Learn about Nature and the Environment
DEC has environmental education programs and resources that will help everyone become a better steward of the environment.
Caregiver Resources are available to parents, foster parents, grandparents, and other caregivers who now find themselves navigating remote learning from home. Educators can grab online lessons, online professional development opportunities, or just fun content to push out.
Educational Camps, Centers and Programs
Resources and Training for Teachers
- Summer and winter week-long teacher institutes on different topics at the Five Rivers and Reinstein EECs
- Workshops for educators (Project WILD, Project WET, and Project Learning Tree) and youth leaders
- Guided lessons and special programs from environmental educators at DEC’s environmental education centers
- Educator Lesson Plans – DEC environmental educators have put together a fantastic collection of lesson plans to bring students out into nature and nature into classrooms. The lesson plans are grouped by age/grade and then topics, including: animals, recycling, and water.
- Nature Activities – collection of activities by DEC environmental educators for kids to print out and do while out exploring nature. They include scavengers hunts, nature journaling, outdoor bingo, animal activities, stewardship activities, and crafts.
- Conservationist for Kids – Distributed to all fourth grade classes in public schools. Information and activities to help kids connect to nature. Also available online
- Hudson River lesson plans – Interdisciplinary plans for grades 3 to 5 focusing on the Hudson River
- Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program – Students K-12 learn all about a species of waterfowl and then paint it
Resources for Schools
- Green Schools – DEC can help your school recycle more, reduce waste, prevent pollution and save energy
- National Archery in the Schools Program – provides quality instruction, information, and support for implementation of archery in physical education curriculums for grades 4-12.
- Annual poster contests New York students can show-off their environmentally-conscious art in one of DEC’s annual poster contests – New York Recycles, Pollution Prevention, Arbor Day and more
Resources for Students
- Kids G.O. (Get Outside) – is a page where kids can learn about places they can visit to explore nature, learn about the Nature Activities, and find information about a variety of environmental topics and wildlife.
- Nature Activities – collection of activities by DEC environmental educators for kids to print out and do while out exploring nature. They include scavengers hunts, nature journaling, outdoor bingo, animal activities, stewardship activities, and crafts.
- For the best places to go to see New York State’s wildlife, see Watchable Wildlife
Programs for Adults
- Becoming an Outdoors-Woman – Three day workshops for women 18 years old and up to learn outdoor skills
- Living the Green Life – a monthly article that highlights some ways that you can live a more sustainable life.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – many of the items we throw away can be reused, recycled or composted, such as paper, glass, aluminum, metals as well as potato and carrot peels.
