“All in favor say ‘aye’” may have been the way it all started 30 years ago. During a statewide Environmental Education Conference on May 7 & 8, 1976, at the former King Center near Bardstown, Ky., a recommendation was made to form a statewide association for environmental education. On July 30, 1976, the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) was formally organized. The first KAEE conference was held Feb. 25 & 26, 1977, in the University of Kentucky Student Center at Lexington. Stuart Udall was the featured speaker and Steven Van Matre closed the conference with his “Sunship Earth” program. The conference was co-sponsored by the Kentucky Department of Education with financial support from the Kentucky Humanities Council.

Kentucky has been a leader in environmental education, and joined the North American A s s o c i a t i o n f o r E n v i r o n m e n t a l Education (NAAEE) as

the first state affiliate in 1986. In 2001, KAEE received the NAAEE Affiliate of the Year award. Three former KAEE presidents have gone on to serve as NAAEE presidents - David Wicks, Terry Wilson, and Joe Baust – more than any other state association in North America. KAEE has been active both on the national and state levels. In the 1990’s, members joined together to support the establishment of the Kentucky Environmental Education Council and in 2000, to lobby for the adoption and funding of Land, Legacy and Learning, the state’s environmental education plan. This year, over 130 people gathered in C o v i n g t o n o n September 8 & 9 for the Annual KAEE c o n f e r e n c e t o celebrate 30 years of E x c e l l e n c e i n E n v i r o n m e n t a l Education. Friday evening’s anniversary

celebration, complete with noisemakers and an anniversary cake, featured Billy B. – the Natural Science Song and Dance Man. This was a special treat since Billy B. was featured

a t t h e K A E E c o n f e r e n c e a t Mammoth Cave in 1987, and again in 1988 at the conference in Otter Creek Park. F r i d a y n i g h t ’ s celebration topped off a day of workshops that took advantage of local e n v i r o n m e n t a l educat ion venues including the Thomas More College Biology

Field Station on the Ohio River. At the Sanitation District #1 Public Service Park, participants followed the journey of a drop of water and learned about Best Management Practices to protect water quality. Others ventured to the Campbell County Environmental Education Center for a day-long workshop to help them prepare for the Envirothon, an international environmental education competition for high school students.

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2006 KAEE Conference Celebrating 30 Years

The KAEE Board of Directors met during their annual planning retreat September 29 and 30, 2006 to review, revise and renew the KAEE Strategic Plan. We have three vision statements which were developed during the 2005 Board of Directors retreat. T h e s e v i s i o n statements were reviewed individually to identify which strategies (how we achieve our vision) had been

(Continued on page 6)

Special points of interest: • Mark your calendars now!

The 2007 Conference will be

held on Sept 14 & 15, 2007!

President’s Pen 2

Needs Assessment Survey 3

WKU Professor receives EE’s highest honor

3

KAEE News 4-5

A Program with Richard Louv 7

Julie’s Corn Chowder 7

A word of Thanks 7

Word Search 9

2007 Conference info 10

2006 Conference Awards 10-11

Inside this issue:

Winter 2006

Strategic Plan Update

As I write this President’s Pen, we have experienced a week of quite warm weather and mostly sunny skies. It has now cooled off a bit, but we still have that bright, blue, sunny sky of autumn. Here in Cave City, about one third of the deciduous trees have changed color from green to bronze, purple, yellow, red and orange. Peak color is yet to come. Exactly one week ago, the KAEE Board of Directors met for our two-day planning retreat at Mammoth Cave National Park. The main focus of this year’s retreat was to review, revise and renew our strategic plan (please see my newsletter article). This process takes an enormous amount of energy for those who are actively participating. The desire to do what is best for KAEE can actually cause pressure and stress. However, having a strategic plan aids in relieving that stress. We need to have a focused goal and a mind for the future. If we have a plan, it’s so much easier to achieve what is best for KAEE. Without a plan, we flounder. The Board of Directors did a wonderful job of looking at the past year’s accomplishments and then revising what needs to be done to continue moving forward. We have five new board members who contributed their input to the strategic plan. They became part of our vision groups and will no doubt help guide the work of those groups in the coming months and year. Just a month ago, KAEE held its annual conference in Covington. If you attended our annual conference, I hope you noticed some changes that were a direct result of our strategic plan. Some of those changes included changing the conference to a two-day full schedule with off site sessions on Friday and concurrent sessions on Saturday. We deliberately looked for a well-known EE name for our Friday evening educational entertainment. There was time in the schedule specifically provided for networking. Based on comments that we have received from conference participants (and, from my own biased perspective), the conference was an outstanding success. Some of that success was the direct result of strategic planning. As you look ahead to the winter months, I hope that you might consider contributing your ideas and/or skills to KAEE. We have many tasks and projects that we would like to complete in the next year. We would love to have you, our members, working with the Board of Directors to complete a variety of action plans. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any of the board members if you are ready and willing to assist.

President’s Pen

Page 2 KAEE Newsletter

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KAEE

Executive Committee President: Julie Gee Vice President: Cheryl Messenger Secretary: Mary Kathryn Dickerson Treasurer: Doug McLaren Past President: Rosetta Fackler Board of Directors Seated Board Members through 2007 Portia Brown Janet Kistler Cathy Neeley Peggy Nims Steve Spencer Seated Board Members through 2008 Jenny Howard Elizabeth Robb Debra Spillman Tonya M. Swan Melinda Wilder Ex Officio Members Jane Eller - KY Environmental Education Council Kate Shanks - Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet Please send newsletter articles and photos to: Newsletter Editor/Webmaster/Membership Coordinator: Matt Coddington - Matt@MultiMatt.com Membership Information: Visit the KAEE website at www.KAEE.org or contact: KAEE PO Box 17494 Louisville KY 40217-0494 KAEE is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of teachers, ad-ministrators, government and agency personnel, business and industry representatives, and private citizens interested in pro-moting environmental education.

Visit us online at www.KAEE.org

Page 3 Winter 2006

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The KAEE Board of Directors will be developing a professional development series for environmental educators, and we want to hear from you about what you need! The series will begin in 2007 and will be created to meet the needs of environmental educators throughout Kentucky. The series will teach environmental educators a variety of skills, and it will complement the certification program for environmental educators administered by the Kentucky Environmental Education Council. However, you will not need to be a certified environmental educator to participate in KAEE professional development programs. In 2006 the association held several outdoor classroom workshops and a grant writing workshop with much success. However, there may be other professional development programs you would like to see offered. That is why the board of directors wants to hear from you. You may have already received an email with directions for filling out the KAEE professional development needs assessment survey. This is a brief online survey that allows you to tell KAEE what you need as an educator. If you have already completed the survey, thanks! If not, please fill out the survey so that KAEE can accommodate your needs. If you have not received information about the needs assessment survey please visit www.kaee.org to access the survey. Thank you for your time in participating in this survey, and be sure to watch for new programs in 2007!

Help determine KAEE's new professional development offerings

October 23, 2006 Bowling Green, KY - Dr. Terry Wilson, director of Western Kentucky University’s Center for Mathematics, Science and Environmental Education, has received environmental education’s highest honor. Dr. Wilson received the Walter E. Jeske Award from the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) in recognition of his 36 years of work in environmental education. “I feel incredibly honored to receive this award,” Dr. Wilson said. “When I look back at the list of former recipients of the Jeske Award, I am blown away by the list of giants in the field. I am truly humbled by this recognition.” The award, presented Oct. 13 at the group’s annual conference in St. Paul, Minn., is given each y e a r t o recognize an i n d i v i d u a l ’ s s e r v i c e t o NAAEE and for leadership within the field of environmental education. NAAEE is the professional association for the field of environmental education and has members from North America and 55 countries. A list of Jeske Award winners is available online at www.naaee.org/programs-and-initiatives/awards/the-walter-e-jeske-award Dr. Wilson, who served as president of NAAEE in 2002, represented the group on the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education, a coalition of more than 30 organizations that sets professional standards for colleges and universities that prepare teachers and other personnel for work in elementary and secondary schools. He was a founding member of KAEE, served for many years on the KAEE board of directors and was President of KAEE from 1992 - 1993. He is also an instructor for the Kentucky Environmental Education Certification Program. . Read the entire article at: www.wku.edu/news/releases06/october/wilson.html

WKU Professor Receives Environmental Education's Highest Honor

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNICATION FOR BEHAVIOR CHANGE January 16 - February 25, 2007 This course provides environmental professionals with a practical introduction to the strategies, methods, and tools of environmental communication that effectively lead to changes in behavior. The field-based skills gained through this course will benefit all practicing environmental professionals faced with the challenge of changing behaviors. Registration Deadline: December 20, 2006 More info at www.newsletters.naaee.org

———————————————————— MY ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EVALUATION RESOURCE ASSISTANT My Environmental Education Evaluation Resource Assistant (MEERA) provides evaluation resources for formal and non-formal environmental educators. Current offerings include professionally selected and reviewed how-to guides and other resources for evaluating environmental education programs as well as a discussion forum. Future offerings will include searchable examples of evaluations of environmental education programs. More info at www.newsletters.naaee.org

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NEW LESSON BOOK ON GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY Facing the Future's new book for middle and high school teachers, Engaging Students through Global Issues: Activity-Based Lessons and Action Projects, includes inspiring, step-by-step lesson plans that are aligned with standards and designed to help students understand complex global issues and sustainable solutions. More info at www.newsletters.naaee.org

———————————————————— TORE AND THE TOWN ON THIN ICE Tore and the Town on Thin Ice is part of the Tunza Environmental Series for Children sponsored by the United

Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Like the rest of the series it is beautifully illustrated by Adrienne Kennaway and aims to inspire caring for the Earth through creative literature that sparks the awareness and interest of children, their parents, and teachers. More info at www.newsletters.naaee.org

———————————————————— WEBQUEST EXPEDITION Virtually paddle alongside the Expedition Susquehanna crew on a journey 444 miles from the Susquehanna river's headwaters to the Chesapeake Bay to investigate water quality and land use. More info at www.newsletters.naaee.org

———————————————————— LEARN AND SERVE AMERICA Learn and Serve America, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, supports and encourages service-learning for students throughout the U.S. to make meaningful contributions to their community while building their academic and civic skills. www.learnandserve.org/about/lsa/index.asp

———————————————————— YOUNG PEOPLE'S TRUST FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (YPTE) YPTE is working to create a better future by inspiring young people to look after our world. Free information and resources for young people and teachers on a wide range of environmental topics and animal facts. www.yptenc.org.uk

———————————————————— INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S PAINTING COMPETITION Deadline: December 31, 2006 This United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) painting competition is held every year for children between the ages of 6 and 15 worldwide. This year's theme is climate change. Each regional first prize winner will receive a cash prize and a trip with an accompanying adult to the 2007 official World Environment Day celebrations in Tromso, Norway. www.unep.org/tunza/paintcomp

———————————————————— 2006 INTERNATIONAL YOUNG ECO HEROES ACCOUNCED Action For Nature is proud to announce its 2006 International Young Eco Hero Awards. Fourteen winners, aged 10 to 16, were selected by a Judges Panel for their outstanding environmental achievements. Read about these inspiring young people. The next application deadline is February 28, 2007. www.actionfornature.org

———————————————————— THAILAND PROJECT January 10-28, 2007 ~ Northern Thailand The Rural Environmental Education Enhancement Pilot Project with

(Continued on page 5)

KAEE News

Page 4 KAEE Newsletter

A note from the Newsletter and Website Committee:

Please submit information about EE news, EE resources, and EE professional development experiences for the KAEE newsletter and/or

website.

Information can be sent via email or an attachment to:

Matt Coddington Matt@MultiMatt.com

Please see the website

for submission deadlines

.

Ban Na Fa Elementary School in northern Thailand needs volunteers. This is an effort involving volunteers from the United States and Thailand to experience a cultural exchange based on a mutual effort in environmental education and stewardship. Contact: Gregory Lee, rtc2k5@gmail.com www.neighborhoodlink.com

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4TH ANNUAL NATURAL BRIDGE MIDWINTER BIRD COUNT DECEMBER 16, 2006 Join naturalists and experienced birders on hikes throughout Natural Bridge State Park and the Red River Gorge Geologic Area (or watch the bird feeders from the park's dining room) and help us get an idea of the numbers and species of birds that call our area home in the winter. The National Audubon Society has been keeping track of wintering bird populations for over 100 years, and this data helps identify population trends. Sound too scientific? Bird identification programs will be given in the park's lodge throughout the day to help you figure out who you're seeing! The bird survey begins at 9 am Saturday and participants are free to help out as long as they would like. Please contact park naturalist Zeb Weese at jason.weese@ky.gov to register for this free event.

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PROJECT WILD / FLYING WORKSHOP December 18, 2006 at the Salato Wildlife Education Center, Frankfort, KY. Cost is $10. Lunch is on your own. Participants: Teachers; parents who home school; scouting, youth, and other group leaders. Limit: 30. Registration Deadline: November 20 These highly acclaimed, award-winning curricula teaches students how to think, not what to think. Project WILD offers KERA-compatible, interdisciplinary, hands-on activities emphasizing wildlife and the environment. Flying WILD introduces middle-school students to bird conservation. The activities complement and support many of the concepts presented in Project WILD. Participants receive both curriculum guides and other valuable resources and reference materials. There will be both indoor and outdoor activities, so be sure to dress for the weather. The Salato Wildlife Education Center is located on the grounds of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Headquarters. Phone 502-564-7863 to register. For more information, contact venita.bright@ky.gov.

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2007 FACILITATOR TRAINING - PROJECT LEARNING TREE - A NATIONAL CURRICULUM FOR EE K-12 11:00 a.m. Jan. 4th to 3:00 p.m. Jan. 5th, 2007 Location: KY Leadership Center, Jabez, KY Cost: $75 (includes 1 night lodging, meals, and supplies).

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KAEE News (cont’d)

Page 5 Winter 2006

Please contact Jennifer Turner at Jenniferl.turner@ky.gov or 800-866-0555 to register or for more details. Deadline for registration is December 20, 2006.

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NOVEMBER PROJECT WET TRAINING 9:00 am - 3:30 pm (ET) on November 21 at McConnell Springs in Lexington or 9:00 am - 3:30 pm (CT) on November 28 at the University of Kentucky Research and Education Center in Princeton Who: Extension Agents & Assistants, Teachers, Students! Everyone is welcome! This workshop will introduce you to and provide you with exceptional water-related activities for youth and adult audiences. This nationally recognized curriculum covers topics such as water conservation, water use, the water cycle, and water and health. Current issues related to water in Kentucky will also be discussed. To register, contact Amanda Abnee Gumbert at 859-257-6094 or amanda.gumbert@uky.edu. A registration fee will be charged to cover cost of materials and lunch.

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PROJECT WET WORKSHOP AT THE LOUISVILLE ZOO Saturday, December 9th, 2006 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Join Louisville Zoo Education staff and Project WET facilitators for day of activities that can be put to use in your classroom. Each participant will leave with a new copy of the Project WET curriculum and activity guide with over 500 pages of classroom ready activities and information. This program will be designed for teachers of grades 4 through 12. Cost: $25 Contact: Doug McCoy, Assistant Curator of Education, The Louisville Zoo. 502-238-5343 doug.mccoy@louisvilleky.gov or John Lefevre, Project Wet KY State Coordinator John.Lefevre@ky.gov

.

For all the latest EE News, Grant information and other

opportunities, visit our website! www.KAEE.org

plans for their strategies. An action plan describes who, what, how and when for the strategy. It is a commitment to implementation of a strategy. The quality conference group met to take their list of strategies and combine them or eliminate them or check them off as completed. They were able to revise their strategies list to a total of 6 from 39 original. They will complete the interrelationship diagraph at the January board meeting. All three vision statement groups have an action plan to work on during the months prior to the January Board of Directors meeting. Action Plans for Vision Statements Partnerships and Networking

• Membership survey to update contact information; use the Skills Survey to assist in their work.

• Develop a resource directory of people in the organization to share skills; develop a “green industry/business” directory section.

• Develop a marketing presentation for KAEE to promote KAEE to businesses and other organizations; use the skills survey to see who might be willing and able to go out and do these presentations.

Professional Development

• Conduct a survey to find out the professional development needs for EE in Kentucky; survey to include members as well as other EE professionals. The survey will be simple and will be accomplished before January.

Quality Conference

• Work on the long range planning strategy for the conference; start with development of a planning guide

Page 6 KAEE Newsletter

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Strategic Plan Update (continued)

completed during the past year. We also identified those strategies that are still in progress and, also, those that were not addressed during the past year. The following is a list of the three vision statements:

1. Partnerships and Networking KAEE will develop partnerships and networking opportunities with individuals, organizations or groups sharing in KAEE’s common mission for developing a sustainable environment through education.

2. Professional Development KAEE will educate formal and nonformal educators about the interdisciplinary and engaging nature of EE so that they can realize its educational benefits.

3. Quality Conference KAEE will consistently provide a quality conference that provides professional development benefits for educators with diverse experiences and needs.

Each vision statement had strategies that were achieved, those that were in progress and those that were not addressed during the past year. The board then completed a process called an interrelationship diagraph in order to determine which, if any, of the strategies were “drivers”—key issues or strategies that, if successfully completed, will enable the organization to successfully accomplish the other strategies toward the common vision. For vision statement # 1, it was determined that identifying and seeking out businesses and other organizations as partners to enhance financial, resource and expertise sharing was the driving strategy. For vision statement #2, it was determined that conducting an assessment of professional development needs was the driving strategy. We did not conduct the interrelationship diagraph for the quality conference vision statement because there were too many strategies to effectively go through this process. Next, the vision statement groups met to revise their strategies (based on the results of the interrelationship diagraph) and work on action

(Continued from page 1)

A Program with Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Crossroads Community Church 3500 Madison Road (at Ridge Rd.)

Cincinnati, Ohio 45209

• 5:00 - 8:30 pm Information Fair Visit more than 30 booths with information about connecting kids with nature!

• 5:00 pm Reception • 6:30 pm Lecture & Panel Discussion • 8:00 pm Book Signing

Tickets are available beginning December 2006. Call 513-965-4899 for more information. About the Author: Richard Louv is a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune, he has written for the New York Times and other newspapers and magazines, and has been a columnist and member of the editorial advisory board for Parents magazine. He is a member of various organizations focusing on the health, safety, and social development of children. He has appeared on Good Mo rn i ng America, the Today Show, NPR’s Fresh Air and Talk of the Nation, and most recently, the CBS Evening News and the NBC Nightly News.

Page 7 Winter 2006

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Save the Date! Julie’s Corn Chowder

Special Thanks

(made by Julie Gee for the board retreat) 6 Tablespoons butter or margarine (3/4 stick) 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced 2 celery stalks, minced 1 small green pepper, minced 1 small onion, minced 1 ½ teaspoons salt 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour 2 Tablespoons paprika 1 ½ cups water 2 chicken flavor bouillon cubes 1 16- to 20-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn 1 pint half-and-half 1 pint whole milk In 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, in hot butter or margarine, cook potatoes, celery, green pepper, onion, and salt until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in flour and paprika; cook 1 minute. Stir in water and bouillon; over medium heat, cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn kernels, half-and-half, and milk. Cook, stirring frequently, until corn is tender and mixture is heated through, about 15 minutes. Yield: about 9 cups Good source of calcium!

Special thanks to the following KAEE board members who fully served their elected terms which ended at the 2006 annual conference:

• Nancy Kiernan, 6 years • Amy Sohner, 2 years and served as

Vice President • Jennifer Turner,

2 years • Sherry Wheeler,

2 years

Page 8 KAEE Newsletter

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If you’re receiving this Newsletter in paper format via U.S. Mail, consider opting to receive it electronically!

All that is required is internet access and

the free Adobe Acrobat Reader!

This will allow us to put postage costs to better use, and we can save a few trees

in the process!

Since 1991, Green Teacher magazine has been a valuable resource for both classroom teachers and non-formal educators who want to promote environmental literacy among young people from kindergarten through high school. Written by educators, for educators, each quarterly issue brings innovative ideas, classroom-ready materials, and reviews of the latest resources. Find out why Green Teacher is a best-selling environmental education magazine—use the order form below to take advantage of your membership discount: you’ll receive $2 off of a one-year subscription; $3 off of a two-year subscription.

Visit www.greenteacher.com to find out about additional Green Teacher resources: v Books for educators - Greening School Grounds: Creating Habitats for Learning and Teaching About Climate Change

v E-Packs - text-only thematic collections of articles from past issues v Back issues of Green Teacher magazine

Discounts on subscriptions for KAEE members!

North America’s best-selling magazine for environmental educators

Discounted prices for KAEE members (orders must be prepaid by check or credit card and this order form must accompany your payment):

US $26/1 year (regular $28) US $45/2 years (regular $48) I’m paying by: Check (enclosed) Visa MasterCard Card #_________/_________/_________/_________ Exp:____/____ Name on card: ______________________________________ Note: If you are using a credit card, your payment will be processed at Green Teacher’s office in Toronto, Canada. The charge will appear on your statement in U.S. funds and may be a few cents more or less than the price stated above, depending on the Canada-U.S. exchange rate on the day of the transaction.

Kentucky Association for Environmental Education Name ___________________________________ Address __________________________________ _________________________________________ City ____________________ ST ___ Zip _______ Please send your completed order form to: Green Teacher, PO Box 452, Niagara Falls, NY 14304 USA or Green Teacher 95 Robert St, Toronto, ON M5S 2K5, Canada Phone: 416-960-1244 Email: info@greenteacher.com

Board of Directors 2007 Meeting Dates

Saturday, January 20

Louisville Zoo .

Friday, April 13 Bernheim

. Friday, July 13

Cave City Convention Center

2006 KAEE Conference Celebrating 30 Years (continued)

One group worked at the Twenhofel Middle School to help construct a wetland habitat. During the afternoon, some KAEE’ers set out on a geocache adventure in downtown Covington, and others explored how to join in the movement to assess the health and sustainability of schools to make them better places to learn. One group took a journey on the Licking River by canoe to learn more about Expeditionary Education.

On Saturday morning, KAEE President Julie Gee brought a new perspective to thirty years of hard work by the Association by out l in ing the strategy for the future. Built on KAEE’s mission “ to bui ld a

sustainable Kentucky environment through education,” the strategy for the future includes four main areas of work: building a quality conference, pursuing professional development opportunities for members, building more partnerships and networks, and promoting environmental education as a way to learn. Robert Lape, Facilities Director/Architect for Kenton County Schools, presented local examples of high performance sustainable design for the new Twenhofel Middle School and Caywood Elementary Schools in Kenton County. These schools are also integrating the “building as a learning tool” into the school’s curriculum. During the day, conference participants had the opportunity to attend concurrent sessions on topics woven into three strands: Environmental Literacy - in-depth look at science and other content related to environmental issues; EE in Practice - knowledge and skills for innovative learning strategies, professional development opportunities, and new directions and research in EE; and, Journey into EE – concepts of EE, such as

(Continued from page 1)

Winter 2006 Page 9

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KAEE Environmental Word Search

This month’s theme: KAEE Terminology

Find the following 10 words in the puzzle:

ENVIRONMENT RESOURCES CONFERENCES WILDLIFE WORKSHOPS

GETAWAYDAYS EDUCATION TRAININGS ECOSYSTEM GRANTS

You can find the solution on our website! http://kaee.org/newsletter.htm

alignment to KERA and NAAEE standards, environmental education ethics, and ways to refresh teaching and learning about familiar topics. The Saturday Awards Luncheon honored three of Kentucky’s finest examples of Excellence in Environmental Education: Evelyn Morgan from the USDA Forest Service at the Daniel Boone National Forest; the American Cave Conservation Association; and the Louisville Science Center (see related article in this issue). Belinda Smith was also honored by Project Learning Tree as the facilitator of the year. Saturday presented opportunities for networking and visiting the exhibit hall and the newly renovated KAEE Boutique. At the Mystery Table, KAEE’ers were challenged to use their five senses to unravel the mysteries of nature. A closing plenary session was filled with fun and inspiration as the conference was recapped, the Kentucky Basket and other prizes were given away, and silent auction items were released to the highest bidders. Before closing, a sincere word of thanks was spoken to all our conference speakers and presenters, the conference committee, volunteers, and our conference donors, the Kentucky Environmental Education Council and Tracy Farmer Center. As we parted, many made plans to meet again next year in Cave City, September 14 – 15, 2007, when Walkin’ Jim joins us from Montana. Hope you can be there, too! Mary Kate Dickerson, 2006 Conference Chair and the Conference Committee: Portia Brown, Jane Eller, Rosetta Fackler, Julie Gee, Reeda Hart, Janet Kistler, Doug McCoy, Doug McLaren, Yvonne Meichtry, Cheryl Messenger, Evelyn Morgan, Cathy Neeley, Pam Proctor, Karen Reagor, Amy Sohner, Debra Spillman, Jennifer Turner, and Sherry Wheeler. Photos courtesy of Debra and Harry Spillman .

Page 10 KAEE Newsletter

Plan now to head for the Cave City Convention Center for the 2007 KAEE Conference. Friday, Sept. 14 will feature workshops, both on-site and off-site, for unique learning experiences. On Saturday, Sept. 15, you will be able to attend concurrent sessions, as well as have time to network and visit the KAEE Resource Fair.

Walkin’ Jim Stoltz joins us from Montana for Friday night’s special gathering. Walkin’ Jim has walked the Appalachian Trail, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from Mexico to Canada along the Continental Divide Trail, to name a few places. His miles now total more than 26,000 and along the way he has collected experiences and stories that he shares through original songs and photography.

The Cave City Convention Center is conveniently located just off of I-65 in Cave City. Conference details and rates will be published in early 2007. For more about the area, go to www.cavecity.com.

Watch the KAEE web site for details about the conference. For information, or to volunteer to help, contact Cheryl Messenger at 270-758-2421 email: Cheryl_messenger@nps.gov or Mary Kate Dickerson at 859-609-0906 email: Bingkate@epowerc.net.

KAEE Awards presented at this year’s Conference

KAEE goes to Cave Country for 2007 Conference – Sept. 14 - 15

Individual Award Every year, the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) recognizes an outstanding individual for making a contribution in environmental education. This year’s recipient is Evelyn Morgan, USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest.

Evelyn has been involved in environmental education since 1983. She has consistently given of her time to the field of environmental education and is an example for other environmental educators. Serving as the conference chair of the KAEE conference and vice-president and president of KAEE demonstrates Evelyn’s allegiance to quality leadership in environmental education.

Evelyn often facilitates the incorporation of environmental education into the classroom by assisting teachers. She served in a lead role in aligning Project Learning Tree to the Kentucky state standards and is also a facilitator for projects WET, WILD, Learning Tree, Food, Land and People, and Leopold.

She has raised public awareness about environmental education by being instrumental in creating the Kentucky Forest Forever CD-ROM, The Kentucky Wildfire CD-ROM, and The Kentucky Virtual Tour of a Forest project. She was involved in the Terrific Trees project in Rowan County, which involved hands-on learning for all 4th graders in the county.

She became a Kentucky Certified Environmental Educator in 2004 and continues to promote this program. Evelyn’s dedication to the field of environmental education and her unwavering commitment made her the ideal recipient for this year’s Environmental Educator of the Year award.

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Evelyn Morgan and Jennifer Turner, KAEE Board Member

Page 11 Winter 2006

Organization Award The American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA) has been selected for this year’s KAEE Organization of the Year award. The ACCA, with its wealth of environmental education programs, is a model for raising public awareness about

environmental protection.

Both students and the general public learn about local environmental issues through tours of the Hidden River Cave and the American Cave Museum, which are managed by the ACCA. The cave suffered from severe water contamination before the ACCA staff led community efforts to clean it up. Now, it is a show cave, with sparkling, clear water running through it. The cave’s remarkable cleanup shows how people can work together to solve environmental problems.

ACCA staff members offer a wide variety of hands-on programs for students and other groups including fossils, geology, the water cycle, community decision making, cave formation, the cave and karst landscape, and human impact on the environment. Cave tours are very popular, and feature information about protecting and preserving this special resource.

The American Cave Conservation Association has also developed numerous environmental projects. Each year the ACCA sponsors sinkhole cleanups in the local area. Cave owners may attend bat gate workshops to assist them in

protecting the bat population. Furthermore, the ACCA publishes a quarterly magazine, American Cave, which regularly features conservation stories.

For their contributions, The American Cave Conservation Association has received the KAEE Organization of the Year award.

Program Award The Louisville Science Center has received the KAEE Outstanding Program of the Year award for their new exhibit, “The World Around Us”. The exhibit is an interactive exploration of Kentucky’s diverse environment. With this exhibit, the museum is raising public awareness about our environment and how to preserve it for future generations.

The exhibit was created through collaboration with several state and national agencies. The center received numerous national grant awards, including one from the National Science Foundation.

The exhibit begins with a floating globe that introduces students to land, air and water. A large screen depicting panoramic views of Kentucky will astound visitors. From here, museum-goers may visit the three main rooms of the exhibit: Aquasphere, Atmosphere, and Terrasphere.

The Aquasphere allows visitors to manipulate marbles as they make their way through a water cycle that incorporates rural and urban landscapes. Restroom displays teach students about water treatment and conservation..

The Atmosphere exhibit allows visitors to navigate through a hole in the ozone layer. Students may also enjoy an interactive game about conserving energy in the home, school, and community.

The Terrasphere enables students to explore the “Environments that Support Us.” For example, this exhibit shows how the loss of the wolf from the state affects the deer population. Upon completing this section, students will appreciate the delicate balance of nature.

“The World Around us” at the Louisville Science Center helps museum visitors understand their role in protecting our environment. It enhances critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills while inspiring students to conserve our precious natural resources.

For creating this exhibit, the Louisville Science Center was selected as the KAEE Program of the Year.

(Continued from page 10)

Awards presented (continued)

Peggy Nims - ACCA's Education Director and Julie Gee

Jason Sanchez & Theresa Mattea with the Louisville Science Center and Kate Shanks,

KAEE Ex-officio Board Member

Kentucky Association for Environmental Education PO Box 17494 Louisville KY 40217-0494

Since 1976, the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education has worked to build a sustainable environment through education.

Professional

$30 _____

Retired

$20 _____

Student

$15 _____

Life

$250 _____

Family (2 adults, same household)

$50 _____

Institutional (agencies, schools, non-profit organizations)

$100 _____

Corporate (business and industry)

$300 _____

Special Gift for Legacy Fund

$ _____

TOTAL enclosed $ _____

Membership Level

For an explanation of membership categories, visit our website at

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