Bronx River Ecomedia Blog

 Wildman Steve Brill visited Drew Gardens recently and introduced students to hunting for wild foods. They didn’t have to hunt far as it turned out because there were plenty growing along the Bronx River.Here are some student comments on the experience:

WILDMAN STEVE BRILL UNLEASHED! by Rei WalkerLast Monday Wildman Steve Brill came and taught us about all the plants in the garden that we can pick off the ground and eat. While we were still inside the BRAC center I saw a crazy looking guy ask where the bathroom was, and I just knew it had to be “wildman Steve Brill”. Once we got into the garden he introduced himself and he went crazy in the garden picking up plants and eating them. He insisted on everyone trying the plants but all I could think about was what animal used it as a toilet.

This is poison ivy, Steve says not to eat it or else you’ll end up like the German lady in his story.

These are Mulberries, they taste very good… or so they say. I wouldn’t eat it…

WILDMAN STEVE BRILL… AND THE FOREST by Michael Medina

Last week the class had a work shop where we went to the bronx river watershed. when we got there we met a guy who looked like a mountain climber named wildman steve. he was kinda funny looking but after he told us about himself we realized this was gunna be interesting….. he stopped first only 10 feet away from the point where we started and showed us what looked like a clover. he said it was edible and that it tasted pretty good. i was a little skeptical at first but when i saw everyone else trying it i wondered how bad it could be. i went with the crowd and tried it. to my surprise it wasn’t so bad. it had this strange taste to it which was like a mix between grapes and lemonade…. soon after eating it i realized something had to have peed on it by now!!! after that i vowed never to eat plants like that again. soon after explaining how it wasn’t a clover we left to the little forest that was nearby. sadly i noticed a naruto symbol on three of the rocks at the entrance. i was wondering ‘what would drive somebody crazy enough to do that?!’it was awkward. i guess there are some pretty loyal fans out there. as we continued through the path and i watched out for the poison ivy. i carefully followed close by the wild man as he explained the different types of plants that are visible there.

Hello by Hannah Matte

Last Week we had a workshop. The workshop was fun. There was a man who talked to us about plants. We walked around the garden while he told us what plants we could eat, what plants were poisonous, and what plants could help us with bug bites and fevers.

Van Cortlandt OUTDOORS!
Spring 2007 Teacher Workshop Series
The Friends are excited to be offering another teacher workshop series
this spring.  These workshops are designed to train teachers in using
the park as an outdoor lab where lessons come alive for students.  We
will demonstrate how teachers can use the 1,146 acres of parkland as an
outdoor classroom and how you can bring the park inside.

*Project WET: Saturday March 17th from 11am-5pm Project WET (Water
Education for Teachers) is a collection of innovative, water-related
activities that are hands-on, east to use and fun!  Project WET
activities are geared for students from K-12th grade and are easily
incorporated into a school’s existing curricula. Held in partnership
with the Bronx River Alliance.  **This workshop will be held at Fannie
Lou Hamer Freedom High School at 1021 Jennings Street, Bronx, NY, 10460.

*Project Wild: Thursday April 19th from 5-8pm Project WILD provides
lesson plans that will help students learn basic concepts about wildlife
and their needs. Project WILD is an award-winning education program
designed for teachers and youth leaders of students from kindergarten
through 12th grade.

*Aquatic Wild: Tuesday April 24th from 5-8pm Project Aquatic Wild helps
to explore and understand the fascinating world of water and the aquatic
habitats it supports. The goal of all Project WILD workshops is to help
teachers and youth leaders prepare students to develop problem-solving
skills in exploring responsible human actions toward wildlife and the
environment.

*Flying Wild: Thursday May 3rd from 5-8pm Flying WILD is an exciting
environmental education program of the Council for Environmental
Education (the creators of Project WILD) designed for middle school
students. The materials introduce students to bird conservation through
hands-on classroom activities and school bird festivals.

HELP: Wetlands: Sunday May 6th from 11am-4pm The Habitat Ecology
Learning Program (HELP) is an exciting interdisciplinary curriculum
designed by the Wildlife Conservation Society for students in grades
3rd-6th.  HELP encourages students to use language arts, life sciences,
social studies and math to explore the richness of ecology.  This
program was validated by the US Dept of Education as an exemplary
program in life science and the program covers the animals, plants and
indigenous people of specific habitats. This hands-on program consists
of six modules with Wetlands being the focus of this workshop.
Participants will have an opportunity to purchase lesson plan book for
$20 (regular purchase price is $40).

*These workshops will be held with the NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation and participants will receive a book with plenty of lesson
plans and background info.
**All workshops are being held at the Van Cortlandt House Museum except
where noted.

Fee of $5 per workshop (or $20 for all five) is required to cover cost
of food and beverages.

For more information contact Christina at or email
http://www.bronxriverart.org/ecomedia/cj/fvcpeducation@hotmail.com.

Christina Taylor
Interim Executive Director
Friends of Van Cortlandt Park
124 Gale Place, Apt. GrA
Bronx, NY 10463
ph-
fax-

workshop

Originally uploaded by Citizen Journalism_ecomedia.

Learn how to identify the fish living in the Bronx River.

Observe, sketch and photograh preserved specimens of local fish.

Information Jennifer Plewka 718-5428388 ext.11