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Texas Project WILD

Summary of Texas Project WILD Activities: September 2003 - August 2004

Project WILD is the largest, most popular environmental education program in the world, represented in all 50 states and six other countries.
Project WILD


Workshop Type Total Number of Workshops Total Educators Trained Minorities Women
Project WILD Aquatic 32 523 129 452
Project WILD/Aquatic WILD Combo 12 269 65 225
Project WILD 66 1,528 369 1087
Spanish Proyecto WILD 1 11 7 10
Facilitator Training 6 97 12 75
Science and Civics 2 3 1 3
Facilitator Reunion 1 12 0 11
Totals 120 2,223 583 1863

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In FY04, Project WILD workshops were included in pre-service teacher training at the following universities:

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In FY04, Project WILD Teacher Training workshops were taught in conjunction with the following institutions:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Sites:


Project WILD Teacher Training workshops were taught at the following school sites:

Project WILD sessions were made at the following conferences:

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Of Special Note:

The market for Project WILD in the public school system is experiencing growth as a result of implementing No Child Left Behind legislation. A new comprehensive elementary science test, part of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), has driven demand for quality materials and teacher training. More schools and universities are including Project WILD as a part of their core staff development and resources. As part of this growth, Texas Project WILD provided its largest single training ever for 220 third and fourth grade teachers at Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, the fourth largest district in the state. This training is being evaluated professionally for the effectiveness of teaching concepts and the impact of the training on educators’ attitudes toward wildlife, wildlife management and natural resources.

Project WILD is endorsed by the State Board of Education. Teachers receive accreditation renewal credits by attending Project WILD workshops.

Facilitators Dr. Alan Sowards and Dr. Cheryl Boyette from Stephen F. Austin University partnered with Project WILD and the Texas Freshwaters Fisheries Center, a Texas Parks and Wildlife facility, to offer “Water Works: A Wetland Adventure.” Over 600 public and private schooled fifth grade students participated in this day-long educational event. Students rotated through 16 different educational stations to learn about the importance of wetlands. Educational stations included WILD activities along with activities from other natural resource agencies and curricula. The stations were led by Dr. Sowards pre-service teachers. Drs. Sowards and Boyette conducted research on the event’s effect on the pre-service teachers and the participating students. The results of this research will be published in the October issue of Texas Science Teacher Journal. Notable research results include a 52% increase in knowledge gained by the participating students as compared to a control group, and Project WILD received the highest ratings from the pre-service teachers as the curriculum they intended to use.

Project WILD and Project Learning Tree hosted the first ever joint facilitator reunion at the Pineywoods Conservation Center. Facilitators tried out new activities and learned adaptations to old favorites while honing their facilitator skills. Expert speakers and field trips to the Angelina National Forest and Nature Conservancy property enhanced learning about the East Texas flora and fauna and included a visit to a Red-cockaded Woodpecker nesting site, Pitcher Plant Bog, prescribed burn site, and timber harvesting site. The Texas Nature Conservancy hosted the event.

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