Want students to get outdoors? You should get in now

When conservation educators nationwide came together for the Summit on Conservation Education, hosted by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, they set the groundwork for a new approach to online conservation education.

Out of that summit was born the concept of a complete online network of conservation education resources - a clearinghouse of lesson plans, videos, programs, events, outdoor destinations and ideas. Since that time, conservation education partners (teachers, naturalists, conservationists, agency leaders and technical developers) have been working to plan and build an online Conservation Education Network.

The idea goes far beyond a mere "Web site."

Imagine publishing and managing information about your education programs in one, integrated place online, then seeing that information propagate across the Web, reaching both key targets and a broad spectrum of audiences. Picture a single database where you can provide your agency's wide range of conservation education and information resources (lesson materials, workshops, hunting courses, camps, events, facilities, videos . . . anything!) alongside resources from all of North America's conservation-minded agencies and organizations.

Beyond multiple site and audience syndication, The Outdoor Resource will feature:

• Education resource evaluation and measurement tools
• Reporting tools to see how visitors are accessing and using your resources
• Two-way communications channels so you can reach out to new and potential audiences