Suitcase for Survival
Borrow this hands-on kit from the Oregon Zoo that teaches about illegal wildlife trade; includes sea turtle handbags; turtle shell jewelry; rhino horn pills; ivory jewelry, etc.; twenty in each kit. A middle school curriculum, slide show and background materials included. See it and try it all in this interactive session.
www.oregonzoo.org http://training.fws.gov/suitcase/
Suitcase for Survival
Abstract:
Teaches about the devastation caused by illegal wildlife trade worldwide; helps consumers understand why biodiversity is so important and how their buying habits can contribute to biodiversity conservation.
Keywords:
Wildlife Trade, Wildlife Smuggling, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Tourism, Eco-tourism, Environmental Education, Interpretation, Law Enforcement.
Partners:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), World Wildlife Fund (WWF), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - Fisheries Services's Office for Law Enforcement and with additional assistance from TRAFFIC North America.
The Suitcase for Survival Program:
It is designed to address the need for a national education program focused on wildlife trade and biodiversity. Since 1991, the program has raised awareness about the devastation caused by illegal wildlife trade worldwide. It has also helped consumers understand the importance of biodiversity and how their buying habits can contribute to biodiversity conservation.
The program includes several components that build on the strengths of the partners. The FWS and NOAA provide wildlife trade artifacts that have been confiscated at ports of entry. These artifacts are disseminated to a wide array of environmental educators and their respective institutions throughout the nation, and host institutions can assemble the artifacts into used suitcases. These suitcases can then be used to conduct wildlife trade educational programs with educators and students as well as the general public.
Suitcase for Survival is an environmental education program designed
to raise awareness about wildlife trade and biodiversity. Uncontrolled and
illegal trade threatens many species of wildlife (both plants and animals)
and is a significant factor in the loss of biological diversity throughout
the world.
Suitcase for Survival is a wildlife trade program that teaches students and adults how they can help solve the problem of illegal and unregulated wildlife trade by becoming educated consumers.
Since 1991, hundreds of suitcases have been distributed throughout the United
States, helping to educate thousands of people about critical wildlife trade-related
issues. Suitcase for Survival provides a hands-on way to teach about the problems
associated with illegal wildlife trade and how an individual's buying habits
can contribute to biodiversity conservation.
Curriculum Package:
Included in the kit when you borrow it: Wildlife for Sale: An Educator's Guide
to Exploring Wildlife Trade. A 3-ring binder that includes background information
about wildlife trade issues, 15 hands-on activities, a conceptual framework,
unit plans, fact sheets (which often complement the artifacts), an overview
of wildlife trade-related legislation, a glossary, a list of additional resources,
and a slide show with accompanying script.
The module is designed to educate about legal and illegal wildlife trade and explore how wildlife trade is linked to broader biodiversity issues.
Available for purchase through Acorn Naturalists ($49.95 plus tax). http://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/product1.asp?SID=2&Product 800-422-8886
Artifacts:
Products seized by FWS and NOAA Fisheries OLE, such as sea turtle skin leather products like boots, shoes, handbags, and wallets; hawksbill sea turtle shell jewelry or small curios; boxes of Asian medicinals like rhino horn pills and bear gallbladder pills; crocodile skins and products; monitor lizard skins and products; python skins and products; African elephant ivory carvings and ivory jewelry; mounted butterflies and insects; shell and coral products and raw specimens; seal skin products; bird feather products; and cactus rain sticks. An identification tag is attached to each artifact and describes the species from which the item was derived. (Each suitcase contains different artifacts, depending on supply.)
Other Materials and Resources:
Buyer Beware: A brochure from TRAFFIC North America/World Wildlife Fund that provides tips on which wildlife products to avoid when traveling abroad.
Facts About Federal Wildlife Laws: A FWS guide to federal laws that apply to the import, export, trade, and sale of wildlife, including live and dead animals, as well as animal parts and products
Wildlife Inspector: A brochure from the FWS that describes the work of (and
career opportunities for) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service wildlife inspectors.
Special Agent: A brochure from the FWS that describes the work of (and career
opportunities for) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service special agents.
Careers, Conserving the Nature of America: A brochure from the FWS that describes a variety of career opportunities available with USFWS.
Protecting Our Nation's Living Marine Resources: A NOAA brochure that details
NOAA's mission, as well as the scope of NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement
in providing protection and conservation efforts to the nation's living marine
resources.
World Wildlife Fund
http://worldwildlife.org/buyerbeware/
http://worldwildlife.org/trade/index.cfm
http://worldwildlife.org/trade/traffic.cfm
http://worldwildlife.org/trade/cites/index.cfm
http://worldwildlife.org/trade/faqs.cfm
American Zoo and Aquarium Association
http://www.aza.org/AboutAZA/summary/
http://www.aza.org/ConEd/#sui
http://www.aza.org/GovAffairs/FedPartnerESP/
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov/
http://international.fws.gov/
http://www.fws.gov/le/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA
http://www.noaa.gov
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ole/
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation:
http://www.nfwf.org/
Updated by: Randy Robinson 304-876-7450 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Conservation Training Center May 3, 2005
Training in the Suitcase for Survival Program:
A one day training course is held in conjunction with the American Zoo and
Aquarium Association's annual Educator's Conference. This is a "train the trainer"
course. Participants will receive the Suitcase for Survival and Educator's
Guide after the training. Trainers are expected to share the suitcase and train
local educators on proper use of the suitcase materials. For the annual training
date and location, please contact: Eric Reinhard, AZA Education Programs Ereinhard@aza.org 301-562-0777
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