NTBG encourages local teachers to apply for science program

KALAHEO — The National Tropical Botanical Garden announced is seeking applications for its 2013 Science Teachers Enrichment Program, scheduled for July. This annual course, conducted in partnership with Kaua‘i Community College, enhances and updates teachers’ knowledge about tropical biology.

Led by KCC instructor Brian Yamamoto, the program takes place in NTBG’s Kaua‘i gardens and the facilities at its headquarters campus in Kalaheo, including the Botanical Research Center which contains tens of thousands of books, plant specimens and botanical illustrations. Faculty includes NTBG scientists, field collectors, and horticulturists, who share their knowledge, experience, and passion with course participants.

“NTBG is excited about welcoming a new group of teachers, who will in turn engage our schoolchildren and open their eyes to the richness of tropical flora and fauna, and the importance they play in the life of our planet,” said Janet Mayfield, NTBG’s Chief Operating Officer and Acting Director of Education. “While the course is open for teachers from anywhere in the world, we particularly encourage teachers in Hawai‘i to take advantage of this offering.”

Full details of the course and applications can be found on the NTBG website at courses.ntbg.org. Deadline for applications is April 26, with the course slated for July 1-12.

National Tropical Botanical Garden is a not-for-profit, non-governmental institution with nearly 2,000 acres of gardens and preserves in Hawai‘i and Florida. Its mission is to enrich life through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education by perpetuating the survival of plants, ecosystems, and cultural knowledge of tropical regions. NTBG is supported primarily through donations and grants.