In this hands-on workshop each participant will make their own mini-greenhouse from terrarium from a two- liter soda bottle. Then plant the planter and review a number of propagation activities that you can try in the classroom using the soda bottle planter. Instructor Jen Werner from Springfield Technical Community College will bring all the materials and will show you how to make the mini-greenhouse providing activities to enhance your curriculum. Appropriate for elementary and middle grades.

Instructor: Jennifer Werner, Professor at Springfield Technical Community College.

Meet a variety of trees, shrubs, groundcovers and vines that are edible and also offer interesting ornamental qualities that are sure to add to your school landscape. In his presentation, Warren Leach, horticulturist, garden designer and co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth will show images and discuss a diverse variety of plants that are easy to grow, edible for humans and also offer attractive flowers, foliage, seed heads, barks and twigs during the school year. Plant list provided. Appropriate for all grades. This workshop will be repeated again in Session 4.

Instructor: Warren Leach, landscape horticulturist, Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth

Dairy Farmers, Marjorie Cooper and nephew James from Coopers' Hilltop Dairy Farm in Rochdale will offer an overview of the dairy industry in Massachusetts today. Learn about the life cycle of the cow, milking, milk products, pricing and direct marketing. The making of cheese is a simple process that can be easily adapted to the classroom. Marjorie and James will demonstrate making cheese from the milk of the cow. They will also provide resources including information on where to purchase cheese-making kits. Appropriate for elementary and middle school.

Instructors: Marjorie and James Cooper, Coopers' Hilltop Dairy Farm

Did you know that bees are responsible for one-third of the food we eat? The prevalence of Colony Collapse Disorder in the last few years has caused scientists, politicians, farmers and the public to delve deeper into the life of Apis mellifera, the honey bee. In this session, Education Consultant and Beekeeper, Anne-Marie Runfola, will introduce bee biology, society, hive structure, and the important role played by this controversial pollinator. Interpret the waggle dance, put together a model hive, and taste test honey to deduce its provenance. Anne-Marie will share activity sheets, resource lists, and information on how to visit a hive with students or build one yourselves. Instructional level focused on upper elementary and junior high, but this rich topic lends itself to classrooms of all ages, so everyone encouraged to participate.

Instructor: Anne-Marie Runfola, Education Consultant and Beekeeper

To With every season schoolyards provide wonderful opportunities for you and your students to explore, discover, and learn about the diversity of local wildlife. Embrace the idea that if you plant a garden the wildlife will come. Join Pam Landry, MassWildlife Education Coordinator, for an overview of local wildlife: essential elements of habitat, natural history, identifying animal sign, what to do with uninvited visitors and the impact of human actions on wildlife habitat. Participants will receive copies of MassWildlife publications and be introduced to additional relevant resources. Appropriate for all grades.

Instructor: : Pam Landry, Educator Coordinator for MassWildlife and Project Wild Coordinator

This workshop offers an opportunity to share ideas, successes, challenges, and overall know-how with others who have some experience with planning and developing a school garden program at their school. Participants are encouraged to bring questions with them to the workshop any information and materials that they believe would be helpful to fellow school garden leaders. Target age range: Pre-K through HS.

Panel: Moderator Marian Hazzard is the Coordinator for the School Garden at the Touchstone Community School. She will be joined by a panel of 4-5 school garden leaders

Workshop 1: Using Cold Frames to Extend the Season

Gardening during the school year in chilly New England can be a challenge, but there are ways to make it happen! In this workshop you will learn about low-cost ways to extend the school growing season, think about the best crops for school-year harvest. Kira Jewett, from Hampshire Regional High School will show how she involved her classes in the design, building and use of cold frame season extenders, meeting the engineering frameworks for her 8th grade science class. Cold frame plans included. Geared towards grades 4-12.

Instructor: Kira Jewett, 8th grade teacher, Hampshire Regional High School, Easthampton

Workshop 2: Wool Science 101

Wool is an incredible, natural fiber!  It has some very unique characteristics due to its protein structure and chemical properties.  During this workshop, Ally Hunter, Instructor at Worcester Polytechnical Institute will provide background on the science of wool, explore and demonstrate the unique attributes of wool, and include a hands-on felting activity.  Target grade: middle through high school.

Instructor: Ally Hunter, Science Teacher at WPI in Worcester

Workshop 3: Teaching Forensic Using Pollen and Plants

Forensics is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system. It is also a popular subject in the classroom, providing endless opportunities to teach science through problem solving. Along the way students also get the opportunity to assess their skill and interest in forensics as a career. Cynthia Jensen, science and forensics teacher at Gateway Regional High School in Huntington will take you through the problem solving process, using pollen and plants as the medium through which the science is applied. Appropriate for middle and high school grades.

Instructor: Cynthia Jensen, Science and Forensic Teacher, Gateway Regional HS in Huntington

Workshop 4: Growing A Sustainable Campus

Why and how are UMass Amherst students creating permaculture food gardens across their campus? Get an introduction to this sustainable, regenerative gardening and design technique, and learn how to start a permaculture garden at your school. You will walk away with a few activities for engaging students in permaculture learning. Most appropriate for middle and high school.

Instructor: Nathan Aldrich, Auxiliary Services Sustainability Coordinator, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Workshop 5: Vegetable Garden Basics

In this practical vegetable gardening workshop, Ken Oles, retired teacher, Master Gardener and leader of the Harvest from the Heart Community Food Garden in Wrentham, will use power point and activities to tell you how and when to grow the crops in the school garden. The workshop will cover when and how to seed, the seed mix, and which plants should be bought and transplanted. He will also cover water, fertilizer, mulch and harvest tips for the established garden. be announced.

Instructor: Ken Oles, URI Master Gardener & leader of Harvest from the Heart Community Food Garden in Wrentham

Workshop 6: Keeping Rabbits in the Classroom

Rabbits are a great choice for those wishing to keep an animal in the classroom. They are small, quiet, easy to feed and keep clean and are good at multiplication. Topics will include: Health and safety issues, classroom management, housing and equipment, and suggested science related projects. Time permitting participants will help build a small all wire cage suitable for the classroom.

Instructor: Russ Anderson teaches Environmental Science and Technology at Worcester Technical High School. He has many years experience raising rabbits and has a small farm in Leicester Mass. He has taught other workshops for MAC including: Keeping Quail in the Classroom, Build a small chicken coop from Pallets and Henry David Thoreau's Walking Stick.

Workshop 1: Dairy Goats and Other Small Ruminants

This workshop provides an overview of everything you ever wanted to know about goats and other ruminants. Bob Cote, 5th grade teacher at the Jordan Jackson School in Mansfield raises dairy goats on his farm and integrates activities related to them in his classroom. Learn about raising and caring for dairy goats, the digestive system and diet of small ruminants and learn how to make cheese and butter. He will also offer activities and resources for teaching about goats. Targeted to elementary and middle school.

Instructor: Robert Cote, Grade 5 Teacher, Jordan Jackson School in Mansfield and our 2009 Massachusetts Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year

Workshop 2: Pollinator Basics

Pollinators are everywhere, yet many of us do not realize the important role that they play in our lives.  For example, did you know that pollinators are responsible for 1/3 of the food that you eat, and produce approximately $40 billion worth of in products annually in the U.S alone?  This workshop will provide introductory information on the identity and behavior of pollinators native to North America, with particular emphasis on bumblebees and the monarch butterfly.  The workshop will also include a hands-on activity related to learning and memory in insect pollinators.

Instructors: Robert J. Gegear and Ally Hunter, Worcester Polytechnical Institute

Workshop 3: Maple Sugaring Workshop

Late winter is the time to get outdoors, explore the local landscape and woodland, and find the perfect Sugar Maple tree to tap with your students. As you boil the sap into syrup, students can study the history of maple sugaring, draw and chart the boiling process, sing songs, write stories and generally immerse themselves in the maple season. Farm Educator Doug Cook, from Land's Sake in Weston will bring equipment and activity ideas offering ideas and answering questions to take you through the maple season. Targeted for elementary to middle school.

Instructor: Doug Cook, Farm Education Coordinator at Land's End in Weston

Workshop 4: Using A Worm Bin to Support Science Standards

Take a step towards developing your own green classroom. Composting is nature's way of recycling and worms are known as nature's recyclers. Learn first hand, how we can recycle our garbage, reducing waste that would go into a landfill, and use the compost material for planting new plants. This workshop will show you how to set up an inexpensive worm composting bin (vermicomposting) for your classroom. Instructions for harvesting your compost material and ways you can use it will also be covered. Teresa Strong, Science Specialist at the Harvard-Kent Elementary School in Charlestown will then offer tips and activity ideas for building and managing the bins with your students in the classroom. She will connect the vermicomposting efforts to the science curriculum throughout the school tying it to the Massachusetts State Standards for Science and Technology with a literacy component added as well. She will provide activity ideas to get the students involved, support learning and then complete the cycle by taking the waste materials from classroom to garden.

Instructor: Teresa Strong, Science Specialist, Harvard-Kent Elementary School in Charlestown and our 2011 Massachusetts Agriculture Teacher of the Year

Workshop 5: Growing a Holistic Curriculum with 10 Medicinal Herbs

Both ornamental and productive, easy-to-grow medicinal herbs such as lavender, mint and chamomile deserve a place in every school garden — even if that garden is as simple as an arrangement of containers in a sunny corner of your school's property. Planting, harvesting, and using herbs will reconnect kids of all ages with the natural world around them, stimulating their senses with inspiring scents, colors, textures, and tastes while providing a comprehensive curriculum for teachers throughout the growing season. Attendees will come away from the presentation with a list of 10 safe and easy-to-grow medicinal herbs suitable for school gardens (or containers) as well as the information needed to plant, harvest, and prepare them and inspiring ideas for incorporating these specific plants into the wider curriculum.

Instructor: William Siff is an experienced Clinical Herbalist and Licensed Acupuncturist who draws from Western, Chinese, and Ayurvedic herbal medicine. He holds a Masters degree from Southwest Acupuncture College, is nationally certified in Chinese herbal medicine, and is a professional member of the American Herbalist Guild. Bill owns and operates Goldthread, a medicinal herb farm, apothecary, distillery, and education center in Western Massachusetts committed to making herbal healthcare accessible, sustainable, organic & community-based.

Workshop 6: Introduction to Plant Classification

Michael LaMontagne, horticulture teacher at Franklin County Technical High School in Turner's Falls will offer an introduction to plant classifications. Learn how to use a simple key, an acronym and your senses including smell, touch, sight, sound and sometimes taste to introducing students to plant identification. Weather permitting, we will identify some of the plants on the school grounds. Appropriate for middle and high school educators.

Instructor: Michael LaMontagne, horticulture teacher, Franklin County Technical HS, Turner's Falls.

Workshop 1: Edible Landscaping for the Schoolyard

Meet a variety of trees, shrubs, groundcovers and vines that are edible and also offer interesting ornamental qualities that are sure to add to your school landscape. In his presentation, Warren Leach, horticulturist, garden designer and co-owner of Tranquil Lake Nursery in Rehoboth will show images and discuss a diverse variety of plants that are easy to grow, edible for humans and also offer attractive flowers, foliage, seed heads, barks and twigs during the school year. Plant list provided. Appropriate for all grades. This workshop was also offered in Session 1.

Instructor: Warren Leach, landscape horticulturist, Tranquil Lake Nursery, Rehoboth

Workshop 2: Composting in the Classroom

Composting provides huge benefits for humans and the planet, and can be fun, easy and educational. In this workshop, Education Consultant and Master Composter, Anne-Marie Runfola, will offer an overview of composting – from basic science to simple steps in setting up a system that works for your school. You will discuss how to teach science, math, civics and even art using the compost pile and how to adapt composting to a larger school or municipal project. Explore a worm bin and learn how to make a soda bottle bioreactor in this session's hands-on activities. Composting pairs perfectly with school gardening, nutrition, soil science, civics and many other curricular topics.

Instructor: Anne-Marie Runfola, Education Consultant, Master Composting Certification from the New York Botanical Garden

Workshop 3: Teaching Nutrition Using My Plate

Meet the new USDA MyPlate guidelines and learn how you can use it as a nutrition teaching tool in the classroom. Nutrition educator Linda Rohr will focus on the fruits and vegetables sections of MyPlate. As part of the workshop the group will prepare and sample fruit and vegetable recipes that are easy to prepare in a classroom. Food ideas on vegetable soup, carrots and a zucchini substitute for pasta. Appropriate for all grades.

Instructor: Linda Rohr, nutrition educator

Workshop 4: Engaging Students in Invasive Species Detection

Wondering where your students fit in the battle against forest pests? With the Forest Pest Outreach and Survey Project (FPOSP), Massachusetts joined states across the northeast to spread the word about invasive species, and students are vital to these efforts. The Massachusetts Asian longhorned Beetle Outreach Coordinator has begun to develop relevant, standards-based, age-appropriate and FUN activities for all educators to use. Now is a great time to start – or continue – working to prevent the further spread of Asian longhorned beetle and other invasive species.

This workshop will briefly touch upon current efforts in Massachusetts to educate the public about invasive species, sharing in particular our state's experiences in dealing with Asian longhorned beetle. Participants will experience firsthand a set of sample activities, then discuss their effectiveness and briefly review how they can be incorporated or adapted for use in their own classroom.

Instructor: Stacy Kilb, Asian Longhorned Beetle Outreach Coordinator Stacy is currently developing curricula on invasive forest pests for K-12 students, as well as Spanish language versions of existing ALB outreach materials.

Workshop 5: Embryology in the Classroom

Incubation of eggs in the classroom provides many cross curricular opportunities for teaching reading, writing, math, science and much more. It can also be a challenge for those who have not tried it before. Jessica Ouimet hatches eggs with her fifth grade students at the Coburn Elementary School i in West Springfield. She will unravel the mystery, showing you how to set up the incubator, put in the eggs and turn the eggs for successful hatching. She will also present an overview of embryo development, life cycles and brooding of newly hatched chicks and share activities used in her classroom as she teaches this unit. Content is geared towards the elementary and middle grades.

Instructor: Jessica Ouimet, teaches fifth grade at the Coburn Elementary School in West Springfield and raises chickens and other fowl at her farm in Russell

Workshop 6: Success in the School Garden

During this workshop several experienced school garden leaders will offer stories of their success in the school garden. Each will provide examples of garden activities, lesson plans, adaptation for their grade level and community connections that they have successfully carried out in their school garden. They will also offer strategies for integrating the garden program into the classroom curriculum. Bring your questions and learn from the experience of others. Appropriate for all grades

Workshop Facilitator: Hope Guardenier, Executive Director of School Sprouts Educational Gardens in Holyoke and three to four experienced school garden leaders.