LOSD PD 2019

The Friends of Tryon Creek is a 501c(3) non-profit that provides education, stewardship, and outreach within Tryon Creek State Natural Area (TCSNA), a 650-acre urban greenspace located in southwest Portland, Oregon. Since 1970, FOTC has worked to nurture relationships with nature and connect people to this unique landscape through a strong partnership with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) as well as support from an active community of volunteers. Funded by grants, memberships, individual donations, and revenue from educational programs, FOTC offers a variety of community education and outreach projects, including a popular field trip program for PreK through 5th grade. As FOTC moves forward in our planning and development of programs that support the learning of all grade levels, we are reaching out to local teachers to explore how teachers are currently using Tryon Creek as an educational resource, what barriers exist to utilizing this outdoor classroom, and how the Friends of Tryon Creek can better support teachers in engaging their students in environmental learning.

Field Trip Coordinator Erin Cathcart will be facilitating this discussion by giving participating teachers the opportunity to learn more about our unique urban greenspace and how it can serve as a resource for classroom teachers of all grades and subject areas. The session will begin with an overview of FOTC’s current field trip program options, including activity examples and descriptions of how each program aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards, as well as highlighting specific scientific and engineering practices that are well-suited to hands-on outdoor learning experiences. Teachers will then explore the potential of using Tryon Creek as an extension of their own classrooms – brainstorming potential tools that would be effective for supporting learning that happens outside, be it in the schoolyard, a local city park, or a natural area like Tryon Creek. From these discussions, the Friends of Tryon Creek hope to continue a partnership that helps us to grow our programming options, both in terms of stand-alone field trips as well as opportunities for cumulative learning experiences that help students make deep, lasting connections to their local natural areas and the science that sustains them.