 Erin Kinnetz has been the Education Specialist at The Parklands of Floyds Fork for four years. In that time span Erin has greatly elevated the scientific content presented during school field trips, outreach programs, and adult education programs. She is in charge of a weekly program called Wednesday Wonders that is geared towards PreK students and their families. Pre-pandemic Erin hosted this program twice each Wednesday of the year engaging over 500 students and families. When the pandemic shut down our in-person programming, Erin pivoted to a virtual program. She never missed a single Wednesday and has even grown her following of students. In total since the pandemic began she has garnered tens of thousands of views on Youtube. In addition to her hard work creating and presenting virtual EE content during the pandemic, Erin was also instrumental in the development of the Forest Learning Lab at The Parklands. At Forest Learning Lab students came to The Parklands each day, and with the help of our educators, were able to complete their NTI curriculum while also getting time to hike, creek walk, and explore nature. The Forest Learning Lab hosted over 400 students with 100 of those students hosted for free on a scholarship basis. Because of Erin's hard work and dedication to the field of EE, The Parklands has actually been able to grow their programming - even during a pandemic. Erin has an undergraduate degree in scientific illustration and a masters in biology. Her knowledge, patience, enthusiasm, and passion make her very deserving of this award. Below is an example of Wednesday Wonders which Erin leads every Wednesday of the year and didn't miss a single Wednesday in 2020- even with the pandemic raging. Parsons, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, will be recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during outdoor regional meet-ups and on September 23rd during the virtual conference opening. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out the video feature below!  Nature Reliance School (NRS) provides environmental and outdoor education opportunities to youth and adults through hands-on learning opportunities, lectures, on-line directed classes, blogs and literature. NRS continues to influence environmental education by encouraging safe engagement with the outdoors and natural resource education and management strategies. “The uniqueness of our approach and the skills developed by our students provide an individualistic development of appreciation, understanding, and self-awareness of the importance of our environment,” said NRS Director and Chief Instructor, Craig Caudill. NRS, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, were recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during the virtual conference opening and at outdoor, regional, pre-conference meet-ups. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out their video feature below!
Each year the Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) publicly recognizes environmental educators, members, organizations, and partners for their valuable contributions to EENC, the North Carolina community, and to the field of environmental education.
For this year’s Outstanding Partner Award, the Southeastern Environmental Education Alliance (SEEA) was selected for its role in supporting EENC through capacity building, leading to growth for EENC that would not have happened otherwise. Since 202, SEEA has been an affiliate of NAAEE and represents a partnership between eight southeastern states. SEEA supports a part time executive director, a steady stream of grant funding, and many successful regional projects. EENC has participated in all of SEEA's grant opportunities, resulting in over $18,000 in financial support in the past two years alone. These funding opportunities have helped provide regional mini-grant opportunities, provided leadership training got the EENC Board of Directors, JEDI training for EENC members supported statewide projects including a landscape analysis, and have helped support EENC's Executive Director position transitioning to full time. Beyond grant funding, SEEA has been critical for capacity building in the EE community across the southeast, bringing a myriad of crowd-sourced and supported training to all the statewide EE associations in the region. This includes crowdfunding assistance, webinars, expert training in membership structure, technology platform sharing and training, monthly leadership team meetings and newsletter, as well as a yearly regional conference and research symposium. Although virtual like last year, KAEE's 45th annual conference was full of networking, learning, new friendships, and outdoor meet-ups across the state! 2021 conference attendees enjoyed dynamic presenters, sessions, roundtable discussions, and virtual social events in addition to the in person outdoor regional meet-ups. Check out the highlights video below for a few glimpses of the goodness that was #KAEE2021. Floracliff Nature Sanctuary is a 346-acre nonprofit nature preserve located in the Kentucky River Palisades region. The sanctuary has demonstrated outstanding long-term service and leadership in environmental education and land stewardship through regularly scheduled education programs, partnerships and dedication to documenting the biodiversity of the preserve. “Even when faced with the adversity of a global pandemic, Beverly and Josie of Floracliff were able to connect with the community through several virtual environmental programs including educational webinars and through a city wide community science nature challenge,” said Kentucky Nature Preserves’ Heritage Lands Outreach Specialist, Madeline Heredia. Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, were recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during outdoor regional meet-ups and on September 23rd during the virtual conference opening. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out their video feature below! Red Oaks Forest School has been bringing environmental education to Kentucky since 2014 with a variety of programs that serve both children and adults. In the past year, they have continued to pursue their goal of fostering a deep and lasting connection with the natural world through exploration and education for our participants. “Red Oaks is a place where connections to nature are formed and deepened, where learning happens in a play-based model, and where ecological lessons are offered at an age-appropriate level,” said Red Oaks Co-Director, Tina Brouwer. Red Oaks Forest School, along with the five other award recipients from around the state, were recognized at KAEE’s 45th Annual Conference during outdoor regional meet-ups and on September 23rd during the virtual conference opening. “It is an honor to have this opportunity to share the exceptional achievements of our award winners and the work they are doing to educate and provide a better future for all Kentuckians,” said KAEE Executive Director, Ashley Hoffman. Check out the video feature below!  We are delighted to announce the winners of KAEE's 2020 Excellence in EE Awards! Check back throughout September for stories about each of the awardees. Jane Eller, Lifetime Achievment Award Jane Eller has a rich history of excellence and leadership in the field of environmental education. She served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (KEEC) from 1994 to 2010 and is responsible for steering the organization’s early efforts to strengthen environmental education in the commonwealth. She initiated many important programs that continue to exist and thrive today. During Eller’s watch, KEEC put into place many new initiatives including the development of the state’s Environmental Education Master Plan and Environmental Literacy Survey, the Green and Healthy Schools initiative, Kentucky’s Environmental Literacy Plan, and the Professional Environmental Educator Certification (PEEC) course. Read more by clicking here. Natasha Parsons, M.K. Dickerson Outstanding Educator Award Natasha Parsons is known in her community to have single-handedly brought environmental education to Garrard Middle School where she uses agriculture and livestock to teach her 8th grade science classes. Thanks to her efforts, the school is creating an environmental science class to meet the demand from students for this type of class. Natasha has a way of making environmental education fun for every student whether they have grown up on a farm or if they’ve never lived in a home with a yard. Her students speak so highly of her and will even come in voluntarily to work in the school's greenhouse. She is the hidden gem of Garrard Middle School! Read more by clicking here. Erin Kinntez, Rising Star in EE Award Erin Kinnetz has been the Education Specialist at The Parklands of Floyds Fork in Louisville for the past four years. In that time Erin has greatly elevated the scientific content presented during school field trips, outreach programs, and adult education programs there. From pivoting in-person programming to virtual programs to developing vital programs like Forest Learning Lab, Erin has succeeded at adapting to the needs of her students and the current climate of environmental education. The Forest Learning Lab program she developed invited students to come to The Parklands each day, and with the help of staff educators, were able to complete their NTI curriculum while also getting time to hike, creek walk, and explore nature. Because of Erin's hard work and dedication to the field of EE, The Parklands has actually been able to grow their programming - even during a pandemic. Read more by clicking here. Red Oaks Forest School, Outstanding PreK-12 School Award Red Oaks Forest School has been bringing environmental education to Kentucky since 2014 with a variety of programs that serve both children and adults. In the past year, we have continued to pursue our goal of fostering a deep and lasting connection with the natural world through exploration and education for our participants. Red Oaks is a place where connections to nature are formed and deepened, where learning happens in a play-based model, and where ecological lessons are offered at an age-appropriate level. Read more by clicking here. Floracliff Nature Sanctuary, Outstanding Community Partner Award Floracliff Nature Sanctuary is a 346-acre nonprofit nature preserve located in the Kentucky River Palisades region. The sanctuary has demonstrated outstanding long-term service and leadership in environmental education and land stewardship through regularly scheduled education programs, partnerships and dedication to documenting the biodiversity of the preserve. Even when faced with the adversity of a global pandemic, Beverly and Josie of Floracliff were able to connect with the community through several virtual environmental programs including, educational webinars and through a city wide community science nature challenge. Read more by clicking here. Nature Reliance School, Outstanding Business Partner Award Nature Reliance School (NRS) provides environmental and outdoor education opportunities to youth and adults through hands-on learning opportunities, lectures, on-line directed classes, blogs and literature. NRS continues to influence environmental education by encouraging safe engagement with the outdoors and natural resource education and management strategies. The uniqueness of their approach and the skills developed by their students provide an individualistic development of appreciation, understanding, and self-awareness of the importance of our environment. Read more by clicking here. Congratulations to our 2021 Excellence in EE Award winners! kaee.org/awards2021
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