WHO IS DOING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN MASSACHUSETTS?
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eeSURVEY UPDATE
Earlier this year we announced the launch of a new and important MEES project - the Who is Doing Environmental Education in Massachusetts? statewide survey. Based on our research and input from partners, supporters, past conference participants, and individuals, we have reached out to hundreds of informal environmental education providers asking for their participation in the survey.
We are grateful for the sixty-five plus organizations that have responded to our request. This group represents a diverse group of ee providers from the Berkshires to the Cape and Islands – including nature centers, schools, farm and garden programs, museums and zoos, coastal organizations, climate change organizations, environmental justice groups, land trusts, and parks and recreation groups (to name a few!).
Our efforts and results are just scratching the surface of the multitude of ee providers in the state. Please take a moment to read more about our survey goals - and take the survey today before we close it on July 1!
>eeSURVEY DETAILS
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SETH ENGELBOURG
MEES Board Member
An active member in the MEES community, Seth is the Naturalist Educator and Program Manager at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation on Nantucket. He joined our board in May - jumping in attending the NAAEE Affiliate Leadership Clinic and volunteering to co-chair our new MEES Emerging Professionals Group. He is dedicated to the environment and passionate about protecting natural resources through research, field work, and environmental education. Seth's expertise and focus include combining emerging technologies with citizen science to increase public engagement in conservation. Welcome, Seth!
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HOLLY HANNAWAY
MEES Outreach Coordinator
MEES welcomed their first part-time staff member, Holly Hannaway in March 2022. Holly joined the team as the Outreach Coordinator and supports MEES with member outreach, committee communication, social media, website updates, and more. Holly is a garden and nature education and communication specialist. For more than twenty-five years she has shared her passion for agriculture and the environment as an educator in the classroom and the field, as a writer for print and social media, and as a community event planner.
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NEW! EMERGING PROFESSIONALS GROUP | |
JOIN US JUNE 14 FOR OUR FIRST MEETING
MEES is hosting its first Emerging Professionals Group meeting virtually on Tuesday, June 14th from 3:30-5:00pm. This group was established in response to networking discussions and input from participants, particularly those just beginning their careers, at the 2022 MEES annual conference.
The Emerging Professionals Group will provide space for networking opportunities, sharing ideas, and addressing relevant topics related to working in the environmental education field. This committee will act as a support network for emerging professionals as they begin their journey in the field and offer a welcoming, collaborative platform for career advancement.
All community members new to environmental education are invited to join. Please bring your goals, questions, experience, enthusiasm, and colleagues!
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eePROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | |
NatStart2022 - Nature-Based Early Learning Conference
Cincinnati, OH or Online | July 27 - 30
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What is the role of nature-based early learning in securing a just and sustainable future for all? This year’s Nature-Based Early Learning Conference will explore this question across three days of plenaries, interactive sessions, workshops, and more!
In-person attendees have access to workshops, site tours of high-quality nature-based programs in Cincinnati, interactive indoor and outdoor sessions, networking, and high-impact plenaries that will expand your ideas about nature-based early learning and sustainability.
Online attendees have access to live-streamed plenaries, select live online sessions, a live online workshop, and access to 50+ on-demand sessions.
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ANCA Summit - Thrive Outside
Irvine Nature Center| August 1 - 5
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Leaders and administrators at Nature Centers, Outdoor Schools, and Environmental Learned Centers are invited to the ANCA Annual Summit at the Irvine Nature Center in Maryland. Summit programs include workshops, facilitated discussions, and field trips will connect and build a professional network of peers and experts in a supportive learning environment.
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NAAEE 2022 - Educating for Change
Conference: Oct. 12 - 15 | Symposium: Oct. 11 - 12
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Join NAAEE for a return to an in-person gathering in beautiful Tucson, Arizona. Offered in partnership with the Arizona Association for Environmental Education, the 19th annual Research Symposium and 51st annual Conference will explore EE: Educating for Change.
The conference will dig into vital topics in our field such as climate change education and climate justice, the benefits of connecting to nature, building a green workforce, protecting biodiversity, and centering equity in our work. A virtual option will be available.
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FROM COAST TO COAST -
MEES BOARD MEMBERS GO TO CALI!
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MEES Board Members Above
Front Center: Nicole Weber
Left to Right: Evan Kuras, Seth Engelbourg, Carrie Hawthorne, Cori Brauer
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NAAEE Affiliate Leadership Clinic Update...
"Go Slow to Go Fast"
Five of our volunteer Board Members attended the NAAEE Affiliate Leadership Clinic in California in early May: Cori Brauer, Seth Engelbourg, Carrie Hawthorne, Evan Kuras, Nicole Weber. The team returned energized to continue to support, improve, and expand ee efforts across the state with a renewed focus on community, positionality, and intentionality. Networking with neighboring affiliates from Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island proved invaluable - and we look forward to implementing much of what was learned through this process. Already in action is our MEES eeSurvey, a new committee and new board members, and our first paid staff member. Stay tuned for more updates.
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Each month, NAAEE offers hour-long webinars on topics of key interest to environmental education professionals in formal and nonformal settings that help raise the bar on the quality of EE programs, expand the scope and reach of these programs, social movements, and improve the way we communicate about our field.
WEBINAR TOPICS INCLUDE:
- Inclusion in the outdoors
- Diversity in the environmental movement
- Increasing civic engagement through education and service learning
- Becoming a natural and effective storyteller
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Email us with questions and suggestions. Join our group Listserv to connect with eeProfessionals in Massachusetts.
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About The Massachusetts Environmental Education Society
The Massachusetts Environmental Education Society (MEES) is dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and improvement of environmental education across the state. The organization was established in 1977 by Chuck Roth – a biology teacher and passionate naturalist – nationally acclaimed as the “father of environmental literacy.” Our diverse membership includes all environmental organizations or individuals that are educating on behalf of the environment. MEES is comprised of a volunteer Board of Directors that meets monthly to plan the annual conference, manage communications, and work to bring information and programs to the EE community. MEES serves as an affiliate member of the North American Association for Environmental Education.
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