May 4, 2005

Students record barnacle locations	Students examine countershading	Students identify plankton

Franklin County Students Complete First Year of LIFE

Seventh grade students in Franklin County Schools completed their first year of the Learning in Florida’s Environment or “LIFE” Program (on April 19, 20, and 21) by conducting the last of four separate field-based environmental science enrichment activities. Students conducted hands-on measurements relating to various marine adaptations at three stations throughout the day: 1) plankton; 2) fish; and 3) barnacles. The FSU Marine Lab’s Saturday-at-the-Sea program recently joined LIFE as a partner and will continue to provide access to its facilities situated on the Gulf of Mexico in eastern Franklin County.

New LIFE Program Sites Identified for the 2005-2006 School Year

The LIFE network is growing with five new LIFE Program sites around the state identified to begin implementation with partner schools by the fall of 2005.

• The Guana-Tolomato-Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (Site Coordinator: Janet Zimmerman)
• Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve (Site Coordinator: Marsha Colbert)

• Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve (Site Coordinator: Heather Stafford)
• Wakulla Springs State Park (Site Coordinator(s): Sandy Cook and William Sheftal)
• Ichetucknee Springs State Park (Site Coordinator: Sam Cole)

LIFE-Long Learning

One of the primary goals of the LIFE Program is to support teacher professional development in science. Last month, two teachers from River Springs Middle School (Wakulla County) attended a two-day Springs Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) Workshop conducted by the Office of Environmental Education with support from the Florida Springs Initiative. Later this month, the LIFE Program will provide four professional development scholarships to LIFE teachers to attend the Dive into Education with National Marine Sanctuaries Workshop at the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary in Savannah, Georgia. In keeping with statewide teacher professional development protocols, the long term partnerships established by the LIFE Program ensure continuous follow-up after professional development activities are completed.

LIFE Support

The LIFE-ANERR Program has recently secured continued financial support from the St. Joe Community Foundation (SJCF) for School Year 2005-2006. The LIFE Program would like to wish outgoing SJCF Executive Director, Pam Selton, all the best as she moves back Jacksonville.

LIFE Events

• 13-14 May 2005: Dive into Education with National Marine Sanctuaries Workshop
• 31 May – 2 June: Summer Curriculum Integration Workshop (LIFE – GTMNERR)