NatureBridge honored with environmental education award

NatureBridge education directors Melissa Meiris of Headlands Institute, Michael Bilodeau of Yosemite Institute, and Kim Hanson of Olympic Park Institute, contributed this blog entry from the NAAEE conference in Portland, Oregon.

Fourteen NatureBridge education staff members attended the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) conference in Portland, Oregon, from October 7-10. For three fabulous days, we attended workshops, presentations, and panel and round-table discussions about cutting-edge practices, issues, topics, and research in the field of environmental education. Conference strands that drew our attention were climate change, environmental justice and cultural diversity, coastal and marine education, and innovative programs and practices, among others. We had the great opportunity to sit in on the Diversity Committee meeting and learn from NAAEE’s experiences implementing diversity practices across the organization. We also had a great time teambuilding and exploring Portland by public transportation.

The three of us, along with Yosemite Institute Mentor Teacher Jeff Crow, led a presentation and discussion about our organization-wide adventure with empowerment evaluation. Other staff presented on topics that showcase some of each campus’ programs and best practices, from working with Native youth at Olympic Park Institute, to our year-long internship in environmental education for high school students at Headlands Institute, to coaching and mentoring staff and using mapping technology in the field at Yosemite Institute.

On Saturday, we joined some amazing individuals and organizations as they were recognized by NAAEE for their contributions to the field of environmental education. NatureBridge received the 2009 Regional Award for Outstanding Service to Environmental Education by an Organization. In the spirit of honoring the people who are at the heart of the work we do, the award was accepted by two field science educators from Olympic Park Institute, Emily Carraux and Kent Chapple. Special thank you to Nicole Ardoin, NatureBridge Education Advisory Council member, who nominated us for this award. We felt honored to receive the award.

We’re already thinking about how we can be involved in next year’s annual conference in Buffalo!