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9th Annual Teacher's Workshop
Held in Salt Lake City
30 October 2004

by
Pat Morton, Workshop Organizer
Texas Parks & Wildlife, 3000 IH35 South, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78704,
patricia.morton@tpwd.state.tx.us

For the past nine years, NASBR has hosted a teacher's workshop in conjunction with the annual meeting, as a form of community outreach for the city where the NASBR is held.  Each year I recruit a faculty of NASBR members and local talent from the region, and this year, seven people gave up part of Saturday to help with this important activity.  Join me in saluting these special individuals:  Mike Bogan, U.S. Geological Survey (New Mexico); Stephen Burnett, Clayton College and State University (Georgia); Meg Goodman, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Texas); Apple Snider, Organization for Bat Conservation (Michigan); Vicki Tyler, U.S. Forest Service (Utah); Allyson Walsh, Lubee Bat Conservancy (Florida); and Dharma Webber, California Bat Conservancy (California).  Presentations (Note: Adobe Acrobat is needed to view the workshop schedule) covered a review of regional bats, along with demonstrations of classroom activities and curricula dealing with bats.  In previous years the Organization for Bat Conservation (Michigan) exhibited a selection of Old and New World species, but this year, because the meeting was in the West, Dharma Webber brought bats (with permits) from California.  Caring for these live animals is around-the-clock work, and we are very grateful for the extra effort to provide the excitement of introducing educators to live animals.

Finding willing presenters is only part of the recipe for a successful workshop, and we also depend on our much appreciated sponsors.  For many years we have received regular monetary and in-kind donations from the Lubee Bat Conservancy, Bat Conservation International, Organization for Bat Conservation, Speleobooks, Bat Research News, and NASBR, and this year we received our first sponsorship from the California Bat Conservancy.  These valued donations provided each participant with a collection of classroom materials, including videos, books, curricula, posters, and bat-related door prizes.  Finally, the workshops could not happen without help from several other individuals: Michael Herder, local host of the 34th NASBR; Margaret Griffiths, annual miracle worker; and Barbara Ogaard, master volunteer.

In 2005, the Teacher's Workshop will celebrate its 10th anniversary at the 35th Annual NASBR meeting in Sacramento, California.  With all the interest already received, I know it will be an exciting workshop.  Winston Lancaster (local host) and I have already started planning.  Please contact me (patricia.morton@tpwd.state.tx.us) if you can help with a presentation, assist at the workshop, and/or provide a donation.