‘Urban Ag for People, Birds, and Wildlife’ Class with Maurice Small, UrbanAg Strategist and Instructor

"Maurice Small is a farmer, teacher, soil alchemist and worm whisperer in Atlanta, Georgia. He has created meaningful work for farmers and communities that care about vibrant local food access for 25+ years and was received the Rodale Institute Organic Pioneer Award in 2011!: ~ Thought For Food

‘Urban Ag for People, Birds, and Wildlife’ 
Classes are September 28 through December 14, 2020

Register for this weekly class of virtual community building and individual hands on assignments guided by Maurice Small, UrbanAg Strategist. Students will learn new ways to ensure food security for people, resident and migrating birds, and local wildlife. Presented in partnership with Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society. 

Description: Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society (WCAS), a nonprofit 5019(c)(3) chapter of the National Audubon Society based in Cleveland, Ohio hosts ‘Urban Ag for People, Birds, and Wildlife’ a 12-week curriculum of weekly classes (1.5 hrs each) with instructor Maurice Small, Farming Strategist and Birder https://www.mauricesmall.com/ The program is open to the public. You do not need to be a member of the National Audubon Society or Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society to participate. Everyone is welcome. 

Students: Collectively students will identify project opportunities at the intersection of urban, peri-urban, and rural agriculture for people, birds, and wildlife. Students will discover what life depends on, the environment birds depend on, and that people depend on that same environment. Students learn that being good environmentalists and good birders go hand in hand and that we have a responsibility to be good environmentalists who care for the water, land, and the environment where we live. 

To attend the class,

• Complete and submit the UrbanAg Class Application
  • The application deadline is Sept 21, 2020 at 5 p.m.
• Class are hosted virtually on Mondays with weekly activities. Classes begin Monday, September 28,  2020 and conclude Monday, December 14, 2020. 
• Class Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
• Purchase the Student Membership, $250.00 per person (limit 20) 
• Field Bags are recommended, details included in student registration information.

Scholarships: Eight student scholarships are available and each receives a Guardian of Nature Field Bag. This backpack is a dependable go-bag for young and experienced birders, citizen scientists, students, and conservationists. Field bags contain an Urban Birding Cleveland tee shirt, binoculars, journal and sketch pad, tin of 12 colored drawing pencils, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, water bottle, pen, pencil, pencil sharpener, and gum art eraser. Students can use the The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Merlin Bird ID app, it is available for free and works on either iOS or Android devices. Scholarships are available for students ages 9-19. All students need to complete the application (Link: https://forms.gle/2ps4eksaVwKzdtnn6) via telephone, online application, or by submitting creative digital media content, and submit a letter of recommendation, if possible. The application deadline is Sept 21, 2020 at 5 p.m.

Urban Ag for People, Birds, and Wildlife Class

$250.00

Add to Cart

‘Urban Ag for People, Birds, and Wildlife’ a 12-week curriculum of weekly classes (1.5 hrs each) with instructor Maurice Small, Farming Strategist and Birder. $250 per person.

Class Syllabus
Title: ‘Urban Ag for People, Birds, and Wildlife’
Date: Mon Sept 28,  2020 - Mon Dec 14, 2020, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  

Description: 
Students will discover life is about the space we provide for the birds and realize we need to look more closely at what we do and how we do it to detox the environment. Students learn that being good environmentalists and good birders go hand in hand and that we have a responsibility to be good environmentalists who care for the water, land, and the environment where we live. 

Maurice Small, Farming Strategist and Birder, leads a 12-week curriculum of weekly classes (1.5 hrs each) to identify project opportunities at the intersection of urban, peri-urban, and rural agriculture for people, birds, and wildlife. The class is invited to think beyond what is known to improve fresh food access and healthy soil production for people and wildlife, residents or migrants. Classes begin with an interview phase to identify individual student strengths, raise self-awareness, and build trust. Weekly group conversations focus on the resources already within our reach, such as where a student lives, what plants are in the yard, and the birds they see, to their region and bio region. Students organize projects, complete weekly homework assignments, and share updates with the class. Expert guests frequently join class discussions.

Class conversations share weekly field note details, attributes of their unique bioregional biosystem, new information about plants, or watershed secrets, building a base group knowledge and rising individual environmental awareness that evolves naturally as the class begins to take care of the birds, and learn we can do more to support our local environment. 

Students have the opportunity to get deep into conversations, and ask questions such as, Do you grow your own food? Do you have pollinator plants? What kind of binoculars are you using? What amount of time are you spending per week to bird watch? 

Instructor: Maurice Small, Food Strategist. A love for natural process and growth fuels Maurice's efforts to build community as he cultivates a regional and national vision for sustainable agriculture, healthy lifestyles in underserved communities & urban/rural collaboration between growers & vendors. Maurice works to transform the food landscape in North America via regional initiatives that create and rebuild local food systems. Maurice's success rests upon dynamic collaborations with counties, cities, community- and faith-based organizations, non-profits, schools, block watch groups, youth groups, and anyone with the will to transform their community. Maurice brings his message of transformation and commitment to youth, soil and food to communities everywhere. https://www.mauricesmall.com 

Host Partner Organization: Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society (WCAS). WCAS is a chapter of the National Audubon Society based in greater Cleveland, Ohio, USA. WCAS connects and educates the public about birds, birding and environmental conservation. WCAS works collaboratively with partners for mutual benefit. www.wcaudubon.org 

For more information contact: Betsey O’Hagan, Web & Marketing, (216) 246-2447 [email protected] or email [email protected]

Urban Ag for People, Birds, and Wildlife Class

$250.00

Add to Cart

‘Urban Ag for People, Birds, and Wildlife’ a 12-week curriculum of weekly classes (1.5 hrs each) with instructor Maurice Small, Farming Strategist and Birder. $250 per person.