NOAA Planet Stewards
Project Focus Area Resources

The following are resources to consider when planning a project in one of the four stewardship project focus areas:

• Marine Debris
• Habitat Conservation and Restoration
• Carbon Footprint Reduction
• Carbon Sequestration.

Marine Debris

Marine Debris - Fast Facts — A brief snapshot of marine debris impacts, NOAA’s efforts to address it, and a link to a report from the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

Ocean Today Trash Talk — An Emmy-winning series to help students understand the impact of marine debris and what we can do about it.

NOAA Marine Debris Program — A richly informative website dedicated to NOAA's efforts in addressing the national and international issue of marine debris.

• Marine Debris - Discover the Issue
• Regional Efforts to Combat Marine Debris

The Surfrider Foundation - Plastic Pollution — Resources, programs, and initiatives from the Surfrider Foundation, whose primary mission is to preserve the world's ocean, waves, and beaches.

Plastic Pollution Coalition — This international alliance of individuals, businesses, and organizations is working to stop plastic pollution in our environment. Learn how they are making a difference and how you can help.

Algalita Marine Research Foundation — One of the leading research organizations of marine plastic pollution. They offer a variety of educational resources and materials for use in the classroom.

Oikonos BIOPS Network — A nonprofit organization focusing on increasing awareness and understanding of human impacts on marine ecosystems. The Biological Indicators of Plastic Pollution (BIOPS) Network works to reduce the amount of plastic pollution entering the marine food webs.

The 5 Gyres Institute — This nonprofit organization educates the public on the dangers of plastics in our ocean. They implement local, national, and international projects with the goal of creating a world with plastic-free oceans.

The Story of Stuff Project: Fight Plastic Pollution — Two videos are featured here: an animated short which presents the causes and consequences of the global plastics crisis, and a full length documentary film. These are accompanied by a series of classroom guides, activities, and recommendations to take action.

Habitat Conservation and Restoration

NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation — This NOAA Office protects and restores a wide variety of coastal and riparian habitats to sustain and protect species and maintain resilient ecosystems and communities.

• Coastal Wetlands
• Estuaries
• Rivers
• Shallow Coral Reef Habitat
• NOAA’s Regional Habitat Conservation Activities

U.S. Fish and Widlife (FWS) Habitat Restoration — Through their programs FWS restores, enhances, and protects important fish and wildlife habitats on private lands through partnerships and manages wetland, forest and upland habitats to benefit migratory birds and fish, pollinators, and federally listed species.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Conservation Programs — The USDA Farm Service Agency oversees a wide range of conservation programs addressing topics including: reducing soil erosion, wildlife habitat preservation, and preservation and restoration of forests and wetlands.

• USDA Service Center Locator — At USDA Service Centers you can access the services of the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Rural Development agencies.

Salmon Protection and Watershed Network (SPAWN) — As part of the Turtle Island Restoration Network, SPAWN is a community-based watershed organization that works to protect salmon and their habitats in the Lagunitas Creek Watershed and surrounding areas.

Channel Islands Restoration — This nonprofit organization protects endangered native plant habitats through education and restoration activities. They work closely with schools to coordinate hands-on restoration experiences in these sensitive and unique locations.

Carbon Footprint Reduction and Carbon Sequestration

Assessing and Reducing Carbon Footprints — From Climate Generation, access to a series of carbon calculators to help us understand how the choices we make have an impact on our planet.

CLEAN Emissions Reduction Resources — A wide range of educational activities, calculators, models and resources from the Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) focused on reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

International Student Carbon Footprint Challenge (ISCFC) — The ISCFC is one of the centerpieces of the Inquiry to Student Environmental Action Project. The site offers curricular tools on challenging environmental topics with the goal of empowering high school and secondary school students in how to address these issues.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator — This calculator helps translate abstract measurements into concrete terms you can understand, such as the annual emissions from cars, households, or power plants, and is useful in communicating initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate.gov — A source of timely and authoritative scientific data and information about climate. The Teaching Climate section of the website contains resources that have been rigorously reviewed by scientists and educators for teaching about climate and energy.

Climate Change Live — The U.S. Forest Service, NOAA, and 25 federal and nongovernmental partners bring climate learning to the classroom through a series of webcasts, webinars, and online climate education resources.

NASA Climate Kids — An interactive website that teaches younger kids about weather and climate, the ocean, the carbon cycle, and energy usage. Students can engage themselves through educational crafts, games, videos, and learn how to teach others about what they have learned.

Kids Against Climate Change - All around the world, kids are learning about climate change. This is a site created by kids (and a teacher) for kids (and teachers). You’ll find what kids feel is important and have shared, then get ideas of what you and your students can do to make a difference.

iTree — i-Tree is a series of several applications focused on quantifying the benefits of local trees for neighborhoods and communities. Each application has a unique focus, however several calculate the carbon sequestration and energy savings benefits of urban trees, including i-Tree Eco, i-Tree Streets, i-Tree Vue, and i-Tree Design.

Trees and Carbon — This activity describes the flow of carbon in the environment and focuses on how much carbon is stored in trees. Students analyze data and make calculations about the amount of carbon stored in a set of trees at three sites in a wooded area.

Forests and Carbon — This page from the U.S. Forest Service presents information on the relationship of carbon to forests and their products as well as carbon sequestration and management options for helping forests maintain or increase their capacity to store carbon, now and under future conditions.

Urban Forests — These unique areas are being created all over the world using the Miyawaki method. Miyawaki urban forests are fascinating complex ecosystems that increase ecological diversity and work to sequester atmospheric carbon while providing essential green areas in urban landscapes.

Plant for the Planet — This foundation was created by a 9-year-old German boy, Felix. This foundation has planted more than 500,000 trees, which help sequester carbon from the atmosphere.