KAEE WELCOMES TWO NEW MEMBERS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS THIS FALL: ERIN SLINEY AND JOHN POLLPETER

KAEE was delighted to welcome two new members to our board of directors this past September at annual conference, KAEE2021. Both Erin Sliney (central Kentcuky) and John Pollpeter (western Kentucky) are non-formal environmental educators who bring a great deal of experience and passion to the field. Please enjoy getting to know these two EE professionals a bit better in the following feature. ​ Our first interview was with Erin Sliney. KAEE: What is your current role in the field of Environmental Education? Erin: ​I currently have my hands in several projects! I manage Welcome Hall, an agritourism operation on my family's farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky. I volunteer as the facilitator of Winchester Inspired by Nature, Clark County's regional environmental education network, and as a co-leader for the Clark County 4-H Environmental Club. I also serve as an environmental education and sustainability consultant and was recently contacted by the Kentucky Environmental Education Council to produce a guidebook designed to help potential implementers plan, form, sustain, and expand regional EE networks. KAEE: What projects or programs are you working on that particularly inspire you? Erin: I am very inspired by Clark County's 4-H Environmental Club. This newly-formed club consisting of middle and high-school students will meet at least once a month to engage in learning and service activities to help deepen their understanding and stewardship of the earth. I specifically love the focus on hands-on community projects. In addition to truly helping advance community resilience and sustainability, these community projects help to build camaraderie and hope and can inspire and empower students to work together to make positive change. Recently, I have also been particularly inspired to lead nature journaling programs. I believe it's an invaluable practice to help us hone our observation skills and assists us in learning more from nature itself. Leading nature journaling classes also provides me with extra incentive to get out and do it myself! ​ KAEE: What goals do you have for your organization or programs within the EE field? Erin: I would like Winchester Inspired by Nature to be recognized as the central hub for news and information related to EE in Clark County and beyond. I would like to have a solid contact with each school in the county and a substantial social media following to ensure wider sharing of and participation in local EE programs. I would like the 4-H Environmental Club to build into a bustling and robust group of students excited to participate in service learning activities. I would like Welcome Hall to host direct farm experience workshops and programs, integrate sustainability and environmental education into every reasonable aspect of facility operation, and produce at least half of the annual food consumption. KAEE: What is an area you feel you could use support in from this network of fellow educators? Erin: I wonder if KAEE could serve as the overarching coordinating body for regional EE networks in Kentucky and potentially serve as the fiscal agent for these networks. This would enable the networks to obtain grant funding without having to form a 501c3 or overly burden a partner nonprofit organization. I also see opportunities for KAEE to provide training, networking, or possibly even financial support to these budding networks.

KAEE: What is something you feel could be beneficial to share with this network? Erin: The Seven Fires Prophecy. The Seven Fires Prophecy is an Anishinaabe prophecy that marks phases, or epochs, in the life of the people on Turtle Island (North America). The seven fires of the prophecy represent key spiritual teachings, and suggest that the different colors and traditions of human beings can come together on a basis of respect. KAEE: Share one fun fact (or tidbit) about yourself with the group. Erin: I am a singer songwriter and released my debut album, Truckee to Kentucky, in Feb 2020. It consists of 12 original songs all recorded in my hometown of Paris, Kentucky.

​Next we had a chat with new board member, John Pollpeter. KAEE: What is your current role in the field of Environmental Education? John: I am currently the Lead Naturalist for the Friends of Land Between the Lakes at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. I manage the Woodlands Nature Station and the Woodlands Nature watch area and have done so for the last 24 years. KAEE: What projects or programs are you working on that particularly inspire you? John: One of the things I find very rewarding is working on landscaping for wildlife, In particular the use of native gardening in attracting pollinators, songbirds, and other wildlife to suburban backyards. I also find it rewarding being part of the endangered Red Wolf breeding program as we have the only captive breeding pair in the state of Kentucky. Lastly, I've put a lot of focus on the need for creative play and imagination and teaching children. KAEE: What goals do you have for your organization or programs within the EE field? John: Currently, much of the focus for the Woodlands Nature Station has been in how to reach more and larger, diverse audiences, and how to make our programs more sustainable and encourage cost recovery. I would also like to see a larger tie-in to larger issues brought more locally - ie. climate change and what we can do personally.

KAEE: What is an area you feel you could use support in from this network of fellow educators? John: I think I can gain a lot of support through this network of environmental educators by gaining knowledge and experience in finding financial resources to support projects through grant writing and other EE resources that can enhance our programming and sustainability. KAEE: What is something you feel could be beneficial to share with this network? John: I think that I can offer perspective to KAEE and the board by representing far Western Kentucky and its needs and resources. My years of experience in conservation education can offer a different perspective or can add different experiences to the group as a whole. Also, as a disabled person, a person with a vision disability, I may be able to add a voice to a group of individuals that may have not had a voice before. KAEE: Share one fun fact (or tidbit) about yourself with the group! ​ John: Though sometimes I may appear quiet and serious, the number one lesson I’ve learned in my EE career (and the best advice I've ever received) is that in order to really engage an audience it helps to be a little goofy and silly sometimes. It is something I hold true today when I do animal characters, puppet shows, or singing at a campfire!

KAEE Member Feature: Michelle Goble and Tony Grubb

Our member interview today features not one but TWO environmental educators, Michelle Goble and Tony Grubb of Floyd County Conservation District. These educators strive to help their fellow citizens conserve natural resources through many programs such as school presentations, soil sampling, tree camp, seed giveaways and more. ​ First let’s chat with Michelle Goble.... KAEE: What is your current role at Floyd County Conservation District? Michelle: ​I am the Education Coordinator at FCCD. I also assist with the bookkeeping and administrative duties within our small organization. KAEE: What projects or programs are you working on that particularly inspire you? Michelle: I am currently working on expanding my preschool head start program. This program revolves around common story books, but I expand on them to include Kentucky wildlife and nature around us. I also enjoy updating and expanding on presentations that complement conservation. KAEE: What goals do you have for your organization or programs within the EE field? Michelle: I strive to bring joy and understanding of the environment that surrounds us to the children of Floyd County. KAEE: What is an area you feel you could use support in from this network of fellow educators? Michelle: I feel that it is important to stay in contact with others in my field to gather new or updated ideas. KAEE: What is something you feel could be beneficial to share with this network? Michelle: Don’t forget to reach out to your local homeschool groups. Most are very receptive to outside presenters. KAEE: Share one fun fact or random tidbit about you would like to share with the group! Michelle:I like raised bed gardening using the squarefoot method and I love raising and spoiling my Nigerian Dwarf goats.

Now let’s meet Tony Grubb... ​ KAEE: Where do you work and what is your current role? Tony: I currently serve as the office manager, conservation technician, and maintenance specialist at Floyd County Conservation District. KAEE: What projects or programs are you working on that particularly inspire you? Tony: I enjoy the various programs that allow me to work one on one with landowners. I enjoy helping folks implement best management environmental/agricultural practices on their property (soil sampling, site visits, etc). I also enjoy working with the University of Kentucky educational programs such as community giveaways (vegetable seed, cover crop seed, fruit trees, etc.). KAEE: What goals do you have for your organization or programs within the EE field? Tony: I’d love to see our district ranked and considered one of the best educational programs within the Commonwealth of Kentucky among all the conservations districts. We have been able to incorporate an early childhood program for our preschoolers and head start students and wish to expand on this program every year. KAEE: What is an area you feel you could use support in from this network of fellow educators? Tony: It would be very helpful to have a list with brief descriptions of the unique programs other members are implementing in their areas so that we could use them for ideas of ways to do similar programs in our region. KAEE: What is something you feel could be beneficial to share with this network? Tony: We have been successful in our endeavors due to our many partners. You are not alone in this journey, and if you would like to discuss some of the things we do, please give us a call. Please also contact your preschool teachers and head start teachers to see if you can correlate your programs with their students. Getting the students to start thinking at an early age about EE is very important. KAEE: Share one fun fact or tidbit about yourself with the group! Tony: I recently enjoyed biking 34 miles of the Virginia Creeper trail in several hours.

JANE ELLER RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN EE

Jane Eller served as the Executive Director of the Kentucky Environmental Education Council 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, the Kentucky Environmental Education Council (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. The PEEC program is accredited by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) and serves as a model for all state and provincial affiliate organizations of NAAEE in North America.

Eller was also influential in the development of the Kentucky University Partnership for Environmental Education (KUPEE) which was written into the state’s Environmental Education Master Plan. Following grant funding secured by Joe Baust in the early 2000’s, Eller also facilitated a series of retreats and meetings to establish the mission and purpose of the Centers for Environmental Education at each of the state universities. Once the centers were established, KEEC continued to provide funding and support for their initiatives.

One of Eller’s great strengths as the Director of the KEEC was her ability to collaborate with a wide variety of interest groups and individuals to meet the recommendations of Kentucky’s Environmental Education Master Plan, both formally and informally. She even hosted informal environmental education retreat weekends at her personal cabin in North Carolina for fellow educators to relax, reflect and renew.

Eller was able to accomplish the goals of KEEC with a limited budget and limited personnel. Her early background was focused on social science which propelled her interest toward policies that foster not only environmental stewardship but environmental justice, equity and inclusion. In Eller’s retirement she has fostered these goals through her political involvement. Throughout her career and retirement, she has been and continues to be a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother.

Eller, 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.