EwA guides & etiquettes are focused on ecology, habitats, species, human activities, and disciplines. They’re here to help with Knowing what to expect, Making sure that what we do and see is responsible, and that the venue/organization behind the scene is itself ethical, minimizing our footprint and ‘positiving’ our impact and spreading ecological mindfulness.
ⓘ | Intro to Exploring – The basics: knowing what to expect + making sure that what we see & do is ethical.
▹ At this time, our live classes are only available in the Boston area. Although our presentation material is usually unrestricted, what makes the difference is that our presentations are meant to be group discussions rather than didactic lectures. Part of our class objectives is to stimulate a collaborative ecological reflection. Most of our classes pair their seminar with an experiential learning session in the field. Those field sessions are the ‘knowledge’ glue and a great opportunity to learn at a deeper level. Our classes also give the chance to connect with a supportive community. Don’t miss out on those great eco-experiences!
For more information, or if you wish to attend a class or have us give a class to your organization/school, please email us at learning@earthwiseaware.org. Thanks!
🍃 | Closer to Nature » Positive Ecological Ethics in a Human-Dominated World ⎆
Format ▹ 1 seminar (2 hrs)
Description
How we view ourselves in Nature and how we relate to our environment define our overall ecological impact.
Explore with us main environmental worldviews and ethics, and discuss how we can ease our ecological impact. Help develop a human ecological narrative that is aware and inclusive so that we become better and thriving actors of changes.
🔬 | No Ph.D. Needed » Saving the Planet with Citizen Science ⎆
Format ▹ 1 seminar (2 hrs)
Description
Climate science & Biodiversity science need you and the information that you can collect. And the good news is that you can really make a difference!
This is a crash course about participative science (a.k.a. citizen science), that is the active public involvement in scientific research. In this class, we introduce you to what co-creative citizen science is, why it is needed, where it is needed, how you can help (individually or joining some of our local projects in local parks and reservations), and some of the popular tools used in citizen science projects.
Join us. It’s fun & exciting. Let’s make a difference together!
Format ▹ iNat Essentials seminar (1 hr) | Deep Dive Demo (1.5 hr)
Description
Climate science & Biodiversity science need you and the information that you can collect. And the good news is that you can really make a difference joining the iNaturalist community!
iNaturalist is a citizen science project and online social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe. iNaturalist may be accessed via its website or from its mobile applications.
The iNat Essentials show how to get started using this great tool and platform.
The iNat Deep Dive goes beyond the basics of iNaturalist. It’s intended to be a live demo showing how to make identifiable observations and how to record those efficiently from the iNat desktop platform in a way that can best serve science. Time allowing do a Q&A to help you hone your iNat skills and address the questions that you may have. If we have the answers we’ll share them – and if we don’t, then we’ll find them!
Join us. It’s fun & exciting. Let’s make a difference together!
🌿 | Closer to Nature » Season Activities & Program For All ⎆
Closer to Nature is a wonderful seasonal opportunity for teens and/or adults to get close and personal with our immediate landscape & wildlife in both scientific and art-creative ways.
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Format ▹ We offer this program to anyone and to any organization in the Greater Boston Area (Massachusetts). You can pick and choose which class(es) you want, or you can sign up for an entire season program. Tell us when and where, provide us with an indoor location (with a large table, a white wall or a whiteboard and enough chairs to accommodate your party) and we do the rest, including getting you all outside to explore your local wildlife–right where you live…
We offer this program per season, following the school seasonal structure having a Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall session.
Cost ▹ The cost is $30 per class/participant or $150 for a whole season (pick 5 classes per program). A sliding scale is available upon request.
Description
Closer to Nature is an Earthwise Aware program designed for teens (14+) and adults to explore and enjoy the natural world around through storytelling, nature & naturalist walks, sketching & journaling, art, and science.
We sync our classes with the seasons, we adjust to our audiences. Every class starts with a short presentation and discussion of the topic before getting outside.
Closer to Nature cultivates a deep understanding that Nature conservation starts right where we live, in our own backyards, city parks, and forests. Each season program aims at inspiring its participants to become mentors in their communities by taking part in awareness programs and sharing their knowledge with communities, schools, friends and family members.
🐘 | Wildlife Watching Essentials: How to Enjoy, Observe & Protect Wildlife ⎆
Format▹ Workshop includes 1 seminar (2 hrs) + 1 optional experiential learning session in the field (2-3 hrs).
Description
Whether we are enjoying Nature at home, in our national parks or elsewhere in another country we have an ecological impact. And so can ethical wildlife watching and enthusiasm for Nature thrive hand in hand in a time where selfies and thrill quests prevail? Absolutely yes, with a little consideration and thought, and with the bonus of increasing our sense of wonder!
Explore with us simple and critical principles that optimize our safety, our enjoyment and the protection of the wildlife that we care about.
🗺 | A Primer of Wildlife & Nature Conservation Volunteering —Here and Everywhere in the World ⎆
Format▹ 1 seminar (2 hrs)
Description
You love Nature and wildlife. You want to help protect and conserve it. You might even want to travel and volunteer, but you’re not sure how to start or if it is safe, or even ethical.
Join us. We’ll share with you essential information for helping you research and assess any wildlife and/or conservation opportunities, and for preparing you to live and promote a relevant volunteering or eco-tourism experience.
🐾 | Captive Wildlife Watching Essentials: Understanding What We See ⎆
Format▹ Workshop includes 1 seminar (2 hrs) + 1 optional experiential learning session in the field (2-3 hrs).
Description
You intend to visit a zoo, a sanctuary, or an animal attraction? You want to help push for good welfare and protect those animals? Helping starts with understanding what we see: the good, the less good, and also the unethical.
Come and learn about recognized frameworks that help the public understand animal welfare science and animal-centered institutions. By understanding what we are looking at, we can appreciate knowingly the efforts of institutions that do achieve good welfare and, push and support better captive conditions when they’re not. That’s the least we can do to the millions of animals that live in captivity.
Ultimately we are all responsible and accountable for what happens in those institutions, because we are the ones visiting, and therefore endorsing them. As concerned humans, we have the power to help those institutions implement better standards for the benefits of their non-human guests.
💰 ▹ Our class fee is minimal and about 30-50 dollars per student, depending on the class, and with a sliding scale available upon request. Note that the real value of a session/person is 75$ (it always helps to know the real value of things to appreciate more what we get). For large groups or if the class is intended to be part of a school program, then the fee is defined differently (contact us for more information).
We believe that it is critical to keep our classes financially accessible to all. This is why our classes and workshops are and will remain inexpensive. In the same spirit, EwA’s content is freely accessible. However, we are a nonprofit, and we need your support. Please consider donating to Earthwise Aware to keep us going. Earthwise Aware is a 501(c)(3), therefore your donation is tax-deductible. Thanks!
Thanks for your support!
⭕ Live Nature Circles
▹ EwA Nature Circles create individual and collective nature experiences so as to facilitate a deep bond between us and the natural environment. A circle is essentially a Nature focus group where you and your companions engage purposefully in activities that are centered on Nature with us as being part of ‘it’. We also call such groups experience or learning circles.
We run live Circles in the area where we are based (Boston area). Come join our EwA Nature Journaling series and our EwA Biodiversity and Climate studies at the Middlesex Fells Reservation, the Fresh Pond Reservoir, the Somerville Community Growing Center, and at Horn Pond. The best way to get notified about them is to follow our Facebook and Eventbrite pages.
Get involved in documenting the biodiversity and the natural cycles of our parks and reservations biodiversity, and develop an understanding of the importance of ecology, phenology, ethics while helping science through citizen science.
We share together how to create, illustrate and maintain a Naturalist & Field journal. This includes practicing sketching, nature illustration skills, recording field observations, and simply writing about what we see, including how we feel…
📅 Events Calendar
Here we cover our EwA learning events (workshops, lectures, and various programs), as well as our citizen science fieldwork sessions and our live Nature circles ⭕.
We also list local events in which we participate or that we attend —that we invite you to discover as well— where we live in the US (Massachusetts) and in the UK (London). There are many great conservation organizations out there, and we like to share information about them, too! Don’t miss our events » subscribe to our calendar ✍️
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