After more than ten years the Tucson Basin Regional Environmental Educators reconvened at La Cocina restaurant at Old Town Artisans. Lorna Kraemer, founding member of the group, gave a brief history of how it was formed originally and the work accomplished. She showed copies of a resource guide with two editions published during the TBEE's history. Lorna explained that TBEE formed to prevent duplication of efforts and promote awareness of what various groups are working on.
A similar rationale prompted this informal meeting to explore whether a similar group might help us coordinate efforts across the city and county to leverage our work to a community-wide campaign for sustainability.
About 30 people enjoyed an organic buffet and beverage together on the patio. Represented were city, county, university, museum, youth, social justice and arts representatives as well as members of Sustainable Tucson and the Arizona Association for Environmental Education.
Sarajean Harwood and Anne Aiken-Browning described a proposal to write for National Science Foundation funding for multiple projects to create sustainability education opportunities for youth, school children, and adult learners. We learned from Nicole Urban-Lopez, Education Coordinator for the City of Tucson, what the Office of Conservation and Sustainable Development is planning on the launch of their website in the summer. Carla Clark, Sustainable Tucson's web info architect, described what ST is planning on its website to support action teams and the general public.
We decided to start a blog to keep the discussing rolling along. Since AAEE already has the Arizona Crossroads blog to help link groups working on conservation education and sustainbility objectives across the state, we decided to adopt it as our communication tool.
Since we just began the discussion, let's continue now. Just use the comment section to add ideas that may have occurred to you during or after the meeting. Also, all the people who could not make the meeting but asked to be included in the followup are now in the listserv with us. There are currently about 80 of us.
Let's just see what comes of it!
Thanks,
Susan
5 comments:
Hey, it was great meeting you all. I'm still awfully new to the community and look forward to learning much from you all on how to be a more effective environmental educator.
I already have many of you down on my weekly mailing list of youth-focused sustainability projects out of the Volunteer Center, which range from rainwater harvesting, to local food economy works, to buffel grass removal. I want to invite the rest of you to sign up as well. E-mail me at mbertrand@volunteersoaz.org and I'll add you on.
I would love to hear feedback on how my projects could better reach out into the community, and how they could better educate youth on important issues of sustainability. I'm always looking for cool projects to bring youth to.
Finally, as I get more youth involved in these projects, especially a core of regulars, I'm going to be on the lookout for ways to integrate them further into the sustainability community, whether it be through a youth affinity group or some other means. I would welcome ideas on this issue as well over time.
Thank you! I look forward to working further with you all!
Thanks Matthew. You bring to focus a great interest of mine and other members of Sustainable Tucson. Youth voices are not being heard in our discussions about the future of Tucson yet it is their future we are planning right now.
Your work is very important. I hope this group can help us create meaningful opportunities for youth to make a difference.
Sustainable Tucson and AAEE have been supported by a Pulliam grant that supports a grant writer, me, to garner financial support for operations. Last month I wrote a Beldon Fund LOI that incorporates some start up funding for youth projects. Keep your fingers crossed we get a chance to submit a full proposal to them.
Susan
I enjoyed our meeting very much, thank you Susan for organizing! I look forward to our group's unfolding conversation. :)
On a personal level, I am interested in educating people about the interrelatedness of sustainability and wilderness/conservation issues. For example, when we encourage people to envision sustainable transportation plans that turn away from giant new highway projects(and instead emphasize mass transit, carpooling, and other sustainable modes of movement), we cool our global climate AND protect our precious Sonoran desert and all the plants and animals who reside there!
Sustainability and Wildlands Protection . . . the two go together like earth and sky.
Alison (Arizona Wilderness Coalition)
Terrific idea to get this group going again. I agree with other bloggers about youth involvement and intend to discuss several opportunities with the Agriculture classes at Flowing Wells H.S. I didn't even know this great program existed before last week. They raise 400 lbs of tomatoes a week that are sold to H.S. staff and the rest donated to the Food Bank. I've spoken with their new teacher, Mo Mullins, about re-starting their Tilapia farming program; possibly adding shrimp and Barramundi. Heads up that the Sonoran Sea Aquarium in partnership with the Desert Museum will be hosting a sustainable seafood night at ASDM on June 21st. More to follow. We are interested in collaborations to expand the evening.
Franklin,
Thanks for this information. Sustainable Tucson' Food and Agriculture Action Group will be a good group to let know about this event. I will forward your information to them.
Thanks,
Susan
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