Science Conference

Riverbend Elementary students in grades 3-5 participated in a science conference.  The conference theme was “ecosystems” and sessions gave students unique opportunities to learn from professionals in wildlife, preservation, and conservation fields.  Students participated in a variety of activities such as collecting insects and studying them under a microscope, using an enviroscape model to track water pollution, observing birds of prey and other local wildlife firsthand, and learning about the threats to our local wildlife and water systems as well as to the Everglades and ocean ecosystems.  Some students skyped with a park ranger in Yellowstone National Park and others created artwork utilizing recyclables and items from nature. Conference speakers included:
Susan Sachs, Education Coordinator – Great Smoky Mtns. National Park
Blair Ogburn, Senior Naturalist – Balsam Mountain Trust
Jim “Gator” Davis, retired science teacher
Nancy Pryor – Water Quality Curriculum Coordinator
Tanya Poole, Mtn. Outreach Education Specialist – NCWildlife Resources Commission
Jane Falkenstein – Haywood Waterways Association
Jess Sutt and Lily Dancy-Jones – US Fish and Wildlife
Stephen Fraley, Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator – NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Dawn Cusick, non-fiction author of several books about animal adaptations including Bug Butts