January 2005

The new year often motivates people to better themselves and the world around them.  If you're feeling inspired to do something meaningful for your students and the environment, look no further than the Rainforest Alliance Learning Site.  As always, the Learning Site provides you with a number of environmental education resources that are updated and expanded throughout the year.  Read on for exciting ways to start the year off right!

• A New Year's Resolution for Your Class
• Now That's a Big Bird!
• Using the Rainforest Alliance Curriculum? You Could Get a Grant!

Make a class-wide resolution to become rainforest

Your class can educate other students throughout the school with artwork and bulletin boards.

conservationists.  With the Rainforest

Alliance Learning Site you and your class can

help protect the rainforest while learning about wildlife, such as jaguars, tapirs and capuchin monkeys, as well as the cultures of people living throughout Latin America.

While resolving to conserve rainforests may seem like a daunting task, it is easy for people of all ages to make decisions everyday that influence the future of these remarkable places.    

You can ask your school to buy environmentally-friendly paper.  Ask parents to  buy coffee featuring the Rainforest Alliance seal. Have the students write letters of support to organizations and companies working to protect rainforests. For more suggestions about what you and your students can do, please view or download our "What You Can Do" fact sheet.

Kids can take action by holding a fundraiser in their school or community.

By using the lesson plans and activities found on the Learning Site, you can teach your students about the conservation work of our partner organizations in Colombia, Belize, Brazil, Ecuador or El Salvador. 

For suggestions on how to support the work of a group that your students would like to help, please visit our Adopt-A-Rainforest pages.

If your class decides to study and support

The Andean Condor is the national animal of Colombia.

Fundación Natura, a conservation group working to protect the Cachalú Biological Reserve in Colombia, be sure to check out our newest species profile on the Andean condor.

The Andean condor is one of the largest predatory birds in the world. Weighing as much as 25 pounds, these birds have wingspans that reach 10 feet!   While they had been close to extinction, thanks to the repopulation efforts  of zoos and conservation organizations, the Andean condor is finally making a comeback. 

Kindergarten teachers can find complete lesson plans about the rainforests of Colombia on the Learning Site.

The Melinda Gray Ardia Foundation offers grants of $1,000 to K-12 teachers around the world who develop and/or implement environmental curriculum that brings ecology activities into the classroom.    Curricula that encourage interdisciplinary studies such as art and science, as well as cooperative work with different school districts will be given special consideration.  The application deadline for this great opportunity is April 9, 2005.  Visit www.mgaef.org to apply.  

Please tell us if you are using our curriculum by clicking Yes or No.

We'd love to hear from you!  Contact us anytime at education@ra.org.

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