general habitat has created the
synergies that provides for the animal. It is not enough to identify the
Maidenhair fern but to understand the development and continued evolution of
the soils that supports it. Through
these understandings we as naturalists can more fully observe and appreciate
our natural world. A skilled naturalist can anticipant what might be over the
crest of the next rise; anticipate where to see black bear, predict where deer
are sleeping or know where to go to hear the haunting calls of nesting ravens.
In developing these naturalist skills, students are never given just “the” answer to a question, but an understanding of the whole. Often one question leads to many more questions before the first answer is fully satisfied. The Intensive Field Studies Course (IFS) has been developed to teach these skills.
www.plants.usda.gov/index.html This is a very good identification tool for plants. It has tons of information on a fully functional searchable database. This is well worth keeping bookmarked.
www.necartographics.com New England Cartographics, Inc for a great collection of regional guide books and maps. Don't forget to check out the cool Geolopes - a must have!
www.bearstudy.com Wildlife Research Institute. This site will give you a world of knowledge about black bears from one of the leading black bear researchers, Dr. Lynn Rogers. And he is one hell of a guy, too!! He is establishing the North American Bear Center in Ely, MN so feel free to send him lots of money. It’s a big job!
www.owlcam.com I ran across this unbelievable labor of knowledge several years ago and I continue to be amazed at the information available on the Barred Owl at this site.
www.northquabbinwoods.org The North Quabbin Woods organization has an outstanding web page of things to see, places to hike and conservation information all circling around the great North Quabbin region of Massachusetts.
Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Co.
In terms of identification of plants, animals or rocks you can’t go wrong with
having these as the core of your library.
Swamp and Bog by John Eastman
Stackpole Books 1995. This book details 79 plant species of swamp and bog and
scripts the abundant interactions between these plants and their habitats.
Clearly and skillfully illustrated.
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
Hey, we all talk about it but how many of us have actually read it, so
we at least know what we are talking about??! I am reading it now and let me
tell you, it is a slog, written in 1800's prose. We all should read it, an
occasionally read it again.
Thank you for visiting our site
Web Site Development by Nurten Foster
Please send any comments or suggestions
to foster@nentc.com
