(The Busy Season is in Full-Swing! Here’s a couple of our latest patients | Photos courtesy of Think Wild)
We are ecstatic to announce that the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) K-12 Summer Learning Fund has awarded Think Wild with a $40,000 grant. This funding supports the work Think Wild has under way to empower students to become environmental stewards in Central Oregon through accessible wildlife education and volunteer programs.
“Educating future generations on wildlife habitat conservation, coexistence and conflict prevention is more important than ever,” said Sally Compton, Think Wild executive director. “Rapid urban growth in Central Oregon is displacing the communities — both human and wildlife — that have long called this region home. By providing accessible, equitable opportunities for hands-on local environmental education, Think Wild hopes to inspire future stewards of this beautiful, biodiverse place we call home and all beings who live here.”
Think Wild’s 2021 summer youth education program includes in-person learning and volunteering onsite at the Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center in Bend and offsite at school campuses, parks and public lands. Curriculum offerings meet Next Generation Science Standards and include pollinator gardening, nest box workshops, river ecology labs, animal studies and habitat restoration.
An important component of this grant funding is increased accessibility and inclusivity of Think Wild’s existing education programs. This includes program fee waivers, expanded offsite offerings, free transportation, and content translation and interpretation. Think Wild encourages teachers, schools, youth organizations and families in Deschutes, Crooks, Jefferson and Lake Counties, especially those with limited resources, to reach out to Think Wild’s education program coordinator, Ginger Berryman, at ginger@thinkwildco.org or 541-316-8294. Please share this information with any educators you know!
