Connecting with Nature…a Learning Retreat (Ohio)

Workshop location: Cedar Ridge Lodge in Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, Galloway, OH

Join the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Chapman Elementary Media Specialist, Marisa Saelzler, for an inspiring learning retreat.

Dates:  Tuesday-Thursday, June 20-22, 2023

Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm everyday

Location: Cedar Ridge Lodge inside Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, 1775 Darby Creek Dr, Galloway, OH 43119

Audience : K-5th grade educators

We’re excited to invite you to register for this relaxing, three-day learning retreat experience! We’ll spend time outdoors, create meaningful learning artifacts, and work together to expand our thinking around interdisciplinary connections. Enjoy time exploring local habitats, connecting with other educators, and gain easy-to-apply ideas and practical tips for implementation. Plus, you’ll choose from either the K-2 or 3-5 version of our eBird Explorers curriculum kit, and leave ready to use these hands-on materials in your classroom and outdoors.

During this transformative experience, you will:

  • Create your own nature journal.
  • Explore how to build student science skills through outdoor learning and citizen science.
  • Practice collaboratively teaching the curriculum, while learning tips and tricks for implementing.
  • Receive your choice of the K-2  or 3-5 eBird Explorers curriculum kits. All kits include bird ID cards, posters, hands-on lessons, and unique grade-level resources. You’ll also take home a bird feeder. (Over $100 value)
  • Receive a free pair of NATURE DX 8X42MM Celestron binoculars ($170 value)!
  • Discover Cornell Lab’s free educational resources for K-5th grade teachers, including our online field guide, digital library, and citizen-science programs.
  • Engage in self-reflection that directly benefits your classroom community.
  • Leave feeling restored and inspired by nature.
  • Receive a completion letter with contact hours.

Who should attend?

We welcome K-5th grade classroom educators, STEM coordinators, school media specialists, and instructional coaches looking for innovative ways to connect your students to nature, teach STEM content, and develop science literacy. Non-formal educators that teach the same students multiple times (such as for library or after-school programming or summer camps) will also find this retreat useful.

Accessibility: The Cornell Lab K-12 team is dedicated to providing a harassment-free and discrimination-free experience at this workshop. We aim for professional development and educational exchange in the spirit of free discussion and expression in an environment in which diverse attendees may learn, network, and enjoy the company of colleagues. We are committed to providing an open and welcoming environment for all participants, including but not limited to race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, ability, socioeconomic status, age, religion, and veteran or military service status.

Detailed logistics and policies

Dates: June 20-22, 2023.

Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm everyday. Lunch from local restaurants and snacks will be provided all 3 days of the workshop.

Location: Cedar Ridge Lodge inside Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, 1775 Darby Creek Dr, Galloway, OH 43119. Please note that parking is free and plentiful and the lodge has air conditioning.

Costs: We want this workshop to be accessible to all participants. Due to increased planning costs and the impact of cancellations, this workshop has a $90 reservation fee. However, if you attend all days of the workshop, your $90 fee will be automatically refunded to your credit card within 2 weeks. If you cancel your reservation less than 30 days before the workshop or do not show up to this workshop, we will be unable to refund this fee. If the upfront registration fee represents a burden that makes it impossible for you to attend, please reach out to us at K12Lab@cornell.edu.

Register today! Click the “register now” button to reserve your seat. Registration closes May 14, 2023.

Register Now!

To make the most of our time together, we will ask that you complete the free eBird Essentials course prior to attending. The course takes approximately 3 hours to complete and will give you the fundamentals of eBird participation.

Cornell Lab Cancellation and COVID-19 Policy: We reserve the right to cancel this workshop up to 4 weeks prior to the workshop due to under-registration or unforeseen circumstances. If we cancel, you will receive a full refund. We are guided by Cornell University’s COVID policy. At this time, masks are welcome but not required.