LDWF announces 2021 WETSHOP dates

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has announced the dates for the Wetland Education Teacher Workshop (WETSHOP) 2021, a coastal awareness workshop for science, history, and social studies teachers. The workshop is scheduled for July 11-16, 2021 at the LDWF Grand Isle Research Lab. All COVID-19 guidelines will be followed.

The focus of this 6-day workshop is to provide teachers with an in-depth look at issues related to wetland ecology and coastal land loss in Louisiana. Participating teachers can accrue up to 55 hours of instruction covering a wide variety of topics including wetland ecology, fisheries management, and coastal restoration. Teachers will also spend a portion of each day in the field learning about maritime forests, barrier island beach ecology, coastal restoration projects, bird life, marsh and swamp habitats, and marine organisms. Workshop experiences provide ideas to incorporate Louisiana phenomena-based science in classrooms at all grade levels.

All participating teachers will receive wetland lessons correlated to Louisiana Science Standards and many other educational resources from numerous sponsoring agencies and organizations. Lodging and meals are provided once participants reach the workshop site. Upon completion of the workshop, each participant will receive a $250.00 stipend. An additional stipend is available during the academic year upon completion of a wetland stewardship project.

WETSHOP is sponsored by LDWF in partnership with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) and the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program. WETSHOP is also a collaborative effort with partners that provide experts in the field for presentations and educational materials.  These agencies and organizations include:  BTNEP, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Louisiana Nature Conservancy, Louisiana Sea Grant College Program (LSG), Greater Lafourche Port Commission, Coastal Wetlands Planning Protection and Restoration Act, and Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.

Teachers interested in WETSHOP 2021 can visit https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/for-teachers or contact Heather David at hdavid@wlf.la.gov with questions.