Beetles Project Tales from the Field Archives

The Other Side of the Coin: Supporting Districts to Implement Environmental Literacy at Scale

January 22, 2020: Tales from the Field

BEETLES has now been supporting outdoor science programs since 2012. Since then, we’ve: Published almost 80 resources, including professional learning sessions, student activities, implementation support guides, videos, research/practice briefs, etc. And 15 more documents are currently in publication pipeline, in some form or another. Conducted 10 weeklong Leadership Institutes, working with over 200 organizations across […]

Tale from the Field: Professional Learning at Scale

November 6, 2019: Tales from the Field

Mass Audubon is a nature conservation nonprofit with 20 nature centers throughout Massachusetts. They also have 75 permanent education staff and hire nearly 500 seasonal educators per year. BEETLES interviewed Education Coordinator Melissa Hansen about the challenges and opportunities that come with working with instructors across multiple sites, and how Mass Audubon is building a […]

Tale from the Field: Making a “Destination Hike” Optional to Give Instructors More Flexibility

September 25, 2019: Tales from the Field | Uncategorized

by Emilie Lygren We all want high quality student experiences in our programs, but sometimes the policies or structure of our organization can unintentionally get in the way. We all want high quality student experiences in our programs, but sometimes our program’s policies or structure can unintentionally get in the way. This Tale from the […]

Tale from the Field– Connecting BEETLES Approaches and Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices

July 26, 2019: Tales from the Field

written by James Taborda-Whitt, director of Camp Bovey, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Camp Bovey is a traditional sleep away camp for youth who are underrepresented in green spaces. Camp Bovey staff are guided by the belief that summer camp has the potential to improve how children learn and think about themselves as learners. Although we don’t know […]

Tale from the Field: How Our BEETLES Implementation Was a Learning Experience for Everyone Involved

May 21, 2019: Tales from the Field

By Keith Williams, Executive Director, Richard Garber, Director of Education, and Salena Garber, Education Manager, NorthBay, Elk Neck State Park, Maryland. (Note: This post was originally published in the BEETLES Guide for Program Leaders. Check the Guide for Program Leaders publication out for additional implementation support and Tales from the Field.) When Daksha and I came […]

Tale from the Field: Improving Teaching and Learning Through Shifts in Program Policies (2 of 2)

April 10, 2019: Tales from the Field

Tara Fuad and the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy in San Diego, California, attended a BEETLES Leadership Institute in the summer of 2017. Tara has done a lot in the year and a half since attending the Institute and has used BEETLES materials and approaches to transform the way teaching and learning happens at her site. Part 1 […]

Tale from the Field: Improving Teaching and Learning Through Shifts in Program Policies (Part 1 of 2)

March 21, 2019: Tales from the Field

Tara Fuad of the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy in San Diego, California, attended a BEETLES Leadership Institute in the summer of 2017. She’s done a lot in the year and a half since attending the Institute and has used BEETLES materials and approaches to transform the way teaching and learning happens at her site– but […]

Tale from the Field: Inquiry Fever With Students

August 21, 2018: Tales from the Field

What can BEETLES activities and approaches look like with a group of students? Outdoor science education consultant and past BEETLES Leadership Institute attendee Sarah Johnson writes about introducing several foundational BEETLES student activities and Exploration Routines on the first day of a summer camp, and an experience of “Inquiry Fever” and exciting student-led investigations that followed. […]

Tale from the Field: BEETLES in a Day Program

July 17, 2018: Tales from the Field

When BEETLES began hosting Leadership Institutes, we focused on Residential Outdoor Science Schools. Over later Leadership Institutes, we have expanded our audience to other outdoor educational programs including nature preserves, day programs, nature centers, garden programs, and other types of programs. Luana Rivera Palacio of the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy attended our December 2017 Leadership […]

BEETLES Strategies in History Programming

June 25, 2018: Tales from the Field

The Ocean Institute Outdoor Education Department attended the BEETLES August 2015 Leadership Institute in Santa Cruz, California. The Ocean Institute has a well-respected outdoor science program, and they also run a large history program for 4th graders in California. The Ocean Institute has used what they learned at the BEETLES Leadership Institute to strengthen their […]