Making Coffee Bird Friendly

Author Katie Fallon, Ecologist Ruth Bennett, and Coffee Crafter Bill Wilson discuss the science, economics, and social dimensions of bird friendly coffee.

Additional Educator Ambassador resources are available here, including videos, Chapter 8 of Katie Fallon’s book Cerulean Blues, a Bird Friendly Coffee Primer, and other classroom activities and materials.

The Guide

This film is set in war-torn Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, a protected area that has been the subject of a large-scale restoration project.  The film tells the story of a young man from the local community who discovers a passion for science after meeting world-renowned biologist E.O. Wilson. Help students explore concepts of conservation biology with this companion activity guide to the film.

More Gorongosa Resources

WildCam Gorongosa: A Citizen Science Project
This citizen science platform allows students to identify animals captured on trail camera photographs throughout Gorongosa National Park. Up-level their thinking with one of these data analysis activities.

How Termites Enrich Ecosystems
In this animation by HHMI Biointeractive, students learn more about the importance of termite mounds in the African Savanna ecosystem.

Looking for more?
Check out these additional resources about Gorongosa.

Corrie Moreau: Audacious E.O. Wilson Student

Meet Corrie Moreau, Ant Biologist and E.O. Wilson Student. Dr. Moreau is now Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University and Director of the Insect Collection. Corrie had previously worked at the Field Museum in Chicago in the Department of Science and Education. Here, she talks about being encouraged and inspired by Ed, both in her research and in her education and science communication adventures.

The Diversity of Ants

Corrie introduces us to the amazing diversity of ants, and their fascinating variety of behavior and life styles. She’s studied ants across the world, from the her favorite group called the Turtle Ants for the shape and way they use their exoskeletons (cuticle) to the infamous bullet ant, so named for having one of the most painful bites known to myrmecologists (ant experts).

Educational Ants

Corrie discusses how engaging ants are for science education, and introduces us to a variety of resources and classroom materials that impress upon students the diversity of ants. Learn about AntWiki, which gathers ant research data in a way that students can find interesting. Corrie focuses on the Florida Keys, a hotspot of ant diversity both native and invasive species.

Mapping Design Challenge

Here’s everything you need to do this hands-on mapping design challenge. Your students will work in teams to answer the challenge of putting half of the United States into protection for biodiversity, grapple with evidence, and become motivated to learn more about conserving biodiversity.

• Mapping to Conserve Biodiversity Lesson Plan
• Half-Earth Project Maps for Design Activity
• Map Design Challenge Support Slides (.pptx)
• Map Design Challenge Support Slides (.pdf)

Encyclopedia of Life

The Encyclopedia of Life is a virtual home for every species on Earth. Katja Schulz, biologist and data scientists with EOL, gives us a tour of the dynamic new food-web tool, which puts your species of interest at the center of a web of predators, prey, and competitors. We encourage you to try it out for yourself and use it as a teaching tool in your classrooms. View full video.

Explore Trophic Webs

Hand’s on is the best way to learn. Explore these trophic webs and travel around this fantastic educational tool. Instructions on how to use the tool are also provided here.

• American Beaver
• Common Buckeye
• American Robin
• American Kestrel
• Anna’s Hummingbird

E.O. Wilson and Ants, Formicidae

Evolutionary biologist E.O. Wilson has spent his long career cracking the code of ants. It’s the ants’ ability to communicate and form tight-knit societies that lies behind their extraordinary evolutionary success. Transcript (pdf)

What do ants really like to eat?

Explore topics of diet, food types, food quality, and ant diversity with your students in an amazing citizen science project.

Galapagos Islands: A Case for Half-Earth 

How do people who live in the  Galapagos view the biodiversity protections they live with? Get an amazing on-the-ground account from two Half-Earth Ambassadors, in this 19 minute video.

Teaching Inside and Out

Erika Mitkus and Jonathan Bower are Knowles Fellows and Half-Earth Educator Ambassadors bringing real-world science to their students in this 5 minute video.

Marine Iguana: Reptile Behavior

Galapagos Marine Iguanas are famous for being the only lizards who swim in the ocean. Learn about their part in a fascinating 3-species relationship in this podcast.

• Discussion guide
• Transcript

Lizards That Swim and Birds That Don’t Fly

These articles, written from the diverse perspectives of Cornell undergraduates, explore some of the amazing species of the Galapagos. They feature unique insights and great reference lists.

Life on Earth iBook Textbook

Inspired and led by E.O. Wilson, and created with a team of world-renowned educators and artists, this comprehensive and original standards-based curriculum tells the story of life on Earth, giving students a deep understanding of introductory biology.

This captivating and free iBooks textbook, presented as a seven-unit collection, extends students’ learning in and out of the classroom with reading and writing assignments and extension activities like field observation and moviemaking. Designed to prepare tomorrow’s scientists and environmental leaders, this curriculum inspires students to take responsibility for conserving and protecting nature’s biological treasures.