The opening session on Tuesday featured key note addresses by Leo W. Gerard from the United Steelworkers (USW) and Dr. David Danielson from the U.S. Department of Energy. The following panel featured Bryan Walsh from TIME magazine, Kevin J. Anton from Alcoa, Kevin Knobloch from the Union of Concerned Scientists, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island, as well as Mr. Gerard from the USW. The discussion focused on bringing climate change to the national agenda, a few highlights include:

• Kevin J. Anton from Alcoa – “If you want to go fast, go by yourself; if you want to go strong, go together.” The goal of making climate change a national issue, of getting Congress to address it needs to be a collective effort – all the groups gathered here today, the USW, Sierra Club, General Motors, Kaiser Aluminum, and others need to work together.
• U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse – Two things prompt legislative action – 1) disasters (like Super Storm Sandy), and 2) Executive action that forces the issue. This needs to change.

And the closing speaker for the morning was Jacqueline Patterson from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Jacqueline had many words of wisdom, inspiration, and hope for the future of the U.S. and greener, healthier jobs, but one thing she said stuck the longest and strongest: “We need to get money out of politics.” It’s true, but how?

My next stop during the day was a session under Tools for the Clean Economy on offshore wind, called “Build Here, Build Now: The Case for an American Offshore Wind Energy Industry.” Offshore wind is very important to me for a couple of reasons. I live in Virginia, we are a coastal state, and currently we have no wind energy – on land, or offshore. But we do have wind! Last fall, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded Dominion Power a $4 million grant for an offshore wind energy test project. So wind is a real opportunity for Virginia, and other coastal states, as well as the Great Lakes.

This session featured future plans for developing offshore wind in the U.S., including a new project that will be launched soon in New Bedford, Massachusetts, “New Bedford Will Host Marine Commercial Terminal to Support Offshore Wind,” and also spotlighted existing offshore wind installations in Germany. We look to Europe for the expertise on offshore wind – Germany, Scotland, and others. Dirk Scheelje from the Ministry of Science and Research, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, talked about existing installations, future projects, and highlighted the point that this was an opportunity for the workforce not only on the coast, but throughout the country. Many of the presenters had great photos to share of offshore wind installations and components, but they were all from overseas, hopefully soon we will have some photos of our own to share. New Bedford should soon.

I also discovered a great new resource at the GJGJ conference, www.ChemHAT.org. ChemHAT — the Chemical Hazard and Alternatives Toolbox — is a new internet database designed to offer up easy-to-use information that can help protect individual workers, their families and co-workers against the harm that chemicals can cause; “ChemHAT is based on the simple idea that when we know how a chemical can hurt us we can take protective action.” You simply go to the website and enter in the chemical you want to learn about. I also learned some very unsettling facts about chemical management and effects:
• Our workforce is exposed to 10,000 different chemicals;
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) manages 16 of them;
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a listing of about 200 others;
• 40,000 workers have died because exposure to toxins; and
• Women working in the auto manufacturing or plastics industries are 5 times more likely to get breast cancer.

The Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conferences was a great experience. It highlighted all the great work that is being done, but also revealed all the important work that still needs to be done.

Our climate is changing at an alarming rate, and as a nation our young people are not prepared to provide the solutions necessary to mitigate and safeguard our world’s biodiversity, growing population, agricultural and transit systems and more.  In a digital age, we are able to connect in new and innovative ways and collaborate and create like never before.

The National Wildlife Federation’s Green STEM Initiative is the result of a magnificent collision between environment-based education and STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics); creating a new system that will provide a national workforce that’s ripe with skilled, knowledgeable, innovative, and technologically savvy citizens.

 To prepare our young people for a future that’s vividly different and uncertain, America needs to remedy what is often described as the “leaking” STEM pipeline.

Educators are looking for real answers.  Green STEM is a practical way, through disciplined instruction and experiential work on environmental and sustainability subjects, to help students better understand and be given relevant opportunities to inquire, assess, design, build and foster innovative solutions to environmental challenges and related technological needs. Students who are exposed to programs that incorporate useful STEM education see the world in a holistic way, gain skills in the process of inquiry, become better problem-solvers and inventors who can utilize their knowledge of math, science and technology to design and engineer innovative solutions to serious problems.  NWF’s Eco-Schools USA is primed and ready to help teachers facilitate learning experiences in Green STEM throughout K-12 as they engage students in greening solutions by addressing the building’s needs inside and out.

Nearly 4 in 5 STEM college students say that they decided to study STEM in high school or earlier…almost 20 percent knew before they even entered high school.  Microsoft Corporation

In order to help move students more smoothly through the STEM pipeline the highly anticipated, debated, and newly released Next Generation Science Standards have been developed to prepare our students for a better future, a future where they can be scientifically literate, competitive, and successful.  Educators will find many welcomed changes:

• K-12 Science Education Should Reflect the Interconnected Nature of Science as it is Practiced in the Real World.
• The Science Concepts in the NGSS Build Coherently from K-12.
• The NGSS Focus on Deeper Understanding of Content as well as Application of Content.
• Science and Engineering are integrated in the NGSS, from K-12.
• The NGSS are designed to prepare students for college, career, and citizenship.

For more information regarding National Wildlife Federation’s Green STEM Initiative                             please follow the link or contact us at eco-schoolsusa@nwf.org

Yet just yesterday, the Administration’s budget proposal effectively eliminated two critical programs designed to meet both goals at once – the highly important environmental education programs of EPA and NOAA.

Let’s take a look back…

What Obama Said Then

Earlier this year during the President’s Inaugural address, he spoke to these issues:

“The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult.  But America cannot resist this transition, we must lead it.  We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries, we must claim its promise.”

And then a few weeks later at the State of the Union:

“Now, if we want to make the best products, we also have to invest in the best ideas.  Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy — every dollar. Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer’s. They’re developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs; devising new material to make batteries 10 times more powerful. Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race.  We need to make those investments.  Today, no area holds more promise than our investments in American energy…”

For a few years now I have struggled to understand why the Administration has failed to realize that we must invest not only in clean energy technology, but also in the education of American students and workers.  There is a disconnect here.

This investment in preparing the American people for the clean energy economy has a name: environmental education. Without it, the United States will never lead the transition to a clean energy economy.

Why Environmental Ed. is Critical to our Future

Environmental education happens at institutions of higher education (including community colleges), K-12 schools, career and technical education centers, and through innovative partnerships with non-profits, apprenticeship programs, business and others that will help create and strengthen education and re-training programs, curricula, and courses.

And earlier this week, with the release of the Administration’s budget, EPA’s and NOAA’s environmental education programs have been marked for elimination, even though they have bipartisan support in Congress (technically, NOAA’s programs are expected to be “consolidated” with other science, technology, engineering and math programs and details will not be available for a few more days).

These reductions would eliminate already woefully underfunded grant programs for child-serving organizations, schools, nature centers, zoos, aquariums and teacher training programs in nearly every community.

And let’s be honest, while these programs provide critical funding for teachers and communities nationwide, $25 million is a rounding error in the $1 trillion federal budget.  If the United States is to lead the global transition to a clean energy economy, to lead the world in science and technology, to spark the next space race or human genome product, $25 million is not going to cut it! 

We need an investment of billions of dollars across all levels of education. We need leadership to educate, train and prepare all Americans for this transition to a green economy.

What Do You Think?

We at the National Wildlife Federation would like to hear from YOU about your ideas for how we get there.  How can we, together, get Congress and the Administration, Republicans and Democrats, the public at large behind an agenda to truly prepare Americans for the clean energy economy?

Please leave a comment below!

New guide addresses parents’ weather-related concerns around letting kids enjoy outdoor playtime

March 27 – The new weather guide emphasizes the growing disparity between kids and outdoor play time, some of which is brought about by misguided weather concerns. The Forecast Calls for Play (pdf) reports that 61 percent of parents cite weather as the number one reason their kids do not get outside. According to the guide, parents’ aversion to letting their kids play outside in less-than-perfect weather is depriving them of the many physical and mental benefits outdoor play can provide.

“This guide shows that children are safe to play outside in most kinds of weather barring the extremes,” said Lindsay Legendre, manager of NWF’s Be Out There program. “Regular outdoor play is so important to kids’ healthy development and a little rain shouldn’t stop them from being out there. Parents might enjoy puddle jumping again themselves.”

For more information about fun outdoor activities, please visit our Be Out There page

National Blueprint for Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife and Habitats

March 26 – National Wildlife Federation welcomes the release today of a long-awaited national strategy for tackling the impacts of climate change on the nation’s plants, animals, and ecosystems. Developed collaboratively by federal, state, and tribal governments the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy lays out a blueprint for safeguarding wildlife in the face of climate change and increases in extreme weather.

“Climate change is now the most serious threat facing wildlife,” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of National Wildlife Federation. “In addition to the urgent need to reduce the carbon pollution driving global warming, we must begin preparing for and addressing the climate impacts already hurting our wildlife heritage and local communities.”

For more on climate adaption, visit our Climate-Smart Conservation page

NWF-Led Coalition Calls for Stronger Tar Sands Pipeline Standards

March 26 – A coalition of landowners, former and current government officials, environmental, renewable energy and sportsmen’s groups filed a petition today with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asking the agencies to develop stronger safety standards for tar sands oil pipelines.

“As the Kalamazoo River spill and ongoing cleanup show, current standards are failing to protect wildlife, habitats, and water supplies against the unique risks of pipeline transit of sticky, corrosive tar sands,” said Jim Murphy, senior counsel at the National Wildlife Federation. “It’s clear we need tough new standards to protect wildlife, our natural resources and public health. Until the right standards are put into place, we shouldn’t be exposing more communities and resources to tar sands risks.”

The petition effort is spearheaded by the National Wildlife Federation and includes 29 national, state and local organizations as well as 36 landowners from states across the country impacted by existing and proposed tar sands pipelines. It requests a halt to new or expanded tar sands pipelines until adequate rules are in place.

For more on Tar Sands Oil, visit our Climate and Energy page

 And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:

• The Huffington Post: Five Ways to Celebrate National Wildlife Week
• Wall Street Journal: New Requirements for Ballast Water Dumped By Ships
• Washington Post: Keystone Fears Resonate Among New England
• Today Show: Bird Call Girls: Hoda and Molly Ringwald chat with a kookaburra
• Public News Service: Mainers Join to Petition U.S. on Tar Sands Regs
• The Houston Chronicle: Funds to Restore the Gulf

For more visit www.nwf.org/news

The thought of losing these special places tugs at my heart.  As I sift through hundreds of photos capturing countless memories of special moments that I have spent in our parks, I am reminded just how important they have been, and continue to be, in my family’s lives.

Help Protect Our Parks!

Please share your own photos of your favorite moments at Washington’s State Parks so we can remind our leaders what’s really at stake!

How to Submit Your Photos:

1. Email
   Attach your photos to an email, put the name of the State Park in the subject line, and add a short description in the text body. Email your photos to sun63water@photos.flickr.com.
2. Facebook
   Upload your photo to the Pacific Regional Center’s Facebook page with a short description, and tag with #wastateparks.

Requirements:
Please only send us photos that belong to you, and note that by sending us photos, you give us permission to post them on our website (with attribution).

What’s at Stake

What’s at stake if our Washington State Parks were to close? The way I look at it, people and wildlife have a lot to lose. These stories and photos help me to remember that Washington State Parks are our legacy to our children and to their children, to our future:

Sucia Island State Park is a 564-acre marine park with 77,700 feet of shoreline. Sucia Island is considered the crown jewel of the state’s marine park system. It is consistently ranked as one of the top boating destinations in the world.

The fourth oldest park system in the country, Washington has 117 parks and 700 historic structures. These natural places are a delight to explore and learn about the history of our region and about nature and wildlife. With so many great state parks just a short road trip away, you are sure to find the perfect weekend destination.

Picnics and family gatherings, annual camping trips, wildlife and tranquil natural settings away from the city and immersed in nature is what you will find at State Parks.

Blake Island State Park is a 475-acre marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing magnificent views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. The park is only reachable by tour boat or private boat. Indian-style salmon dinners and demonstrations of Northwest Indian dancing are offered at Tillicum Village, a concession on the island.

Our Parks: Where We Go to Play

Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline, and 33,900 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. Rugged cliffs drop to meet the turbulent waters of Deception Pass. The park is outstanding for breath-taking views, old-growth forests and abundant wildlife.

There are so many beaches, hikes, mountains and natural places in our State Parks to walk and explore! You may discover marine debris from faraway places. Build elaborate drift wood forts, scoop up seashells, and pocket colored sea glass and shiny pebbles. Skip rocks on calm water, first one then three and sometimes five skips, and fly kites in a vast blue sky next to weathered war-time bunkers, where harmonicas make a sweet sound resonating off dark silent walls.

Play football, ride bikes and tend to scuffed knees and scraped hands. Hike along paths lined with tall trees that sway in the wind, and see bushes filled with birds eating berries, and bees buzzing in the heat of the day. Discover a deer hidden in the tall grass.

Jones Island State park is a 188-acre marine camping park with 25,000 feet of saltwater shoreline on the San Juan channel. The park features a beautiful loop trail down the center of the island then around the western shore. 

These treasured times, out in nature on our public lands, in our State Parks, cannot be taken for granted or forgotten. They are a place of discovery and learning about our natural world, they teach us to understand and respect our history and our land. They are a place for personal growth and of treasured moments with family and friends.

Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly Fort Canby State Park) is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park offers two miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails. Visitors enjoy beachcombing, ship watching and exploring the area’s rich natural and cultural history. The nearby coastal towns of Ilwaco and Long Beach feature special events and festivals spring through fall.

Cathy and son Mac lobbying for Washington State Parks at the State Capital in Olympia

State Parks in Trouble

Over the past four years, the State Park Commission’s budget has suffered an 88% reduction in general fund support. In 2011, the Washington Legislature created the Discover Pass to replace general fund tax money, but not enough passes are being sold to make up for the deep budget cuts. This means there are not enough funds to cover the cost of operating and maintaining state-managed recreation lands.

It’s not too late to stand up for our State Parks! Here’s how you can help make sure these special places continue to protect wildlife and inspire the next generation of conservationists:

1. Send us your photos of you visiting Washington’s State Parks, and we will share them with legislators to remind them of what’s really at stake (see instructions at top of page).
2. Urge your state legislators to support critical funding to protect Washington’s state parks.
3. Get your Discover Pass! This vehicle-access pass allows you to enjoy millions of acres of Washington state-managed recreation lands – including parks, wildlife areas, trails, natural and wilderness areas, heritage areas and water-access points.

The Lucid Design Group, in partnership with National Wildlife Federation, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools, and the Alliance to Save Energy hosts this annual competition. In 2013, nearly 200 campuses (twice as many as in 2012) and over 250,000 students will compete and contribute to the goal of reducing 2 gigawatts of electricity and 2 million gallons of water.  Last year students saved more than 1.7 million kilowatt-hours of energy—equal to removing 150 U.S. homes from the grid for a year, and saved more than 1.5 million gallons of water—about 10,300 hours of shower time.

“The growth and success of CCN really demonstrates that when people have access to the right information in the right context, they can have a significant impact on a building’s energy and water use,” said Andrew deCoriolis, director of marketing at Lucid. “Perhaps more importantly, CCN serves as a platform for students to connect their personal actions to broader impact.”

Another new aspect of CCN is the addition of the NWF Video Contest, which gives students the opportunity to creatively document their actions toward climate solutions. “We see our involvement in CCN as a natural extension of our Campus Ecology Program,” said Kristy Jones, sr. manager of campus climate education and action at NWF. “Through CCN we are giving students a platform to make measurable impacts on climate, and then use their experience to inspire campuses around the country to continue to push forward with actions to reduce their impact on climate change, thus reducing the impacts on wildlife and habitat.”

The campus that demonstrates the greatest reduction in water and energy usage will receive Lucid’s Building Dashboard(R) to monitor real-time electricity use on their campus. Participating schools will also have the opportunity to win carbon-offsetting renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Carbonfund.org and cash prizes as a part of NWF’s CCN Video Contest.

To learn more about the competition, visit: CompeteToReduce.org. To view entries for the CCN Video contest, visit Facebook.com/CampusEcology.

National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program hosted Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming from 2007-2011 to support and recognize campus efforts to reduce the carbon footprint. Check out Chill Out vides at: CampusChillOut.org.

Here at the National Wildlife Federation, we feel that every child is important and that they represent our future. There are many things that threaten their existence – poverty, hunger, illness, lack of quality education, climate change, extreme weather events, and unspeakable crime among others.  But there are also many things that support their existence – love, families, caring teachers and adults, friends, medicine, superior education, and communities.

As we approach the New Year, my NWF Eco-Schools USA colleagues and I wanted to wish you the very best of the season, and to know that our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with you all during these holidays, and especially with the families and friends of those who perished in Newtown. For most of us, this will be a time of joy – I intend to hug my nieces and make sure that they know that I will always be there to support them in whatever way that I can.  For truly, as Angela Schwindt wrote, “While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”

“Trash” has a new meaning at Churchill Road Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia. Some of it means money. Some of it means food for the hungry. And some of it means a bumper crop of vegetables this spring.

Churchill Road produces 300 pounds of waste in the cafeteria every day, but throws out only 30 pounds of trash—a reduction of 90%. Where did the waste go? We have redistributed 270 pounds through food donation, recycling, composting and upcycling (see Churchill Road’s waste reduction program in action on WUSA9 News).

Students have learned that nothing is disposable: everything has a value and you just don’t throw it away because you think its trash. After they finish eating, students walk through the “Waste Reduction Line,” separating their unopened foods, recycled items, and compostable fruits and vegetables. Through our program, we redistribute 270 pounds of cafeteria waste each day. These figures add up over the school year, when 51,300 lbs of waste is redistributed by:

• Rescuing 15,200 lbs of unopened food for local food banks
• Composting 15,200 lbs to supply soil for classroom gardens and
• Raised vegetable beds
• Recycling 13,300 lbs in accordance with FCPS requirements to reduce landfills
• Upcycling 7,600 lbs of foil-lined bags through TerraCycle, raising over $2,000

Churchill Road is proud of its Environment-Based Education Program and the connections we make with our students. More than 50 public and private schools have visited Churchill Road to learn from us, hoping to incorporate their own version of a waste reduction program at their schools. We advise these schools to start small and build a strong foundation. The easiest place to start is with food rescue. Food rescue consists of collecting unopened dairy and other food products and then refrigerating or storing the items for weekly deliveries to local food banks. The food rescue aspect of our program strengthens Churchill Road’s strong belief in service learning, which is practiced every school day. It helps to make our students aware that we are an important part of a larger community. This in turn promotes parents’ and community leaders’ involvement in our program.

We have incorporated Environment-Based Education into the curriculum to expand and enhance the students’ ownership of learning with academic, hands-on involvement in the great outdoors. Always mindful of the educational components (including math, science, social studies, language arts, technology, art, etc.), this program helps our students become actively engaged in learning by allowing them to participate in real life situations. It helps students develop a passion and desire to learn. As Principal Don Hutzel states, “Using our environment as a tool for achieving a broader educational goal increases critical thinking skills and enhances leadership roles for our students. Our hope is to encourage lifelong learners and leaders.”

To learn more about environment-based education and how waste-reduction programs can help your school and students, visit the Eco-Schools site today. >>

Debra Maes is an Environmental Studies Educator at Churchill Road ES in McLean, Virginia. Also a parent, Debra saw a need to reduce the amount of waste produced every day in the school. Through Debra’s vision and guidance, the “Waste Reduction Line” was born. Debra’s ultimate goal? Zero waste. Can it be done? She thinks so!

Oceanway Middle School on Earth Day with new outdoor classroom. Flickr photo by JAXPORT.

Over the past four years environmental education has found both a friend and foe in the Obama Administration, but at least we knew it was on their minds. Romney had been all but silent with regard to STEM, environmental education, childhood obesity and the overall health and wellness of America’s future workforce.

With the election finally behind us we can now look forward.  And as we do look forward, there are some familiar challenges ahead.  The Great Recession is still looming over us and because of this many agencies and programs are facing significant cuts in funding.   The Obama Administration essentially eliminated all environmental education funding in their FY 2013 budget request – including beloved programs at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This spring, outgoing Congressman Chip Cravaack of Minnesota amended a spending bill to prohibit the National Science Foundation from supporting Climate Change Education. While Rep. Cravaack will not be returning to Washington next year, the U.S. House of Representatives will very likely remain unfriendly to conservation and environmental education issues.

In the meantime however, thanks to the inability of Congress to come to an agreement on FY 2013 federal spending, environmental education has so far survived to fight another day when earlier this fall Congress issued yet another Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded at FY 12 levels. What does that mean for environmental education? Well, our programs will remain funded at last year’s levels until the 6 month CR runs out in March 2013 (or such time that Congress decides to take action).

While education as a whole was seldom addressed during the campaign, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (where we hope to attach No Child Left Inside) is long overdue for reauthorization.  The House and the Senate are far from being on the same page on the role of environmental education in ESEA, with elements of the NCLIA Act being included within the Senate bill last year but not in the House version.

We can expect that ESEA which is long overdue for reauthorization will be on the agenda for the 113th Congress.  The President expressed during his acceptance speech how important education is to America’s global competitiveness.  Although Democrats gained seats in the House this election, Republicans will remain in control with the Democrats remaining in control of the Senate.  Essentially we will be contending with the same divide.

So while there is hope for forward progress in the 113th Congress on environmental education funding and the No Child Left Inside Act, it will not happen without your help.  We must continue to hold the Obama Administration accountable for eliminating environmental and climate change education programs and urge them to support them next year.  We must ask Congress to continue funding these programs.  We must continue forward momentum with the No Child Left Inside Act in anticipation of the reauthorization of ESEA.  We hope you will join us by singing up for regular updates about the latest state and federal policy developments around environmental education as we work together on this critical issue in the coming year.

Take Action:  Click here to voice your support and help get America’s kids back outside!

A bison cow attends to her newborn calf in Yellowstone National Park. Working with the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes, NWF recently helped with the release of selected Yellowstone bison on the Fort Peck Reservation, creating a new herd of genetically pure buffalo.

Saying “Thanks”

For the second consecutive year, as Thanksgiving Day draws near, NWF has given staff the opportunity to thank individual donors individually as we phone hundreds of contributors of all kinds and sizes. We reach only a small proportion of those who support NWF, but we try to call as many as time and other constraints allow, just to say thank you.

As a senior editor of National Wildlife magazine, I phoned two dozen donors myself, with great pleasure. I have worked in conservation at the national level for more than 30 years, and throughout that time the importance of donors to my career and to protecting wildlife has been ever on my mind. During my calls, I found myself talking mostly to answering machines, but that didn’t diminish the pleasure of saying thank you to these folks whose kindness plays such an important role in wildlife conservation. My favorite answering machine message this year was by Betsy in Philadelphia, who said she couldn’t answer the phone because she was at the zoo.

Tim Brady, NWF philanthropy officer, makes calls to thank donors during the annual NWF Thanksgiving thank-you event.

Elizabeth Tamburello, an NWF marketing coordinator, said she too found that people she talked to also thanked NWF. One donor, along with giving Tamburello a back-at-you thanks, told her, “I literally just put my check in the mail to you guys.” Several donors Tamburello talked to said they hoped NWF would continue to fight against climate change (we will), saying “it was a big concern of theirs.”

An angler fishes along the Gulf of Mexico coast as pelicans wing overheard. NWF’s many efforts for gulf protection following the BP oil spill recently helped win $1.2 billion for restoration from the BP criminal settlement.

Donor Dollars in Action

In addition to its actions against global warming—seeking better regulation of greenhouse gases and helping individuals take their own measures to reduce carbon footprints—NWF is engaged in a wide range of conservation activities, thanks to donor dollars:

• NWF is working to protect habitat and environmental conditions in the Great Lakes region. Most recently, NWF has worked for laws designed to keep Asian carp—an invasive species that could cause devastating ecological damage—from expanding into the Great Lakes and has sought to close gaps, inconsistencies and loopholes in U.S. state and Canadian provincial laws that leave the Great Lakes vulnerable to a new wave of mining activity;
• NWF is working for stronger protections against mercury pollution, helping to get the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in late 2011 to finalize the first-ever national limits on mercury from U.S. coal-fired power plants, which will cut emissions by 90 percent and significantly reduce exposure that can harm wildlife and impair brain development in children.
• After 15 years of partnership with the Intertribal Bison Cooperative, NWF last March helped secure 61 genetically pure Yellowstone National Park bison for release on the Fort Peck Reservation, the northeastern Montana home of Sioux and Assiniboine tribes. Since the release on March 19, more than 20 bison calves have been born, a start to restoring a lost part of the tribes’ heritage.
• NWF and its partners in 2009 won a series of court cases requiring the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to ensure protections of wildlife and habitat in three local flood zones proposed for development, benefitting endangered Key deer in Florida, dwindling orcas and Chinook salmon in Washington state’s Puget Sound and more than 314 square miles of Mississippi wetland and bottomland forest between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, which would have been drained by the proposed Yazoo Pump.
• Thanks to dedicated work by dozens of NWF employees on the Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign, half of the $2.4 billion that BP will pay to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as part of its criminal settlement for the Gulf oil spill will be used for Mississippi River delta and barrier-island restoration in coastal Louisiana.
  Late in 2010, NWF and the Florida Wildlife Federation (FWF) successfully concluded a federal case challenging FEMA’s practice of issuing flood insurance for storm-surge areas along the Florida coast, which includes 90 percent of U.S. sea turtle nesting habitat.
• Through its Certified Wildlife Habitat® program, NWF has guided more than 100,000 citizens through the process of turning their backyards and other property into habitat suitable for local wildlife.

A New Generation of Conservationists

A group of friends camp out in Virginia. NWF is seeking to get 10 million more childern into the outdoors during the next three years.

• The annual Great American Backyard Campout, now approaching its ninth year, which gets families out of the house and into tents in backyards and other outdoor sites. More than 160,000 campers participated in 2011.
• Eco-Schools, an internationally acclaimed program started in 1994 by the Foundation for Environmental Education, which provides a framework to help educators integrate sustainable principles throughout their schools and fosters environmental stewardship among youth. NWF has served since 2008 as Eco-School host for U.S. K-12 schools. The program now has more than 700 participating schools with 300,000 students.
• The Certified Schoolyard Habitats, a program that helps teachers and students to develop wildlife havens on school grounds and that also creates outdoor classrooms. With more than 4,000 certified schools, including more than a dozen tribal schools, Schoolyard Habitats is the largest U.S. school-garden program.

Thanks Again!

Nothing NWF has or will accomplish could be done without donors. For those we couldn’t phone this year, everyone at NWF extends to you too a hearty “Thank you” for your support.

Click below for more information on:

Adopt a Species

NWF Gifts for Kids

NWF Gifts for All

Photographs for this blog were donated by entrants of the annual National Wildlife Photo Contest, to whom goes a special thanks.