My Two Boots … A Walk Through the Wetlands. An Annual Outing for 700 Middle School Students

• Published in: The American biology teacher 2009-05, Vol.71 (5), p.274-279
• Main Authors: Cwikla, Julie, Lasalle, Mark, Wilner, Sybil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Birds; Career Guidance; Environmental Education; Grade 6; Gulfs; Hands on Science; High school students; High schools; Language teachers; Learning Activities; Middle School Students; Middle schools; Mississippi; Outdoor Education; Program Development; Relevance (Education); School Districts; Science Instruction; Science teachers; Scientists; Secondary School Science; Student Attitudes; Turtles; Water; Waterfowl; Wetlands
• ISSN: 0002-7685; 1938-4211
• DOI: 10.1662/005.071.0506

Project WetKids (www.projectwetkids.net) provides wetland, environmental, estuary, and watershed experiences with local scientists, engineers, and naturalists to Pascagoula, Mississippi students and their families. Extensive activities provide participants: (1) real world, locally relevant science-based events; (2) meaningful scientific experiences and interactions with field scientists; and (3) exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics career opportunities in the Gulf Coast region. The Project WetKids program and accompanying research were funded by the National Science Foundation and have been further supported by local and regional partners. The idea and concept for Project WetKids was spawned in part from the success of the annual "My Two Boots" event in the Pascagoula School District (PSD). This article focuses on this day-long event for 700 Pascagoula and Gautier sixth-graders that tackles wetlands and environmental science. (Contains 5 figures and 1 table.)