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Students learn about a few key migratory bird species and the USFWS National Wildlife Refuge System that conserves them, as well as the impacts of oil spills on the Gulf Coast ecosystem and its human communities. Introduces a variety of natural resource careers and the academic experience and job skills needed to be successful in these conservation positions.

"Young children are able to recognize every single specimen of the 493 Pokémon "species" (e.g., a value three times greater than our number of "priority protection species"), but they face great difficulties when asked to recognize common animal species... Natural attractiveness of children towards animals should not focus only on few iconic species but must be also directed toward common and local organisms by engaging children with practical experiences with nature. Our study simply adds another call to push the children outside and away from the screens."

"Travel by boat with ornithologists as they catalog breathtaking bird life along the banks of one of Brazil's remote rivers. You'll discover how their work is redefining diversity in Amazonia and reshaping traditional conservation boundaries by identifying new Areas of Endemism-regions that harbor species found nowhere else in the world. Explore our interactive map to follow in the scientists' footsteps and view video journals and site notes documenting the team's experiences during their expedition. You can take a look at-and listen to-the amazing birds found at each of the three study sites and learn more fun facts about each species' habits and habitats!"

"The OpenTopography Portal is a GEON Project initiative to build an online system that provides integrated access to high-resolution topographic data, web-based processing tools, and enables the user community to share knowledge, experiences and resources."

Some GigaPan images are posted on Google Earth, a Google application that allows for close zooming on any area of the earth. Places where GigaPan images are placed allow for clearer, more detailed images than Google Earth itself would display. The images posted on the GigaPan website and Google Earth of places all around the world have made it easier for geology students to experience a variety of fieldwork

"Bring your digital photos to life with Photo Story 3 for Windows. Download Photo Story 3 for free and experience your photos in amazing new ways"

Can 'water footprinting' help cut the 500 liters of H2O needed to produce a carton of OJ? Carbon trading promotes good behavior by creating a standardized currency representing a verifiable environmental benefit. Payments for watershed services do the same for cutbacks in water pollution, albeit on a smaller scale. Now, the Nature Conservancy and the Coca-Cola Company are experimenting with a new method of "water footprinting" that could do the same for total water use - a key component in the development of a market-based scheme that would promote responsible water usage.

Examine a tropical montane cloud forest via this immersive video experience. Click on numbered links to access video clips and facts describing each different forest environment. The site includes background information for teachers and standards-aligned lessons for students in grades 6-8 on such topics as water, weather, soils, ecology, and the science processes.

# Many Planets, One Earth # Atmosphere # Oceans # Ecosystems # Human Population Dynamics # Risk, Exposure, and Health # Agriculture # Water Resources # Biodiversity Decline # Energy Challenges # Atmospheric Pollution # Earth's Changing Climate # Looking Forward: Our Global Experiment

Crossing Boundaries is a year-long professional development experience that entails access to the Crossing Boundaries curriculum, sustained teacher professional development, and a variety of opportunities for students to see scientific and environmental careers in action. Secondary teachers and students will analyze biodiversity conservation issues in their local or regional environment as well as in the Brazilian Amazon and Chiapas, Mexico.

BioKIDS: Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species addresses both inquiry and life science content standards through exploration of local biodiversity, collection of animal species, and the investigation of individual animals and how animals interact with one another. Through these activities students will gain a clearer understanding of how organisms meet their basic needs and the role the environment plays in supporting a variety of organisms. In this curriculum, students use CyberTracker, an animal-tracking program that runs on hand-held computers (PDAs), to log animal sightings in their schoolyard. Students then analyze the data for class and team experiments. Another salient feature of the curriculum is the Critter Catalog, an on-line animal species database developed by the BioKIDS team. Students use this as the main resource when they write species accounts (conduct research on individual animals).

Google Chrome recently introduced Land Lines, a delightful new way to explore the gorgeous satellite images from Google Earth. Landlines invites users to discover new satellite images in two ways: Draw and Drag. With the Draw feature, visitors simply create a small doodle on their monitor or personal device. Next, Landlines, with the aid of machine learning, presents visitors with a satellite picture that contains this line or shape in some form: perhaps as a gridded street, the shape of a mountain range, or the curve of a lake. A caption in the bottom left hand side of the browser alerts readers as to what they are looking at and allows visitors to explore each area in more detail via Google Maps. With Drag, users can "create an infinite line of connective rivers, highways, and coastlines." Both modes of exploration offer innovative and highly enjoyable ways to see the world from one's own computer.