Empire Ranch Foundation
Wild About the Grasslands! (WATG!)
2013 Education and Outreach Programs 

What is Wild About the Grasslands! all about?

Wild about the Grasslands!  is the Empire Ranch Foundation’s highly acclaimed ecology and Western heritage education program for youth.  The Empire Ranch Foundation, in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management – Tucson Field Office, provides customized field classroom programs for schools, Family Fun Day Events, and teen engaged stewardship monitoring projects at the historic Empire Ranch in the heart of Las Cienegas National Conservation Area.

1.   Bring youth to Empire Ranch for authentic, meaningful educational experiences that foster real connections to the natural and cultural world;

2.      Nurture an appreciation of the ecological importance of the Las Cienegas NCA and the rich cultural heritage of Empire Ranch;

3.      Discover and stimulate personal meaning and connection to the outdoor environment through art, poetry, music, and outdoor recreation activities;

3.      Promote an understanding of environmental sustainability and stewardship; 

4.   Encourage leadership through hands-on mentoring and service learning opportunities; and

5.      Develop in youth 21^st Century skills in creative and critical thinking, use of technology tools, collaboration, and communication by working with master teachers, field scientists, ranchers, land managers, and local experts.   

The WATG! program is a project within the Hands on the Land National Network of Field Classrooms, organized under public lands agencies of the U.S. government.  Click website links below for more information. Empire Ranch is a Hands on the Land member site.
Learn more about us at the Hands on the Land website:
    http://www.handsontheland.org/profiles/profile_details.cfm?sitecode=emra  
Including a site tour photo slide show:  
    http://www.handsontheland.org/tours/tour.cfm?sitecode=emra&title=  
and an article appearing in Nogales International:  
     http://www.nogalesinternational.com/articles/2007/06/27/news/news6.txt 

WATG! events are centered at historic Empire Ranch Headquarters, located in the heart of the 42,000-acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area--U.S. Bureau of Land Management.  For more information, contact Education Director at (888) 364-2829,  or email  admin@empireranchfoundation.org