The Department of Natural Resources and Environment will be hosting five training workshops on its environmental education curriculum program entitled the Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Support (MEECS).  The workshops will be held on Thursday, March 4, from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the Lansing Center in Lansing, prior to the Michigan Science Teachers Association (MSTA) annual conference.  The workshops are co-sponsored by the United States Postal Service.

More than 3,000 Michigan educators have been trained on one or more units of MEECS.  The program is designed to teach the importance of appreciating our environment and natural resources within the classroom. 

The workshops will be held simultaneously on each of the MEECS units which consist of Ecosystems & Biodiversity, Land Use, Water Quality, Energy Resources, and Air Quality.   Teachers and non-formal educators are encouraged to register for the low-cost MEECS curriculum workshop trainings.  Classroom instruction, as well as, curriculum materials will be provided for each trainee.

Registration can be done online at www.michigan.gov/deqworkshopsand click on "Upcoming Workshops."  The registration cost to attend a unit workshop is $35.  SB-CEU credits will be available for those interested.  For information, contact Thomas Occhipinti, Environmental Education Coordinator, at 517-373-2379, or email at occhipintit@michigan.gov.

The MSTA conference takes place March 4 - 6, following the MEECS pre-conference trainings.  Registration information for this conference is available on the MSTA Web site at http://www.msta-mich.org/conference/.

The DNRE is committed to the conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment of the state's environment, natural resources, and related economic interests for current and future generations.

Editor's note:  DNRE environmental news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.