This was such a valuable learning experience and there are so many connections between what I learned a the institute and other curricular areas I teach. It was a great balance between being indoors and learning and then applying what we learned in activities outdoors. Every activity we did from the outdoor activities and nature walks to mapping and the coloring book work were enjoyable and valuable. I went to school on Monday and could put ideas into action right away and without a lot of preparation ahead of time. I shared my learning and ideas for classroom activities with my team and those ideas fit in so nicely with our curriculum so it felt seamless. The coloring book is user friendly for my first and second graders because the color by number gives them a pretty accurate look at what the birds actually look like and it would make

I cannot say enough positive things about this Birding Institute provided by the Jeffers Foundation. I found myself completely engaged and ready to hone my own skills by becoming a better listener and observer. All of the activities in which we participated can be easily adjusted to work with children of all ages. I cannot wait to use them during summer school as I lead my own birding institute of elementary students. David is amazing! He provided us with many valuable resources. I have perused several of the websites he suggested and cannot get enough of the live webcams. I so appreciate the connection between birding and other subject areas such s literacy, math, and geography. Collaborative learning is a must. I recommend this institute to anyone who has an interest in environmental science. Thanks again for a wonderful experience.

"I have participated in the Team Teaching with Mother Nature workshop and partnered with the presenters on several other teacher workshops. The teachers develop a joy of learning in the outdoors which can inspire their students. They learn how to craft the student experiences toward skills and attitudes that will enrich the lives of the children and make their school learning more relevant."

"My colleagues and I were part of a very fun PD last night. We learned ways to incorporate our outdoor classroom in our daily routines and curriculum. The staff is passionate and knowledgeable. Jeffers Foundation not only provides all of us with ideas, but tools and connections to successfully implement these ideas. They took into consideration multiple grade levels and multiple positions in the staff. I feel everyone walked out excited and curious to try these in their learning space.  ps- dinner was delicious as well. They are the best!!"

"Thank you for your wonderful presentation on team teaching with Mother Nature. There has been a lot of conversation centered around the information you presented and there have already been classes out in the courtyard."

Dear Tom, Holle, & David, Thank you for an incredible morning of outdoor learning! The elementary EL teachers were impressed and invigorated by the workshop you facilitated. I received a lot of positive feedback about the learning and one veteran teacher emailed me to let me know it was one of the best PD sessions she’s ever attended! We were able to see a lot of ways to integrate the morning's environmental learning into both our summer program and the Units of Study curriculum of each grade level. The resources you provided are incredible and will be very useful to teachers. Despite a windy, cold day we thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience and will definitely use our learning this summer and throughout the school year. I greatly appreciate the organization and skill it takes to make professional development opportunities meaningful and enjoyable for teachers. You definitely accomplished this! I will

Sil, David, & the Jeffers Foundation, Thank you so much for providing a great learning experience for the new teachers of Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools. Thank you for the financial donation to the lunch and for being a great collaborative partner! We hope to keep this great tradition going!