The Tennessee Valley Authority is seeking North Alabama teachers interested in participating in an aquatic plant workshop, according to a press release.

The free workshop will run Sept. 11–14 at Lake Guntersville State Park.

“We care about our students’ futures and want them to have every opportunity to succeed,” said Dr. Brett Hartis, TVA aquatic plant manager. “We saved a few slots for local teachers since this year’s plant camp is in Guntersville.”

TVA Plant Camp is open to upper elementary, middle and high school teachers in the Tennessee Valley. The workshop provides educators with information, instruction and hands-on experience regarding the impacts of invasive species to land and water ecosystems in our area.

The camp will also offer continuing education credits to help teachers reach their own professional goals along the way.

“I really loved the opportunity to get outside the classroom and see and touch the plants,” said 2017 Plant Camp participant Tonya Ridge of Jasper, Tennessee.

TVA has taught Plant Camp for the past three years, and more than 60 Tennessee Valley teachers have attended so far.

“Plant Camp allows us to partner with teachers to provide hands-on activities that gives them the knowledge and resources to take their experiences back to the classroom,” Hartis said.

Due to the camp’s popularity, this year’s camp has been expanded to three days and includes classroom and lab activities, as well as field trips.

“We take learning to a whole new level by bringing teachers out on the water and land to see and touch the plants and fish where they live,” Hartis said.

Ridge explained that by going into the field to see the plants and fish in their natural environment, it helped her visualize how they fit into the food web. Additionally, it gave her the knowledge she needed to bring these concepts back into her classroom for students.

“This [plant camp] gave me some great ideas on how to make use of the environment around our school as a classroom and show the students how to identify native and invasive plants,” she said.

With more than 280 fish species, the Tennessee Valley is the most biodiverse ecosystem in North America. Last year, TVA and the University of Tennessee completed a study that showed the Tennessee River generates about $12 billion in economic value and 130,000 jobs to the Valley.

“Investing in our teachers means that we are also investing in students,” Hartis said. “Our children are our next leaders, and helping them understand the environment in which they live will allow them to make the right decisions to protect this valuable resource.”

For more information, contact Hartis at 256-891-6607 or email bmhartis@tva.gov.