Green Eggs & Sand - Part II

Green Eggs & Sand workshops differ from traditional teacher workshops.  The focus is more on promoting understanding of the issues, science, and management of the horseshoe crab/shorebird controversy, rather than on demonstrating use of the curriculum itself.  Consequently, much of the agenda involves listening to presenters and stakeholders – including leading horseshoe crab and shorebird biologists, fisheries managers, commercial fisherman and biomedical experts - share their knowledge, insights and perspectives on the issues.  Activities from the curriculum are sprinkled in-between these expert sessions, both to serve as a break from the sitting/listening mode and to provide a flavor for the curricular content offered.  Field trips, involving observation of spawning horseshoe crabs at nearby beaches (featuring hands-on interpretation by experts on horseshoe crab biology and ecology) is also an integral part of the experience.

Initially, Green Eggs & Sand workshops were limited to Delaware Bay.  In recent years, as interest in the horseshoe crab management controversy expanded, GE&S has offered sessions up and down the Atlantic Coast.  Typically, three workshops are offered annually, one in the Southeast, one in New England, and the other in the Mid-Atlantic. These are timed to coincide with new/full moon events in April, May and June, when horseshoe crab spawning is most readily observed.  Since those inaugural workshops in 2000 interest in horseshoe crabs has spawned GE&S workshops up and down the east coast, serving educators from nineteen states and two foreign countries.

Green Eggs & Sand workshops are geared for teachers and other environmental educators.  Since the curricular focus is middle school and up, and strong on life science, biology teachers and non-formal educators (including those who work at marine aquaria, parks, wildlife refuges and other interpretive centers) typically comprise the lion’s share of participants.  However, given the inter-disciplinary flavor and flexible design of GE&S, elementary and other subject matter teachers have also benefited from attending.  Over the years, GE&S has also attracted and opened its doors to a diverse assortment of other individuals interested in learning more about the horseshoe crab, including writers, artists, media people, scientists, fisheries managers and other stakeholders in the resource. The cast of characters congregating at GE&S is always interesting and the networking opportunities that result are an added bonus of attending.

NEXT POST - Part III