Fish and Game offers educational resources

MAT-SU — Wildlife education is more than just fun and games, but hands-on activities and animal-themed magazines are just two of resources available from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game this year.

To start, Fish and Game is preparing a weekend of professional development workshops for Alaska’s teachers from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., Dec. 5, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Dec. 6 at the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage.

“Alaska’s Animals: The Stories Critter Cams Can Tell” is the title of the workshop series. The information is geared toward preschool and elementary school teachers, who can reserve a space by emailing elizabeth.manning@alaska.gov, or calling (907) 267-2168.

Tim Lundt at Mat-Su Career and Technical High School also is making contributions with his articulated moose, black bear, lynx and new bison skeletons, now available for check out. Teachers should contact Lundt at timothy.lundt@matsuk12.us or 352-0433 to give their students the opportunity to assemble and disassemble wooden representations of the various large animals.

Critter cams are now available for checkout through the department. All regions have kits available to their teachers and there are still openings in October and into winter during which teachers can schedule use of the kits. For more information, visit 1.usa.gov/1t6ZGNM.

In addition to the cameras, wildlife safety presentations for students in-classroom can be requested from the Fish and Game website. Videos and other materials also can be requested at 1.usa.gov/1xv5khh.

For the younger students, specifically those with a fourth grade reading level, the 2014 edition of Alaska’s Wild Wonders kids magazine is now available — for free — at 1.usa.gov/1uxzjUo. General topics include geography, wildlife, habitats and ecosystems. Teachers who signed up for a subscription last year do not need to sign up again, and hard copies will be mailed to those who have requested them.

Alaska Fish and Wildlife News is the best bet for teachers and older students, a free online newsletter with more in-depth articles on wildlife, science and social studies.

Last but not least, for social media savvy students and teachers alike, Fish and Game has a Facebook page detailing current staff projects, ways to identify animal tracks and signs, recent and relevant research from other relevant organizations, and more. For more information, visit facebook.com/alaskafishandgame.