FAS Winter 03/04 Adult Education Program

LEARN, ENJOY, APPRECIATE, PRESERVE, and PROTECT - LEAPP^TM
Adult Education Program

The LEAPP (Learn, Enjoy, Appreciate, Preserve, and Protect) program offers Northern Virginians the opportunity to learn more about the natural world and be informed, active stewards for its care and protection. Since its inception in 1999, students have found that LEAPP classes are fun and personally rewarding. ASNV members and others in the community can select from a wide range of subjects offered in both the spring and the fall.

A special course of study within the LEAPP^TM program leads to certification as a Master Naturalist. Classes are taught by dedicated and respected educators who are also experts in the particular subjects they teach including William R. Stott Jr., renowned ornithologist, teacher, and field trip leader.

Note: Our instructors require a minimum of 10 students. If there are insufficient registrations, a class will be cancelled two weeks before the starting class date.

ASNV is introducing some exciting new options to its educational program,
LEAPP (Learn, Enjoy, Appreciate, Preserve, and Protect). These options
are designed to meet the needs of a wider range of students, including those
who may wish to take an occasional class or workshop, but who cannot commit
to the full program leading to a Master Naturalist certificate.

ASNV will now certify students at three levels of achievement - Nature
Observer, Nature Enthusiast, and Master Naturalist. Each level will require
progressively more course work, nature observation, and community service.
The new certifications will also involve new activities, such as nature
journaling, and will provide opportunities for new courses and workshops.

LEAPP is hands-down the most successful program for the study of natural
history in any of the National Audubon Society's chapters nationwide. The
curriculum was designed by Bill Stott, who has served as a college
president, dean, and professor. Although ASNV's program is centered on
ornithology, it is a comprehensive, broad-based curriculum embracing all
areas of the natural world. Many of our Master Naturalists expand their
certification by teaching, working with youth groups, leading field trips,
or utilizing a special skill such as bird-banding.

LEAPP students find the courses challenging, interesting, and a whole
lot of fun. The field trips integrated into all the courses allow students
to get out in nature and see how the principles they're studying actually
play out in the Mid-Atlantic environment. All ASNV members, whether
enrolled in the LEAPP program or not, are encouraged to take a LEAPP
class and to invite friends with an interest in natural history to do the
same.

For more information about the LEAPP program, feel free to contact ASNV
Education Committee co-chairs Kathleen Britts kbritts4@cox.net or
703-250-9225 or Kristy Liercke kliercke@verizon.net or 703-255-3021.

Please print, complete enrollment form and return via e-mail, snail mail or fax to the ASNV office.

Please note that ASNV cannot complete your registration until payment is received.

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."
Frank Lloyd Wright

SPRING 2007 LEAPP WORKSHOPS	START DATE

Spring Wildflowers	4/11
Reptiles & Amphibian Workshop	5/2
Audubon at Home & Beyond	5/5
Nature Journaling NEW OFFERING!	5/19

REGISTRATION BEGINS MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2007

Spring Wildflowers

Learn to identify common spring wildflowers and plant families. Students will also learn to use a common wildflower guide for identification purposes. The classes will be taught as field trips and will meet from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

Class/field trip dates:
Wednesday, April 11, at Potomac Overlook Regional Park, in Arlington. We will walk down along Donaldson Run to the Potomac River in search of spring wildflowers such as bloodroot, trout lily, and toothwort. This walk includes one steep section and two stream crossings on stepping stones.
Thursday, April 12, at Bull Run Regional Park, near Centreville. We will explore the floodplain of Cub Run and Bull Run to view stands of bluebells and spring beauties.
Thursday, April 26, at the "Upper Potomac Property" of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, near Sterling. We will look for wildflowers in the Potomac floodplain and open beech woods.
Cost: $50/members; $60/non-members

Instructor: Martin Ogle has been Chief Naturalist for the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority since 1985. He holds BS and MS degrees in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University and Virginia Tech, respectively. Mr. Ogle's interests cover a wide range of local human and natural history and the new ecological science of the Gaia Theory.

Reptile and Amphibian Workshop

Come learn about our native reptile and amphibian species. We will watch short films and see live specimens. Both classes will conclude with a short hike to visit vernal pools and snake cover boards. Learn how important reptiles and amphibians are to their ecosystems, all while having fun. The field trip will be held at Mason Neck State Park.

Class dates: 6:00-8:00 PM, Wednesday and Thursday, May 2 and 3
Field trip: May 5 at Mason Neck State Park
Location: To be determined
Cost: $50/members; $60/non-members

Instructor: Tony Bulmer is senior naturalist at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly and is responsible for providing high-quality interpretive programs. Tony was born an animal lover, and while growing up, he spent most of his time in the woods observing wildlife and learning about nature. He has a degree in parks and recreation management.

Audubon at Home and Beyond

Carol Hadlock's backyard will be your classroom for this workshop, where you will learn to put the principles of Audubon at Home to work in your yard, creating a healthier environment for you, your family, and pets, while at the same time giving birds and pollinators a helping hand. Things should be popping in the garden, the birds will be singing, and outdoor activities will make this a fun, informative day.

Class date: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, Saturday, May 5
Location: 515 Alabama Drive, Herndon, VA
Cost: $15, covers class materials and a light lunch.

Instructor: Carol Hadlock is an ASNV Master Naturalist and National Wildlife Federation Habitat Steward.

Nature Journaling - NEW OFFERING!

If you can write your name in cursive, you can draw in your nature journal. Learn techniques for keeping a nture journal in the tradition of artists like Albrecht Durer, scientists like Galileo, naturalists like John James Audubon, environmentalists like Lynne Cherry and more. Participants will learn to use a view-finder for landscape drawing, contour line drawing for still life, and techniques for creating the illusion of three dimensionality in objects. Brainstorm ideas to deal with the challenge of drawing animals in the wild, especially those swiftly moving passerines. Your nature journal is a personal book that chronicles those little bits of the world that touch your heart the most, It is an informal way of observing growth and the passing of time that you will treasure for years to come.

Class Date: 9:00AM- 3:00PM, Saturday, May 19
Location: Packard Center, 4022 Hummer Road, Annandale, VA
Cost: $18 plus supplies (a list will be sent when you register)
Instructor: Julia Schickel was the recipient of one of ASNV's scholarships to attend Audubon Camp in the summer of 2006 (click here... for more information on the scholarship). She teaches art to students in kindergarten through sixth grade for Fairfax County Public Schools. She received her undergraduate degree from Kent State university and is currently pursuing a Master's in art education from Virginia Commonwealth University.