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Thank you for your feedback!
A big thanks to those of you who filled out our summer programming survey a few weeks ago where we asked what environmental and sustainability related topics you are interested in, how you’d like to learn, and how you’d like to hear about it. 


Your top interest is in recycling!

  • Where does it all go?
  • What happens to it?
  • What goes in the recycling cart and why?


We have answers in this newsletter and will continue to get the message out! Runners up were home composting and green cleaning, followed by home energy efficiency and food waste in Pierce County. Look for learning opportunities around these topics in the coming months!

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Family Time Environmental Education Resumes in September!

Several of you wrote in that you’d like more opportunities for young children to do activities and learn, so we piloted our Family Time Environmental Education (FTTE) series for a few weeks. It is now on break until school starts up again. Look for our September relaunch in a separate email with our new Thursday time where we will explore different stories and activities together on Zoom.


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Support for Educators


We want to give a big shout out to all of the classroom teachers out there who had their teaching world turned upside down. You turned on a dime and kept teaching in ways you probably thought you never would. Thanks for all you do!

As community-based learning partners, we feel a responsibility to help find new ways and things to learn in these trying times. We offer a range of support and opportunities to help reengage students in education and to create the conditions for their success. 


We are here to help! 


Student interest and engagement is one of the cornerstones of our environmental education program, so we are prepared to operate in many ways:

  • Face-to-face
  • Remote
  • Blended learning
As always, contact us and together we can create an exciting individualized environmental education program just for you or choose a virtual unit that’s soon to be announced.

Walking the Talk 

Little girl recycling

Recycle Right!  Do you know what’s accepted in your community’s recycling bin? Some items like plastic bottles/jugs, aluminum and tin cans, and cardboard are universally accepted. However, other items such as plastic tubs, cartons, and glass are regionally accepted. This is because each communities recycling is processed by a local Material Recovery Facility (MRF) that uses people and technology to sort co-mingled residential recycling back into natural resource categories (paper=trees, plastics=oil, cans=metal).  Each MRF has varying capacity and systems for sorting, which affects materials that can be collected in each community. Additionally, each MRF is responsible for sourcing its own buyers for its materials. If there is not a regional or international market for a material, there is no value in collecting it. Therefore, only the highest quality (non-contaminated/no wrong items) bales of sorted materials have high value.  Check to make sure you’re recycling right and if in doubt, it’s best to throw it out!

  • Pierce County Recycling (University Place, Murrey’s, LeMay, LRI)
  • Tacoma Recycling (City of Tacoma recycling program)

Learning Opportunities

North American Association for Environmental Education 
(NAAEE) is going virtual this October! This year's theme is "Positive Change". Registration coming soon!
 
Online Gardening Classes
How’s your COVID19 Victory garden coming along? Check out these recorded classes to continue your garden success!  

  • Zero Waste Kitchen and Garden Classes (fall classes coming soon!)
  • Edible Gardens Classes

 
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium is open! (Limited number of tickets each day.) 
 
Harbor WildWatch
 has virtual and limited in-person learning opportunities.  Check out their offerings today!  



Resources supporting at-home environmental education:
See more featured links from our Earth Day edition of this newsletter  
  • Wolf Journey Earth Conservation Courses
  • Exploratorium
  • WET Science Center, Science Time Virtual Learning Events
  • Washington Green Schools-Resources for at Home Learning
  • Pacific Education Institute: FieldSTEM resources

Our Facebook friends post fun activities almost daily:
  • Tacoma EnviroChallengers
  • Harbor WildWatch
  • Tacoma Nature Center
  • Pierce Conservation District




Thanks for reading!

We send this newsletter once per quarter.
Please let us know if there is anything you are interested in learning or sharing.

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