As part of my volunteer work with Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in Hillsboro, Oregon, I have taken on the task of updating their web site and adding important documents and other resources to the web site for the benefit of all. Recently we have added two documents in pdf format that have to do with watershed and wetlands education and community involvement. These two documents are non-copyrighted and may be copied and used by anyone. We would appreciate a credit for Jackson Bottom Wetlands if you distribute the document.
The first one has the title: Watersheds, Wetlands, Forest, Streams; Learning Opportunities Next Door, Linking Schools with Natural Resources Areas. Quoting from the introduction: Almost every school in our country has a natural area very nearby. It could be that marshy place behind the school, the little stream or “ditch,” the unmowed field, or the patch of woods beside the parking lot. These natural areas are often overlooked as learning sites; of if they are recognized, they are not acted upon because we do not know exactly how to start using them. The intent of this document is to provide educators with a platform to begin natural resource programming sites near their school…
The second document is A Partnership Handbook. And from the introduction: This handbook is an attempt to provide an overview of what we understand as the dominant patterns in citizen involvement partnership and project development in the late 1990’s in the Pacific Northwest. The handbook is a mix of philosophical thinking and pragmatic advice. It is a condensation of many years of work experience in the field of community-based involvement strategies.
The links to the two documents are below:
http://www.jacksonbottom.org/pdfs/WWFS.pdf
http://www.jacksonbottom.org/pdfs/A%20Partnership%20Handbook.pdf
Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve is a 725-acre wildlife preserve located within the city limits of Hillsboro, Oregon. The staff and volunteers teach classes to over 4,000 grade school children each year. These classes are coordinated with the Barbara Banister Simply Science program adopted by the Hillsboro School District.
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