The Game Commission this week announced a pair of wildlife education workshops for educators, scout and youth group leaders in April.

The two programs, both of which are Act 48 approved for educators, will cover the topics of Pennsylvania Biodiversity and WILD About Elk.

Theresa Alberici, Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Education specialist, facilitates and administers Project WILD, which is one of the most widely-used conservation and environmental education programs among educators of students from kindergarten through 12th grades.

These workshops, which are part of the series of Advanced WILD and PA Songbird workshops provided by the Game Commission, will be held at the Game Commission's Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area along Hopeland Road, two miles south of Kleinfeltersville, Lebanon County.

Following is a summary of the programs, both of which are free of charge—

Pennsylvania Biodiversity: On April 1, Game Commission and Carbon County Conservation District will host a workshop featuring the brand new "Pennsylvania Biodiversity" supplement to "Windows on the WILD." This program will help educators prepare students to explore the diverse ecosystems of Pennsylvania and discover the importance of biodiverstiy in the everyday world. For registration, please contact Jeannie Carl, at the CCEEC, 151 E. White Bear Drive, Summit Hill, PA 18250, by calling 570-645-8597 or fax 570-645-8499.

WILD about Elk: On April 10, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Lehigh Zoo will sponsor "WILD about Elk," a very popular Project WILD workshop, that takes a close look at Pennsylvania's largest member of the cervid family. Once extirpated from the Commonwealth, a thriving elk herd of roughly 700 animals roams a portion of northcentral Pennsylvania. As part of this workshop, participants will view elk at this zoo. To register, contact Janet Berry Enos, Lehigh Valley Zoo, P.O. Box 519, 5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, PA 18078, 610-799-4171 (ext. 238), or email her at jberry-enos@lvzoo.org .

Additionally, space still is available at "WILD in the City" educator's workshop featuring the Peregrine Falcon, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., April 3. The workshop is being hosted by the Game Commission, Department of Environmental Protection and ZOOAMERICA at the DEP headquarters in the Rachel Carson State Office Building, Harrisburg.

The workshop will address the natural history, reintroduction and the current status of peregrine falcons in Pennsylvania, and include activities that can be used to help address state education standards.

Features of the workshop included a presentation by Dan Brauning, Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Section Supervisor, and Dr. Art McMorris, Game Commission ornithologist and lead peregrine falcon biologist in the state. Brauning spearheaded the peregrine reintroduction program in Pennsylvania.

To register for "WILD in the City," educators should contact DEP's Environmental Education and Information Center at 717-772-1644 or send email to: adevine@state.pa.us by March 27.

3/21/2008