Education & Outreach

Goal:

Improve awareness, understanding and engagement of land managers, educators, and other targeted audiences to increase effective conservation of vernal pools across Michigan.

  1. Develop website and social media presence for the Partnership and associated efforts.
  2. Expand the Vernal Pool Patrol program to get more K-12 teachers/students and other target groups (e.g., nature centers, watershed councils, land conservancies) aware of vernal pools and involved in vernal pool mapping and monitoring.
  3. Develop informational / education and outreach materials to promote awareness, understanding, and protection of vernal pools.
  4. Develop peer reviewed publications related to vernal pools (e.g., Vernal Pool Patrol, citizen science, K-12 students and citizen science, impact on science learning and new science standards).
  5. Develop and implement effective and informative tools/approach/metrics for evaluating the Vernal Pool Patrol program and general vernal pool education and outreach efforts to measure progress toward meeting goals and objectives and ensure efforts are helping us reach our goal of improving awareness, understanding, and engagement among our target audience groups.