By Jennifer Leigh Oates, USGS

Eighteen middle- and elementary-school teachers gathered at a summer training session at Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg, FL, on July 27. Cindy Benkert, a member of Suncoast Earth Force, organized presenters from the Tampa Bay area to share information and resources from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)'s St. Petersburg Science Center, MacDill Air Force Base, and the Tampa Bay History Center. Representing the USGS was Jennifer Oates, who gave a PowerPoint presentation on educational resources available online and locally at the center, and distributed a bag of educational materials to each teacher. She received teachers' requests for a Spanish-speaking classroom presenter, WETMAAP (Wetland Education Through Maps and Aerial Photography) workshops, presenters during the Great American Teach-in, teacher tours, meetings with scientists, and invitations to the annual St. Petersburg USGS Open House. The two South Florida ecosystems posters that Jennifer brought were so popular that they had to be given away in a raffle.

Earth Force is a national nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for young people to understand, improve, and sustain the natural environment in their community. Its award-winning programs are aimed at teaching youths of high-school age essential academic skills, including critical thinking, teamwork, problem solving, and decision making. For more information, visit the Earth Force web site.