Michigan 4-H Youth Development


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4-H Youth Development Michigan State University 160 Agriculture Hall East Lansing, MI 48824-1039 USA Phone: 517-432-7575 Fax: 517-355-6748 Email: msue4h@msu.edu Disclaimer & Indicia

4-H Environmental & Outdoor Education

4-H Natural Resources & Environmental Education

Can you name three interesting environmental or landscape features of Michigan and explain why they’re important to people or wildlife?
Did you know the Great Lakes are the only glacially produced structures that can be recognized from the moon?
Did you know forests cover about half of Michigan's 36.3 million acres?

Get involved in 4-H natural resources and environmental education projects to learn about our Great Lakes state and all it has to offer. In the process you’ll also learn how to be a good environmental steward.

Online Resources and Learning Materials

The Walk: Taking Your Youth Outdoors for Environmental Stewardship and Learning! (4H1593) – This guide provides a process for getting started in natural resources and environmental education. It is geared toward adults and teens interested in sharing the wonders of our natural heritage and natural resources, outdoor recreation, or environmental science and stewardship with youth, especially youth aged 8 to 13. It outlines a "Pathway to Success," a mentoring program that provides long-term, club-based learning activities for youth. (80 pages, Michigan 4-H, 2000)

This guide is available online below as a PDF (portable document format). You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it. The PDF is divided into sections for faster downloading.
4-H Enviro-Stew Fun and Games (http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/eoe-games/) — Visit this online game site and play " Michigan’s Least Wanted Species," "Matching Michigan" and "The Bug Collector." Then go to the next level by trying out the Do, Reflect, Apply activities for the "Michigan's Least Wanted Species," "Mapping Michigan" and "Bug Collector" online games.
The Leopold Education Project (LEP) (http://www.lep.org) is an innovative, interdisciplinary, critical thinking, conservation and environmental education curriculum based on the classic writings of the renowned conservationist, Aldo Leopold. The Leopold Education Project teaches the public about humanity's ties to the natural environment in the effort to conserve and protect the earth's natural resources.
Project FISH (http://www.projectfish.org) – Project FISH (Friends Involved in Sportfishing Heritage) is a mentor-based sportfishing and aquatic resource education that offers training and facilitates partnerships for schools and community organizations to interest kids in the outdoors.
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Kids Page (http://www.michigan.gov/mikids) – This site offers fun virtual outdoor activities for kids. The “Our Backyard” page, for example, offers games, activities and information on “dirt, bugs, lakes and more.”
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Explorers Club (http://www.outdoorexplorersclub.com/flash/OECKids/KidsMain.html) – This site includes information for kids about learning and recreational opportunities related to Michigan’s natural environment. It includes online games, a stewardship message, a “wild jokes” page and other virtual outdoor activities for kids.
Michigan Envirothon (http://www.macd.org/envirothon.html) – The Michigan Envirothon is a broad-based approach to teaching natural resource management, environmental stewardship and conservation concepts to Michigan high school students. The program emphasizes and encourages hands-on learning in the outdoors.
Michigan Forests Forever Teachers Guide (http://www.dsisd.k12.mi.us/mff) – The Michigan Forests Forever Project is a three-piece suite of materials addressing forests and forestry in Michigan. The teacher's guide provides extensive background material, activities and curricula. It has six educational modules (pre-test information, tree basics, environment, products, recreation, and balance) and four support modules (welcome page, references, benchmark matrix, glossary, index, and credits).
Michigan Sea Grant Purple Loosestrife Project (http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/pp/index.html) – Visit the “Purple Pages” for curriculum and information about purple loosestrife, an invasive species that is crowding out native wetlands plants. The site includes lesson plans and activities for young people in grades K–12. Learn more about the PLP biological control project that is engaging Michigan citizens and young adults in the control of purple loosestrife using the plant's natural enemies.
Project WET (http://www.projectwet.org/) – Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) is an interdisciplinary K-12 water education program. Facilitators throughout the state train educators on the project curriculum in six-hour workshops.
Project WILD (http://www.carrs.msu.edu/projectwild/) – Project Wild is an interdisciplinary conservation education program emphasizing wildlife that is designed for K–12 educators. The program capitalizes on kids’ natural interest in wildlife by providing hands-on activities that enhance their learning in all subject and skill areas. Project Wild education materials are provided to educators through practical, interactive workshops and are designed to take the learner from awareness to responsible action. The Project WILD General Activity Guide and Project WILD Aquatic K-12 Activity Guide are available only to workshop participants, and are included in the workshop fee. Supplementary curriculum materials such as Taking ACTION: An Educator's Guide to Involving Students in Environmental Action Projects (75 pp., $6) can be obtained without attending a Project WILD workshop. Taking Action is designed to inspire ideas and provide models for conducting engaging, effective environmental projects. From adopting species to protecting habitats to saving energy and creating publications, this guide will help educators plan, implement, and evaluate environmental action projects. It includes a rationale for action, a step-by-step planning process, educational tips, and a bibliography and a resource list for more information. More than 30 sample projects from around the country provide a glimpse of how students have seen a need in their community and successfully worked together to implement change.
The WISE Project (http://www.mucc.org/ConservationCurricula.htm) – The WISE (Waste Information Series for Education) Project is a K-12 environmental education curriculum focusing on solid waste and pollution prevention. Its goal is to affect behavioral change in students related to pollution prevention and resource recovery.

More information on learning materials and Web resources available to support these activities can be found in the Michigan Guide to 4-H or through the MSU Bulletin Office.

Grants, Contests, Training & Other Opportunities

For 4-H Environmental and Outdoor Education-related grants, contests, training and other opportunities check the 4-H EOE Grants, Contests, Training & Other Opportunities Web site frequently.

For more upcoming training and events in Michigan 4-H, check the 4-H Volunteer Workshops web site, the MSU Extension Calendar and the 4-H Exploration Days web site.

Contact Information

For more information on how to get involved as a youth or volunteer, contact your county MSU Extension office or:

Shari L. Dann, Ph.D.
Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife
Michigan State University
11B Natural Resources Building
East Lansing, MI 48824

E-mail: sldann@msu.edu
Phone: 517-353-0675

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