2nd Annual Environmental Education Symposium on the Way

Connecting youth to the environment can be the most important and fundamental way communities teach environmental literacy and stewardship. To that end, a group of non-profit, public school, agency and parks’ environmental education providers from Riverside and San Bernardino are holding the 2nd Annual Environmental Education Symposium "The Changing Environment in Environmental Education". Hosted by The Living Desert and sponsored in part by The Community Foundation, The Living Desert and the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District, the Symposium will take place on Feb. 25 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the education facilities at The Living Desert, located at 47900 Portola Avenue, Palm Desert, 92260. The early registration fee of $45 includes continental breakfast, lunch, and activity-based workshops, as well as a behind-the-scenes tour of The Living Desert. The fee will rise to $50 after Feb. 12. Advance registration is required and limited scholarships are available. No tickets will be sold at the door. To register, visit www.eecsymposium2016@eventbrite.com and for more information, contact eecollaborative@gmail.com. All attendees will participate in morning sessions covering the current status and trends in environmental education and exploring the connection between outdoor education with formal and place-based outdoor education providers. The keynote presentation will feature Grey Traymor, International Director of Sharing Nature Worldwide; a discussion with Dr. Gerald Lieberman, Founder and Director of the State Education and Environment Roundtable; and a message from Jane Swaisgood, Director of the Natural Families Network at the Children’s Nature Network. The afternoon will include hands-on nature activities and program ideas for all different environmental education providers, breakout sessions with collaborative work groups, and an update on the two-county collaborative movement. The Environmental Education Collaborative, serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties, is a grassroots effort three-years in the planning for the purpose of developing funding, program, and advocacy resources to support environmental education programs in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The Symposium is for anyone engaged or interested in environmental education from K-12 programs to place-based non-profit or agency providers. Corporate sponsors interested in supporting the collaborative can contact (909) 732-2209 or e-mail ginger@srpf.org.