KAEE would like to welcome our newest Green Leaf Member, Earth and Spirit Center! Read on to learn more about the mission and opportunities at this Kentucky organization.
What is the mission or vision of your organization?
We cultivate transformative learning and service opportunities dedicated to mindful awakening, compassionate justice, and care for the Earth.
How does your organization connect to the mission of KAEE?
We have a strong commitment to modeling sustainable, regenerative, environmental practices on our 27-acre nature sanctuary of woods, wetlands, fields, and gardens. We educate community members and school groups through projects that improve our wetlands, remove invasive species, cultivate food gardens, and more. All our work is done in connection to the bigger picture of environmental sustainability and how each of our visitors can implement new insights into their own lives and work.
We host field trips centered on environmental education as well as our summer camp, Camp Odyssey, where we educate students K-6 on the wonders of the natural world. Our environmental educator, Olivia Delano, is certified in Project WET, Project WILD, and Project Learning Tree to integrate high-level environmental education standards into all our EE curricula.
Are there any special opportunities or events you would like to share?
Field Trips—these can be customized to meet curriculum goals and education standards. Each experience includes a guided discussion of the impact humans have on the natural world and how we can alleviate harmful effects. Field trip topics include Habitat Exploration Hike; Humans in Harmony; Garbology; Erosion Immersion; and Compost Dive.
On-Site Speakers—our trained environmental educators address science classes or environmental club members on subjects that might include: Where Does Our Garbage Go?; Environment, Racism, and Immigration; The Science of Climate Change; Impacts of Erosion; and EarthCare Empowerment Workshops for high-school juniors and above.
Educational Bus Tours—your group joins our environmental educators on two types of bus trips. One examines Environmental Justice as we tour Louisville’s West End and the impact of pollution on residents. The Sustainable Solutions tour showcases what’s happening to protect watersheds, manage waste, grow local food, generate renewable electricity, and promote a safe, sustainable city.
Environmental Internships—Interns work as a cohort on projects that include invasive species identification and removal, wetlands and trail maintenance, planting trees, working on the food forest, composting, growing food for the hungry, and other environmental management projects on our 27-acre site. The expectation is 30 hours work hours total for the semester on projects and trainings. We are now accepting applications for our spring and summer 2024 semesters.
If someone is interested in learning more about your organization, who should they contact?
For more information or to schedule any of these opportunities, please email olivia@earthandspiritcenter.org.