Take your class on a free Electronic Field Trip to North Cascades National Park

What: A free Electronic Field Trip to North Cascades National Park to explore climate change and its effects on people and ecosystems
Who: Students 4th through 8th grade
When: October 13, 2010, 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. PDT
How: Register for free at http://www.northcascadeseft.com
North Cascades Institute, North Cascades National Park and the National Park Foundation invite schools across the country to take a free Electronic Field Trip (EFT) to North Cascades National Park on October 13, 2010. The EFT will be hosted by popular television personality and passionate conservationist Jeff Corwin. Classes can watch the broadcast as it is streamed over the internet or broadcast on participating public television stations and internal school satellite networks. Lesson plans for teachers and web-based games for students are available now at http://www.northcascadeseft.com.
The Electronic Field Trip, “Climate Challenge: North Cascades National Park,” will include two live, hour-long broadcasts (7:00 a.m. PDT and 10:00 p.m. PDT) from North Cascades National Park featuring park rangers, scientists, kids and spectacular scenery. The free program is designed for 4th through 8th grade students and it will be the first in a series of investigative EFTs to explore the impact climate change is having on our national parks and encourage students to become leaders in addressing climate change. Students will have the opportunity to call in and have their questions answered during the broadcast.
“National parks are fun places, and they make great classrooms,” said Chip Jenkins, North Cascades National Park Superintendent. “You can learn about the foundations of democracy at Independence National Historical Park, about the struggle to preserve the nation at Gettysburg National Military Park, about geological forces that shape the earth at Grand Canyon National Park, and you can learn about the effect of climate change on people and ecosystems through this Electronic Field Trip to North Cascades National Park.”
Teachers and students are encouraged to visit http://www.northcascadeseft.com now to access lesson plans and web-based games to get a jump start on their interactive adventure to North Cascades National Park.
According to a recent study released by the Environmental Protection Agency that followed trends relative to sea level rise along U.S. Coasts between 1958 and 2008, climate change is expected to affect virtually every sector of society, including water resources, energy use, food production, commerce and recreation. Using North Cascades National Park as a backdrop, this Electronic Field Trip will educate tomorrow’s leaders about the effects of climate change and explore with them ways climate change can be addressed. Home to 9,000 foot tall mountains and over one-third of the remaining glaciers in the lower 48 United States, North Cascades National Park is an excellent location to explore the effects of climate change. Its northerly location and high altitude terrain make prime territory to teach about some of the earliest tangible impacts of climate change evidenced in glacier melt and species distribution.

Jeff Corwin is an Emmy award winning producer and host of numerous Animal Planet and Discovery Network television series. Presently, he serves as a correspondent for science and the environment for NBC. His most recent project, 100 Heartbeats, is a multimedia endeavor highlighting the planet’s most endangered species along with the heroes of conservation trying to save them. Beyond television, Jeff is the author of more than 10 natural history and conservation books.
Web Resources:
North Cascades National Park Glacier Monitoring Program
Do Your Part! For Climate Friendly Parks
North Cascades Institute’s Cascades Climate Challenge Program