Russell High School Named 2025–2026 Kentucky Green School of the Year

Russell High School has a lot to celebrate! For its outstanding commitment to environmental

stewardship, student leadership, and community engagement, Russell High School has been named the 2025–2026 Kentucky Green School of the Year.

The school will be honored at the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education’s (KAEE) 50th Annual Conference in November, where students and Green Team coach Olivia Matney will receive the award recognizing their accomplishments throughout the 2025–2026 school year.

Russell High’s journey began with a 2025-2026 goal of completing all five Kentucky Green Schools thematic investigations: Energy, School Environment, School Site, Waste & Recycling, and Water. By completing all five, the school earned Gold-level status as a Kentucky Green School in just one year. But the real achievement lies in what students did with their investigations—turning questions about their school and environment into projects that are creating lasting change.

The year got off to a strong start with Waste & Recycling, one of the Conservation Club’s primary goals. Under the leadership of Club Vice President Kate Gervais, students revitalized the school’s recycling program by fundraising to provide recycling bins in every classroom. They also established a student-managed weekly collection system, making recycling more accessible while reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.

For the Water investigation, students developed “Mussel Monday” as part of their annual Earth Week programming. The schoolwide campaign highlighted Kentucky’s native freshwater mussels and their important role in maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems. Students shared information from Kentucky Wild, organized a “Flex Your Muscles for the Mussels” competition, and used social media to extend their message into the broader community.

The School Site investigation led to a colorful new addition to the school grounds: a large conservation-themed mural. Students took the lead in engaging local organizations, businesses, and community members as sponsors, strengthening community partnerships while raising awareness of regional conservation.

For the School Environment investigation, students focused on expanding opportunities for learning outdoors. Through student-led fundraising and community sponsorships, they secured funding for seven wooden picnic tables to create a dedicated outdoor classroom. The space will provide new opportunities for place-based, experiential learning and help students connect more deeply with the natural environment.

The Energy investigation presented a few extra challenges, as ongoing renovations made data collection difficult. Students persevered, however, and launched an energy conservation campaign under the leadership of Conservation Club President Zee Ryan. Zee created and distributed a brochure encouraging faculty to be more mindful of classroom technology use and to take advantage of natural and ambient lighting whenever possible.

Behind all of these accomplishments is the leadership of Olivia Matney, whose work has helped Russell High’s Conservation Club grow each year. As colleague David Caniff shared, “Mrs. Matney has brought environmental awareness to our school that we previously didn't have.” He points to the club’s growth, the outdoor classroom and conservation mural, and the students’ increasing awareness of local plants and animals as examples of her impact.

Russell High School’s 2025–2026 Green School of the Year award celebrates more than a collection of projects. It celebrates students who investigated their school, identified opportunities for change, and worked together to make a difference. KAEE looks forward to celebrating Olivia, the Conservation Club, and the entire Russell High School community at our 50th Annual Conference in November!

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2026 Outstanding Business: Blues End Farm

There’s something extra magical about learning that happens outdoors and involves getting your hands dirty! That’s exactly what Blues End Farm brings to environmental education.

As the recipient of KAEE’s 2026 Outstanding Business Award, Blues End Farm is creating meaningful opportunities for young people to connect with nature, learn about the environment, and see themselves as part of the communities and places around them.

Through programs like Discovery Days, students get the chance to step outside the classroom and learn through hands-on experiences. They explore sustainable agriculture, spend time outdoors, garden, and learn about the natural systems around them. Instead of simply talking about environmental stewardship, students get to experience it firsthand.

That impact can be seen in the students who visit the farm. Tanyeka Percentie, Director of the Marnel C. Moorman Family Life Center and Blues End Farm nominator, has seen this firsthand through a partnership that brought youth to the farm for day camps over the past two summers.

At the beginning of the week, some students were hesitant to step into a new environment, especially those who had not had many opportunities to spend time outside of their own neighborhoods. But by the end of the week, Tanyeka saw those same students asking questions about plants, confidently exploring the farm, and even encouraging each other to participate.

For Tanyeka, it wasn’t just the activities that stood out. It was the sense of belonging that Blues End Farm created. Students weren’t simply visitors. They were given the opportunity to participate, have a voice, and feel like they were part of the experience.

That welcoming environment is an important part of what makes Blues End Farm’s work so meaningful. Many of the students they serve come from communities where access to green space and outdoor learning opportunities can be limited. By opening its space and sharing its knowledge, Blues End Farm helps make these experiences more accessible and creates a place where students can feel comfortable exploring, asking questions, and learning.

And the learning doesn’t stop when students leave the farm. Blues End Farm connects environmental education with other areas of youth development, including literacy, social-emotional learning, and career exploration. These experiences give students the opportunity to build knowledge while also developing confidence, curiosity, and a better understanding of the world around them.

As Tanyeka shared in her nomination, the partnership has changed how students view nature, learning, and even themselves. Students who were once more reserved have become more curious and willing to engage. Those are the kinds of experiences that can stay with young people long after they leave the farm.

Blues End Farm shows what can happen when a community partner opens its doors and creates opportunities for young people to learn by doing. Their work is helping students build a stronger connection to nature while making environmental education more accessible to the communities that need it most.

KAEE is proud to recognize Blues End Farm as the 2026 Outstanding Business and looks forward to celebrating their work at the 2026 KAEE Conference in Lexington, Kentucky. The 2026 Excellence in Environmental Education Awards will be presented during the awards dinner on Thursday, November 12, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Lexington/UK Coldstream.

Congratulations to Blues End Farm on this well-deserved recognition!

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Meet Our Rising Star: Dylan Wilson

There is something special about watching someone find their place in environmental education. For Dylan Wilson, that journey has taken him deep underground, literally.

Dylan joined the Hidden River Cave team in 2022 and has spent the years since growing as an environmental educator, cave guide, and advocate for Kentucky’s unique karst landscape. His dedication to helping others connect with the environment has earned him this year’s Rising Star Award.

Although Dylan is still early in his career, he has already made a meaningful impact.

In 2024, Dylan became a certified Professional Environmental Educator through the Kentucky Environmental Education Council's PEEC program. In 2025, he reached more than 2,000 people through environmental education programs at Hidden River Cave. Through these programs, students, visitors, and educators have had the opportunity to learn about caves, groundwater, geology, and the incredible ecosystems found beneath the surface.

For Dylan, environmental education is about more than simply sharing information. It is about helping people become curious about the places around them.

That approach is especially important at Hidden River Cave, where the landscape offers countless opportunities to spark that curiosity. Kentucky’s karst environment can be easy to overlook from the surface, but underground, the connections between geology, water, wildlife, and people become much easier to see. Dylan has a talent for making those connections understandable and memorable.

His work has also grown beyond the programs he leads for visitors. As demand for environmental education continues to increase, Dylan is helping prepare other Hidden River Cave staff members to bring these programs to even more people. He is also continuing to develop new programs and strengthen the experiences already offered.

Dylan has become part of the larger environmental education community as well. He contributes

to the American Cave Conservation Association’s seasonal publication, sharing ideas and perspectives about cave conservation and environmental education. His work reflects an important question for anyone who cares about the future of these special places: How do we inspire people to protect something they may never have had the chance to experience?

His journey with Hidden River Cave began just a few years ago, but his work has already reached thousands of people and continues to grow. As he takes on new programs, helps train other educators, and finds new ways to share the importance of caves and karst, we are excited to see where his path leads.

Congratulations to Dylan Wilson, our 2026 Rising Star Award recipient! KAEE is proud to celebrate the energy, creativity, and commitment he brings to environmental education, and we can't wait to honor him at the 2026 KAEE Conference in Lexington, Kentucky. The 2026 Excellence in Environmental Education Awards will be presented during the awards dinner on Thursday, November 12, at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Lexington/UK Coldstream.