 Join us in Georgia this fall for the 10th Annual SEEA Conference and Research Symposium! The event will be held in conjunction with the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia's 30th Anniversary Conference and will take place from Sept. 28 - Oct. 1 at Unicoi State Park.
Here is the general run of show: Sept. 29: Research Symposium / Field Trips / Conference (2 meals provided - dinner on your own) Sept. 30: Conference Sessions (3 meals provided) Oct. 1: Conference Sessions end at noon (breakfast provided); post-conference workshops (additional fee / includes lunch) Early Bird registration is open through July 15 at the non-member rate of $230. That rate will increase to $280 on July 16. A Student / Senior / Hardship rate of $175 is also available for those in need. Learn more and register here.  On Thursday, June 2, 40 educators gathered at East Jessamine Middle School in Nicholasville for a day of learning, connections, and fun. The event was Kentucky Association for Environmental Education’s annual Outdoor Learning Symposium, which inspires and activates K-12 educators and administrators to integrate outdoor learning and environmental education into their existing curriculum and school day routines. “It was so refreshing to gather again in person for this annual event full of collaboration and learning,” said KAEE outreach director Katherine Bullock. “It’s always a delight to meet the ‘boots on the ground’ teachers and administrators who care deeply about connecting their students to the outdoors and finding new ways to integrate environmental education into the lives of their students.” The event has two separate strands, one designed for classroom teachers, and one for administrators, such as principals, assistant and associate principals, department team leaders, professional development directors, school district leaders. This year, the teacher strand included sessions about the many ways environmental education can support three-dimensional learning and the Kentucky Academic Standards for Science; how to manage place, time, materials, and behavior expectations when teaching outdoors; active water projects taking place in Kentucky and how local river basin coordinators can support (and visit) teachers’ classrooms; and how to simplify the gardening experience by using seed mats, which make it possible for students to participate in both the planning and planting process. Teachers spent much of their time in the outdoors, getting first-hand hands-on experience with environmental education lessons. Activities included modeling of outdoor classroom management skills, demonstrations of interdisciplinary uses of the school grounds, practical turn-key lessons that can be adapted to any age group, and ways to effectively pitch the idea of outdoor learning to school administrators.  As part of the administrator strand, attendees learned about the research-based benefits of outdoor learning and EE at school; how to identify and fund outdoor learning opportunities for their schools (including how to write grants, crowdfund, and seek community sponsorships); administrator perspectives on the benefits of using the outdoors as a classroom; and how experiences in the outdoors can help facilitate the instructional practices and emphasize the three-dimensional thinking needed to demonstrate understanding of the science KY Academic Standards.  Delivering the keynote was Rae McEntyre, K-12 Science consultant at the Kentucky Department of Education. Rae been at the Department of Education for the past 13 years, after spending 20 years teaching high school biology and earth science. Rae is a member of the KAEE Board of Directors and a certified professional environmental educator. Rae discussed the ways outdoor learning and environmental education are distinct but intertwined and how hands-on, interdisciplinary learning is crucial to both. The final session of the day was “Community Partner Speed Networking,” where attendees had the opportunity to meet with representatives from EE organizations around the state. Those who were present to share information about their work and how they can help teachers and administrators incorporate EE into their schools were Bluegrass Greensource, EcoGro, the Kentucky Department of Education, the Kentucky Division of Air Quality, the Kentucky Environmental Education Council, Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, Lexington Parks and Recreation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Kentucky is so lucky to have such wonderful resources to enhance outdoor learning and EE in the classroom,” Katherine said. “We so much appreciate all of the volunteers from our various community partners who came to share ways they can support classroom teachers and school districts.”
The Outdoor Learning Symposium was funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under §319(h) of the Clean Water Act and in partnership with the Kentucky Division of Water as the state host for the Project WET program. A special thanks to our site hosts, East Jessamine Middle School and Emily Sorrell (sixth-grade science teacher at East Jessamine Middle).  This month we are so pleased to feature a seasoned member and co-founder of KAEE, Terry Wilson. Terry is a dedicated supporter and advocate for environmental learning in the commonwealth and beyond. We were lucky to chat with him recently to learn a little more about his past and present involvement in the field of EE. KAEE: What is your current and/or past role in the field of EE? Terry: I was one of the co-founders of KAEE back in 1975, and I have been a member for 47 years. I have served on the board of directors and am a past president. Since my retirement I am now a professor emeritus in environmental education at Western Kentucky University. In the past several years I have been working with the KAEE Board on the creation and growth of the KAEE Legacy Fund. I also have been a member of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) since 1975. I served two terms on NAAEE’s Board of Directors and was the NAAEE President in 2004. I was the 2006 recipient of NAAEE’s Walter Jeske Award, the highest honor given in the field of EE. My career as an active environmental educator began in 1970 and spanned 47 years. I retired from WKU in 2017 as Director and Professor in the Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability. I am still engaged in EE through consulting, writing, and providing training for a variety of organizations and agencies. KAEE: What projects or programs are you working on that particularly inspire you? Terry: The KAEE Legacy Fund initiative shows great progress in providing an outlet for extending KAEE’s vision into the future. To me, it's a way for people to give back to KAEE, by establishing mechanisms that can highlight the accomplishments of KAEE’s members, while aiding new and prospective members. I also applaud the partnership between KAEE and the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC), which has resulted in numerous joint initiatives, such as the administration of the Professional Environmental Education Certification (PEEC) program. KAEE: What goals do you have for your organization or programs within the EE field? Terry: As a “long-timer” in the field of EE, I have seen our profession grow from focusing on nature study, to conservation education, outdoor education, and educating about environmental challenges. We have grown into a wonderful process that emphasizes educating “in, about, and for the environment.” As the field continues to evolve, we must become more inclusive, embracing the involvement of more groups and individuals who may not felt included in our earlier efforts. We must continue to connect our work to the challenges of educating for a sustainable future. At the same time, we must not forget the need to help people feel more connected to the natural world around them and appreciate those inseparable interconnections. KAEE: What is an area you feel you could use support in from this network of fellow educators? Terry: As we grow as a field, we must remember to become increasingly inclusive. Everyone can benefit in understanding our environment, including both natural and cultural systems. We may not always agree on how to protect and manage those systems, so we must constantly reach out to build more bridges to include various perspectives on issues. At the same time, I would urge us to remember that our goals include increasing environmental awareness and appreciation, building a strong knowledge base, assessing and clarifying attitudes and values, developing problem solving and decision-making skills, and working for responsible action. In other words, build new bridges, while strengthening, but not burning, the old ones. KAEE: What is something you feel could be beneficial to share with this network? Terry: Remember that KAEE was the first state or provincial association to become an affiliate of NAAEE. As a rural state with a small population, KAEE has continued to maintain many leadership roles in NAAEE and the field of EE, both nationally and internationally. Let’s be proud of those accomplishments and continue to be one of the leading EE associations in North America. KAEE: Share a fun fact or random tidbit about yourself with the group! Terry: My first job in EE was to direct an outdoor education program for the school district in Ohio where I first taught. That job started on April 1, 1970, which was three weeks before the very first Earth Day, April 22, 1970. Can you say, “older than dirt?”  Roberta Burnes, Environmental Education Specialist at the Kentucky Division for Air Quality and a longtime KAEE member, has recently been named a Green Community Leader and the first participant to complete KAEE’s Green Community Leader eeCredential. Designed to equip participants with the skills needed to collaborate with their community and help address the environmental issues they face, the eeCredential explores an array of settings, partnerships, and opportunities that help participants shift their work more fully into communities. For Roberta, this topic was just what she was looking for; the community engagement area was the final subject in the NAAEE’s Guidelines for Excellence series she needed to complete. She was also inspired to participate because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with state government agencies, has been encouraging staff to do more community engagement work. “It was a really timely training,” she says, “and I believed it would help me be more useful in my role at the Division for Air Quality and at a departmental and cabinet level as well.” A Deep Dive into Equity Work The Green Community Leader eeCredential includes four eeCourses: Community Centered Environmental Education; Sound Environmental Education Principles; Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Environmental Education; and Capacity Building & Long Term Change. Of the four courses, Roberta found most impactful the course on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI). She says that even though the topic isn’t explicitly a topic included in the Guidelines for Community Engagement, “it’s interwoven throughout those Guidelines. Every aspect of them talks about the principles we covered in JEDI, and it's integral as much as environmental education is integral in any kind of education.” A Marathon, not a Sprint Early during the second course of the eeCredential, participants begin to brainstorm ideas for their final project, a Community Environmental Education Action Plan. The assignment is for students to develop an action plan that can be implemented in partnership with their community to support ecological integrity, shared prosperity, and social equity. “We were asked to identify communities we might work with and do a preliminary inventory of assets and needs for a chosen community,” Roberta says. “Then, throughout the remaining courses, we developed and refined our plans as we engaged with possible partners in that community.”  Roberta says she’s always been a “jump-to-the-finish-line type of person,” and that when she began brainstorming about possible plans and partners, she realized that developing the right project might take longer than she’d imagined. “The patience required to do community engagement was one of the biggest challenges for me,” she says. “Several times, I needed to completely pivot while designing my project. All the elements kept changing; it was sort of like a food web, with all these different parts constantly changing. I had to be super flexible.” As the project development unfolded, Roberta says she clearly saw that it was “a perfect model for what the course was trying to teach me–which is that this work takes time. This work takes investment. It takes commitment. It takes patience. And you're never going to get to a magical finish line because it's an iterative cycle that just keeps growing and blooming and growing.” Systems Thinking The eeCourses in this eeCredential required a different type of involvement than many others, Roberta says. “I feel like half of my time was spent thinking. Thinking and visioning and reworking my thoughts about community engagement." She says that while, like environmental education, community engagement work involves systems thinking, “it's a different way of systems thinking. It's not just systems related to the environment. It’s human-ecology systems thinking. It's how humans impact the environment, but also how humans work to improve the environment. And who are those humans, and who of those humans do I need to find and connect with? For me, so much of the program was going through that thinking process.” Real-life Applications This process not only pushed Roberta out of her comfort zone but inspired her to get more directly involved in environmental issues in her own community. “The program has given me confidence in some of the local neighborhood environmental projects that my neighbors are doing,” she says. “I revisited an annual cleanup that I helped get started 20 years ago. There's also an environmental issue in my neighborhood that I’ve started to help people be aware of. I’ve had to try to figure out the best way to educate folks about this issue–not as a professional person working for the state, but as a resident of my neighborhood. I’ve had to think about how best to give people tools to participate in the public comment process.”  Fall 2022 eeCourse offerings She says the learning process has made her think deeply about partners, connections, community, and how important it is to stay engaged. “If there's an issue or a problem or a challenge in your community, keep that conversation going,” she says. “That's the only way we create change.” Never-ending Growth Roberta says that after completing the eeCredential, she feels like a different person than she was before she began. “I've planted a lot of seeds, but they're only just beginning to sprout after all that work. And that's cool. I realize now that that's the whole point of this program. You're not going pull off some fantastic event and be ‘one and done.’ It's a process of relationship building that will continue, hopefully, for as long as I’m doing environmental education.” Learn More about the eeCredential Program Our growing eeCredential program currently includes nine eeCourses and two eeCredentials. Learn more about the program here. Registration for the summer session is open now through May 13.  The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies proudly shares the news that Brittany Wray, Education Director for the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education, is recognized as this year’s Project WILD Outstanding Coordinator of the Year. Each year the Association honors one Project WILD coordinator with this award at the annual Project WILD Coordinators’ Conference. “Brittany is widely respected in her field. She has a positive attitude, extensive knowledge about conservation, and passion to connect youth and adults with the outdoors,” stated Elena Takaki, Director of Professional Development and Conservation Education at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Wray has been a Project WILD Coordinator for five years and has worked with the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education for six years. Her enthusiasm, creativity, and professionalism are an asset not only to educators in Kentucky, but across the country as she shares her ideas and demonstrates her leadership at the national level. “I am honored and humbled by this award, and thankful for every opportunity I've had to be part of the Project WILD team,” stated Brittany Wray upon learning of her award. “My first real taste of environmental education was Project WILD over ten years ago! I participated in a workshop through my methods course when I was studying to become a middle grades science teacher. I remember that first game of Oh Deer! like it was yesterday. Project WILD has been a part of my career since that moment - both in my science classroom and now as an integral part of my job as Education Director for KAEE. It is such a privilege to serve as the Kentucky Coordinator for Project WILD -- the program and the people are just phenomenal.”  Project WILD joined the Association in 2017. Project WILD is an interdisciplinary conservation and environmental education program that focuses on wildlife and habitat. The goal of Project WILD is to develop awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment resulting in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment. To learn more about Project WILD, go to www.projectwild.org.
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies represents North America’s fish and wildlife agencies to advance sound, science-based management and conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats in the public interest. The Association represents its state agency members on Capitol Hill and before the Administration to advance favorable fish and wildlife conservation policy and funding and works to ensure that all entities work collaboratively on the most important issues. The Association also provides member agencies with coordination services on cross-cutting as well as species-based programs that range from birds, fish habitat and energy development to climate change, wildlife action plans, conservation education, leadership training and international relations. Working together, the Association’s member agencies are ensuring that North American fish and wildlife management has a clear and collective voice.  This month we’re excited to feature a brand new member whose own love for the outdoors translates naturally into her work and the lives of young learners. Liz Kasitz is the director of The Nature School at LaFontaine Early Learning Center located in Richmond, Kentucky. She is new to the KAEE community but excited to learn more about all the wonderful EE happening across our state. Read on for more from Liz, in her own words… Guest post by new KAEE member Liz Kasitz, Director of The Nature School at LaFontaine Hello everyone! My name is Liz Kasitz and I am the director at The Nature School at LaFontaine Early Learning Center. The LaFontaine Early Learning Centers in Richmond were founded in 2015. We recently opened The Nature School with the same mission and principles, just a little bit of a different approach to learning. Our mission statement is “to create positive experiences for early learners while fostering their independence in a safe and transparent environment.” We believe that if you create these experiences for students and families starting at a young age you will create the foundation for an amazing educational experience as they get older. The Nature School gives us a unique opportunity to not only set the foundation for education but to foster a love for the outdoors and provide experiences that many would not otherwise experience. I am a person who follows the ‘go big or go home’ philosophy on most projects, so I get inspired any time I see students or teachers get excited about this style of learning. Right now my most inspiring project is our gardens. We're working with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife for a sizable wildflower field. We are also working with Sustainable Berea and students in Madison Central High School’s Agriculture Department to get vegetables, herbs, and berries started.
We have started seeds inside and they are really taking off! I cannot wait to get them outside and watch students as they see them grow. We are hoping to get enough yield to make simple dishes for students to try new things and even be able to take some crops to contribute to dishes at home. I can picture the pride that those little faces will show when they get to take home something like herbs, tomatoes, and a sauce recipe to work with their families to use their yields. This makes me so, so happy. My goal at The Nature School is for every student to leave our school when they move on to kindergarten not only ready for school but with a love for the outdoors. My daughter goes to our school, and she was made for this. She says she wants to be an animal rescuer when she grows up and even as a baby has always been happiest outdoors. I spent a lot of time camping, hiking, and playing outside as a kid so it warms my heart to see her loving it outside and has even brought that old love for the outdoors back out in me. Not all of our students are like her, though. Some are very hesitant at first to get involved in the dirty play or get comfortable with the environment. I want every student to leave having found the parts of nature that they love. Maybe it’s animals, maybe it’s flower gardening, maybe it’s vegetable or fruit gardens, maybe they just like to be outside breathing the fresh air. They don’t have to like everything about the outdoors but if they just love at least one part of it I will feel like we accomplished our goal at The Nature School. I look forward to getting to know the members of KAEE and learning from everyone’s experiences!
 From trivia and cleanups to music and aquaponics, there are so many Earth Day 2022 events taking place in Kentucky! Read on for details about the events some of our members and friends are hosting this year. Kentucky State University’s Environmental Education & Research Center: Earth Week Join Kentucky State University’s Environmental Education and Research Center team as they celebrate Earth Week! Register for one day or all days by selecting different ticket options. DAY 1: April 18, 5-7 pm EDT Rosenwald 4-H Youth Development Center | 315 Maryland Ave. Frankfort, KY Join us for a Field Day at Kentucky State’s Rosenwald 4-H Center, which will include various activities guests can participate in during the two-hour event. These activities include the following: Soil Science Activity, Community Art Project, Drone Demonstration, Tree Ring Analysis Activity, Conservation-based Arts and Crafts, and Aquaponics. DAY 2: April 20, 10 am-12 pm EDT Virtual event This second day is completely virtual and will showcase experts in the field from across Kentucky as they discuss their work. There will also be virtual tours of places that have implemented conservation practices! DAY 3: April 22, 10 am-6 pm EDT Spring Open House at Kentucky State’s Environmental Education and Research Center | 1371 Little Dixie Road, Pleasureville, KY 40057 10 a.m. start (all-day activities): Fishing; Booths from Frankfort Audubon Society and Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves; Self-guided hikes; Self-guided tour; Conservation-based activities at the pavilion 10:30 am – 12:00 p.: Bird Walk guided by Frankfort Audubon Society 11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Wildflower Walk guided by Lynn Garrison 12:30 pm: Lunch 2:30 – 3:30 pm: Wildflower Walk guided by Lynn Garrison 3:30 – 4:30 pm: Macroinvertebrate Sampling Demonstration guided by Ian Ries 4:30-6 pm: Networking and S’mores Come on out to learn about our impact on the environment and how we can support conservation efforts right from our own homes! No registration fee. Learn more here.  The Parklands of Floyds Fork: Earth Day Trivia April 22, 5-9 pm EDT Ogle Foundation Woodland Pavilion in Broad Run Park Celebrate Earth Day with The Parklands by showing off your nature knowledge and enjoying an evening in the park! Join us for a night of trivia, food, and drink from 5–9 pm on Friday, April 22, at the Ogle Foundation Woodland Pavilion in Broad Run Park. Gather your best nature trivia team to compete for Parklands prizes all while enjoying beer from Ten20 Craft Brewery and food from local food trucks! Food and beer will be available for purchase beginning at 5 p.m. with trivia starting at 6 p.m. There is no cost to participate in trivia, but teams must register with Parklands staff upon arrival. Teams must be finalized and registered by 5:45 p.m. Teams should consist of 2-6 people. Get all the details here.  Sisters of Charity of Nazareth: Earth Day Cleanup April 22, 9-11 am EDT 40 West Drive, Nazareth, KY 40048 Join the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth’s Office of Ecological Sustainability for an Earth Day Cleanup on Friday, April 22, at Nazareth. Volunteers are invited to check in outside of the SCN Center on Nazareth’s campus, gather in prayer before dispersing, and set off across Nazareth’s campus to collect litter and trash from the land and waterways. Light refreshments and cleanup supplies will be provided. This cleanup is registered with the Great Global Cleanup, a worldwide campaign to remove billions of pieces of trash from neighborhoods, beaches, rivers, lakes, trails, and parks—reducing waste and plastic pollution, improving habitats, and preventing harm to wildlife and humans. To register, contact Julia Gerwe at jgerwe@scnky.org or (502) 348-1573.  Danville/Boyle County Community Earth Day Festival April 23, 11 am-3 pm EDT U.K. Extension Office Pavilion, 99 Corporate Drive, Danville Danville's Earth Day celebration will take place on April 23, 2022. The Danville Earth Day celebration is open to everyone, free of charge. Confirmed exhibitors include Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge, Art Center of the Bluegrass, Bernheim Arboretum, La Cruz Habitat Protection Program, and many others. Live music is provided and food is available for purchase. Approximately 500 people attend Danville's Earth Day celebration each year and enjoy booths and exhibits from dozens of exhibitors that are improving our planet and our community. EKU Division of Natural Areas: Earth Day Extravaganza April 23, 9:30 am-12:30 pm EDT EKU's New Science Building (533 John Hanlon Drive), Classroom 3119 Join the Saturday Morning Science program on April 23 for a fun and interactive event for kids grades K-8 to learn about science and celebrate Earth Day 2022. Students will receive a lesson and related activity as well as snacks and time to interact with peers. The cost is $25 per child with an option to purchase a discount card for three sessions for $60. All funds go toward supporting Environmental Education Service Learning. Learn more here.  Louisville Zoo: Earth Day at the Zoo April 24, 10 am-5 pm EDT As part of the month-long Party for the Planet event, head to the zoo for a day of Earth fun! Enjoy $8.25 admission PLUS Free Parking courtesy of LG&E and KU Foundation. There will be community eco partner displays. Come join the fun and learn what you can do to help save our planet! Learn more here. Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest: Earth Day Concert with Mr. Dan April 22, 11 am-12 pm EDT Spirit Nest at Bernheim In celebration of Earth Day, join Mr. Dan for a nature song extravaganza! Sing, dance, and rock out to songs that celebrate the plants and animals of Bernheim. This family concert is appropriate for all ages. Raven Run Nature Sanctuary: Earth Day Volunteering April 23, 10 am-12 pm EDT Join park staff at Raven Run to help keep the park beautiful! Celebrate Earth Day with a morning of giving back to our planet by removing invasive plant species. Happy (almost) Earth Day, everyone!  A new partnership between the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) gives students the opportunity to earn dual credit for a combination of courses in teaching environmental education. Not only that, but completing the courses puts a participant halfway through earning an eeCredential and 25% of the way through completing EKU’s Certificate in Environmental Education! “Offering dual credit is something we have envisioned and wanted since we started our eeCredential program a couple of years ago,” KAEE Education Director Brittany Wray says. “One of the main reasons we wanted to partner with EKU and the university’s Division of Natural Areas is to offer this kind of learning opportunity for the participants in our eeCourses and for EKU students.” The course is a special combination of KAEE’s online, asynchronous eeCourse called “Foundations in Teaching Environmental Education” and KAEE’s EE Bootcamp, an in-person, two-day workshop. Although these separate offerings do not have to be taken together, participants who wish to maximize their learning can take both and, in doing so, complete half of the requirements to earn the Professional Learning Leader eeCredential. And, for those who wish to earn EKU undergraduate or graduate credit as well, they can enroll in EMS 563/763 and complete that course through the combination of “Foundations in Teaching Environmental Education” and the EE Bootcamp. Dr. Melinda Wilder, EKU professor emerita, is the instructor for the course and one of the three workshop leaders of the EE Bootcamp. There, she’ll be joined by Brittany Wray and KAEE facilitator Vivian Bowles for a robust workshop that includes training in Project WET, Project WILD, Project Learning Tree, and a very intensive focus on how environmental education correlates with the Kentucky Academic Standards for science, reading, writing, social studies, and more. “We’ll show teachers how you can use environmental education to support the standards and how you can use the environment as a context for teaching any discipline." -Brittany Wray, Education Director  EE Bootcamp, 2019 The EE Bootcamp will be held August 1-2 at Maywoods Environmental and Educational Laboratory. Participants have the option to stay on-site at Maywoods on the nights of July 31 and August 1, and meals will be provided. “One exciting aspect of the Bootcamp is that participants will get to take the training not only with students who want to earn EKU credit but also with teachers and educators from across the state who are interested in getting professional development training in these award-winning EE curriculum programs,” Brittany says. How to Register Those wishing to earn EKU credit should apply to be a student (the application is free here) and then enroll in either EMS 563 or EMS 763, depending on whether they would like undergraduate or graduate credit. The registration period for the summer eeCredential program will open on April 18 and close on May 13. During that time, participants can register for the summer “Foundations in Teaching Environmental Education” eeCourse. Registration for the EE Bootcamp will open in early summer. Looking Ahead KAEE and EKU plan to offer additional dual credit opportunities in the future. We also plan to offer this unique combination of offerings each summer, so interested participants who are unable to take part this year will have the opportunity again next year. Learn More For more information about KAEE’s eeCourses, eeCredentials, in-person workshops, or the dual-credit option, reach out to Brittany Wray at brittany@kaee.org.  This month we’re pleased to feature a member who has a passion for blending EE with natural and cultural history. Pony Meyer (they/them) develops and provides dynamic EE programming at the historic Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, KY. Pony is such gem of an educator and we’re so glad we got to chat with them a bit about what they love about EE and how this network can support the great work happening at Shaker Village. Guest interview featuring KAEE member Pony Meyer, Program Specialist at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill KAEE: What is your current role in the field of EE? Pony: I am a Program Specialist at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. As a program specialist, I research, write, and deliver a variety of historical, recreational, and educational programs which includes a lot of the informal environmental education programs that we have at Shaker Village. I particularly enjoy facilitating our night hikes, owl prowl, creek walk (macroinvertebrate sampling), and nature journaling programs. In January, I collaborated with the Preserve Managers on a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Five Star Urban Waters grant that would help us do some habitat restoration on our historic ponds and expand environmental education programming in those areas. Fingers crossed we get that!  KAEE: What projects or programs are you working on that particularly inspire you? Pony: There are a few projects I've been working on lately that I am really excited about. I love trees! I am currently working on a two-year tree project that involves creating a tree map of the trees in the village as well as online natural history and cultural-historical content related to these trees. The map is almost done! I am also working on a basic tree ID program to help guests learn the basics of identifying some of Kentucky's native trees. We hope to have this map and program running by this summer/fall. We recently started a Riverboat Lab project, which is a water quality testing program for eighth grade science students in Mercer County. My supervisors secured the grant for this to help offset costs of transportation for students. I developed the curriculum for the program and ran the pilot last November 2021. We run this on the Shaker Village Riverboat/Kentucky River, and it was great to witness the students having so much fun while learning about their watershed. We secured funding to continue running this program in 2022 and I am excited to continue working on it. [Funding sources: Bluegrass Greensource and LG&E/KU (Kentucky Utilities)] KAEE: What goals do you have for your organization or programs within the EE field? Pony: Continue working as a team to continue growing our EE programming. As an educator, I am always learning and looking for ways to improve my teaching and knowledge of local natural history. I'd also like to continue making valuable connections with other environmental educators and naturalist-type colleagues in Kentucky for information sharing and collaborations.  KAEE: What is an area you feel you could use support in from this network of fellow educators? Pony: So far, it's been amazing. I have always received great support from KAEE staff. Melinda Wilder often gives me feedback on programming, and I am very grateful for that. When I’m working on a program, I always consult other people. For example, when I started creating the tree map, I consulted a state forester I met through a KAEE program. As I have been thinking about creating a junior naturalist program, I called a colleague at Bernheim who I met through KAEE as well. There's always something to learn from people in this network and it's great! KAEE: What is something you feel could be beneficial to share with this network? Pony: I don't think this answers your question, but we should have a camping trip! KAEE: Share a fun fact or random tidbit about yourself with the group! Pony: I love to dance. I'm also a semi-retired drag king.  There are so many ways you can give to KAEE and help us make an impact! From one-time donations to volunteer work to planned giving, gifts of any kind help us achieve our mission to increase environmental knowledge and community engagement in Kentucky through the power of environmental education. BECOME A RECURRING DONOR When you donate monthly to KAEE, you're providing essential support and helping us create long-lasting and meaningful change for the field of environmental education. join our legacy societyBecome a member of the KAEE Legacy Society and leave a lasting heritage for future generations. "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” -Native American Proverb explore planned giving optionsYou can make lasting impact on our environment through planned giving. Planned giving is a way for you to provide donations to a charity in a manner that is tax preferred to you and your estate. What sets planned giving apart from a regular charitable contribution is that the actual contribution occurs in the future. By planning in advance how you will support us, we can, in turn, plan ahead for the future. A bequest is any gift of an asset made through a will. A common strategy is simply naming the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education as a beneficiary of either a specific dollar amount or a fraction of the residual portion of your estate. The benefit to you is that the full dollar amount donated qualifies as a charitable donation, which can be used to offset the taxes on your estate. support while you shopThe easiest way to donate (so easy you don't even have to think about it!) to KAEE is by naming us as your nonprofit of choice in the Kroger Rewards and Amazon Smile programs. Enrolling in Kroger Rewards takes only a minute or two. Visit KrogerCommunityRewards.com, sign in to your online account (or create an account), find and select your organization*, and click “Enroll.” You’ll start earning rewards for your organization right away on qualifying purchases made using your Kroger Plus Card, at NO cost to you! *KAEE's Kroger Rewards Member Number is GN188. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates! Support KAEE by visiting smile.amazon.com/ch/61-1208924, then clicking the "Start Shopping" button. Then, Each time you want to purchase an item from Amazon, simply visit smile.amazon.com, and Amazon will automatically donate to KAEE as your chosen charity! make a one-time donationWe are grateful for any donation in any amount, any time! This support helps fuel our work and increases EE's impact in Kentucky's classrooms, outdoors centers, underserved areas, and more. By choosing to support KAEE, you help us achieve our mission to accelerate environmental literacy and civic engagement in Kentucky through the power of environmental education. Your support allows us to train educators, increase community involvement, and, most importantly, ensure environmental education is taught in all Kentucky classrooms. help us make a differenceTo explore the many ways to give, visit kaee.org/support. |
