PCC Geography: Mr. Lee

More Than 5,000 California Certified Backyard Habitats

Oct 26, 2006

For the past several semester, GEOG 1 students have had a Community Service Option to create, maintain and certify a Backyard Wildlife Habitat?™ following National Wildlife Federation guidelines. Well, for those students who chose this option, be advised you are among the 5,035 people in California who certified their Backyard Wildlife Habitats.

Here?’s what was relayed to us by the National Wildlife Federation:

?“The last time I ran a state tally, I noticed that California (the state with the most NWF-certified habitats) was closing in on 5,000 certified habitats. I thought this was quite a milestone for a single state.?”

?“So, I just ran a query today to see if they had reached it, and they have 5,035 habitats certified with us!?”

?“Way to go California!!?”

Roxanne (National Wildlife Federation)

GEOG 1 students are asked to demonstrate their understanding of the Geographic Systems Model by applying it to creating and certifying a backyard habitat. This model shows the interrelationships between the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. The general principles of the Backyard Wildlife Habitat include space, food, water, shelter, and sustainable practices.

Community Service options provide students with opportunities to use their classroom knowledge in real world settings. The connections they see in nature add another dimension to their understanding of the world and the role of Geography. A worksheet (The Activity Journal Report form) adds structure and provided guidance to reference websites, and also reminds the students to connect their observations to the Geographic Systems Model and use of the Learning Log for reflection / introspection. The entire experience is consistent with teaching students to become their own best teacher and paves the way to a mind-set of life-long learning.