12th Annual SEEA Conference & Research Symposium

The Cumberland River Compact (CRC) provides hands-on, place-based learning for teachers and students across middle Tennessee. Through a partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools, CRC delivers in-school field trips called STEAM Expeditions to more than 2,000 6th graders at the district’s designated STEAM schools. During this experience, students explore local aquatic insects collected from a nearby stream and use data to make predictions about stream health. During this session, attendees will learn instructional strategies from the STEAM Expedition program, practice these techniques with preserved aquatic samples, and understand the logistical details to make the programs happen.

Discover how land-use practices affect water quality with EnviroScape models, 3D mini watersheds. Learn about point and nonpoint source pollution and explore steps like identifying local environmental issues, launching community projects, and using EnviroScapes for sustainability education.

An EnviroScape model is a 3-D self-contained mini watershed that allows participants to observe and simulate, in real-time, the interactions of precipitation with various land-use practices and the impacts they have on streams, lakes, water supplies, and groundwater. An EnviroScape model allows you to simulate many sources of both point and nonpoint source pollution, create floods, pave over a field here, plant a buffer there and see what happens. We have two different versions of EnviroScapes including the standard Watershed/Nonpoint Source Model and the Coastal Watershed Model for demonstration. We will discuss human and non-human impacts on ecosystem dynamics in various environments.
actionable item(s) will attendees
1. Identifying local environmental issues, businesses and organizations can develop projects to address them for sustainable development and reduction of environmental impacts.
2. Implementing community participation such as organizing a cleanup or starting a recycling program.
3. Borrowing the EnviroScape Models to educate the public of point and nonpoint source pollution.

Recognizing the significant pressures placed on classroom teachers from day one, including ongoing evaluations by administrators and parents, how can we, as external partners, make a difference for both educators and their students? Join us for a workshop exploring the powerful role of informal and formal educators in bringing environmental science concepts to life within the existing curriculum to improve science learning.

This session delves into the transformative power of storytelling as a tool to bridge the gap between fear, knowledge, and action in rural Southern communities impacted by pollutive industries. Through the lens of environmental education and justice, participants will explore how to highlight the experiences of often-overlooked communities, building empathy and understanding for cultural values while fostering stronger emotional connections to nature.
Presenters will share proven strategies for engaging community members, particularly youth and elderly individuals, through immersive, enjoyable, and interactive environmental education activities that inspire care for the environment. By combining storytelling with action-oriented education, they’ve cultivated trust in communities where environmental misinformation often fuels hesitancy and mistrust.
This session aligns with three conference strands:
Environmental Education through a Societal Lens – Showcasing JEDI principles, it identifies obstacles, highlights invisible communities, and finds common ground to foster collaboration.
Invisible Obstacles – Bridging fear and knowledge, it addresses emotional and cultural barriers to environmental action.
The Power of Storytelling – Using compelling narratives, the session demonstrates how stories promote values, spark positive behavior changes, and create deeper connections with the environment.
Interactive Component:
Participants will engage in hands-on activities, including creating their own community-centered environmental stories and role-playing scenarios to build empathy for underrepresented voices. They will also participate in small group discussions to brainstorm methods for incorporating storytelling into their own environmental education initiatives.
Key Takeaways:
Strategies for addressing mistrust and misinformation in marginalized communities through storytelling.
Approaches to designing youth-friendly environmental education activities that foster care for nature.
Practical tools for integrating empathy and cultural sensitivity into environmental education programs.
This session promises to equip participants with actionable methods to enhance their environmental education practices, ensuring they leave inspired to make a tangible difference in their own communities.

Instilling HOPE through EE

This interactive workshop will consider research about the anxieties, distress and disengagement that can result when students (and educators) learn about environmental problems. The need for "HOPE" (a project-based learning framework) will be presented as an essential basis for change, rather than merely a feeling.

Workshop participants will:
- explore physical and mental health benefits of spending time in nature;
- use technology to measure positive impacts on the earth;
- recognize environmental heroes from various cultures;
- observe the resilience of nature;
- consider the potential of human empathy and ingenuity; and
- try instructional strategies intended to help students gain skills, experience, and confidence by solving bite-sized local problems

The focus will be on maximizing the mental health benefits of nature, instilling authentic hope, and engaging students in meaningful and effective problem-solving.

Depression and anxiety can be common reactions to environmental education, affecting both students and educators. Fear does not inspire or motivate students to make a difference in the world: instead, it can result in hopelessness and disengagement. The proposed workshop will share highlights from an eeCourse in development.

Learn how the power of the story of President Theodore Roosevelt’s black bear hunt in Mississippi has influenced positive attitudes, behavior, and conservation efforts on the bear population in the southeast.

Participants in this session will discover similarities between traditional literacy and environmental literacy and how each supports the other. Through hands-on activities and practice lessons, attendees will examine how the two intersect, use children's literature to expand and enhance existing EE curricula, and discover new resources for program development. Participants will explore the benefits of collaborating with libraries and leave with the bones of a story-based program to share with their own audiences. As a 35-year employee of the Kenton County Public Library with more than 20 years as a children's programmer, Jennifer is uniquely poised to address the value of story as a communication tool and how stories have been used for generations to share values and change attitudes. Jennifer is also a KY Certified Master Environmental Educator and is credentialed by the (KY) Governor's Office of Early Childhood as an Early Care and Education Trainer (EE Specialty), putting her firmly in the intersection between traditional and environmental literacy. Though her current job title is School Outreach Programmer, she presents programs for all ages.

Sharing how the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum introduces environmental education to preschool aged children in a fun and engaging way. They use the history of the Fortenberry-Parkman farmstead featured at the museum to bring to life what is happening in a book about farm life or other topics that impact the environment. The Story Time with Uncle Story program includes interacting with the content of the book and an enjoyable activity and or craft. They will also share how this program impacts the guests they meet and how that impact will make environmental education more appealing as the children grow. Participants will get to experience Story Time with Uncle Story and see environmental education through the eyes of a child.

This session enables attendees to participate in a hands-on mapping design challenge centered on the grand global challenge of saving the Earth's biodiversity. The Mapping to Conserve Biodiversity in Mississippi Design Challenge engages learners in data-driven, evidence-based biodiversity conservation decisions that reflect current efforts in science and policy. This 3-dimensional, CCR-aligned activity is based upon the principle of Half-Earth, a concept conceived by the late American biologist E.O. Wilson and adopted by a new generation of scientists and conservationists who conclude that we must set aside half of Earth's land and seas for nature to maintain biodiversity and ensure the long-term health of our planet. This principle informs programs like America the Beautiful and the global 30 x 30 efforts aiming to restore, connect, and conserve 30% of lands and waters by 2030.

To complete the challenge, learners receive data on the conservation status and range of Mississippi vertebrate species, along with high-resolution printed maps illustrating the distribution of cities, agriculture, human pressures, biodiversity hotspots, and existing protected areas in the state. Then, by interpreting both mathematical and visual data, learners apply their understanding to identify the ideal areas of Mississippi for protection based on scientific Half-Earth principles while also considering human needs through an equitable lens. Reflecting real-world conservation practice, each design solution is unique and involves decisions and compromises that learners must defend with evidence. While the activity is open-ended, students must support and communicate conservation solutions with data and provide peer review through gallery walks or similar team exchanges. A provided teacher guide includes prompts to encourage student debate while offering suggestions to facilitate resolution through data. The activity raises learner awareness of resources for research and presentations, especially those that link local biodiversity conservation to global efforts.

The activity was developed using evidence-based practices to facilitate student learning through student inquiry and ownership and has been effectively implemented at the middle school, high school, and college levels. To help ensure the activity can be effectively used in a formal educational setting, it employs science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts to address Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards in middle school science and high school biology courses. Participants will receive access to the materials for classroom implementation and a structured framework to be modified or extended to serve their practice.

At the end of this activity, learners will be able to
1. Use maps to identify how humans use and protect land and species ranges and to illustrate conservation biology decisions.
2. Demonstrate how diverse information and mathematical data can be layered onto a map for analysis.
3. Contribute to the collective understanding of biodiversity conservation through small-group and whole-class discussions by evaluating evidence, engaging in argumentation, and forming solutions.
4. Articulate the complexity of making conservation decisions and the need to incorporate diverse disciplines and perspectives, including ecology, geography, agriculture, forestry, and urban and cultural traditions, to inform conservation efforts.
5. Construct an explanation of humans' multiple impacts on biodiversity using interactive research tools that are dynamically updated to reveal global and local species distributions and changes in human land use.

Since environmental education can be an extremely broad subject, with focus on so many different areas, we want to offer what we are doing from a transportation infrastructure stand point, specifically on litter prevention. We would talk about MDOT's state wide litter prevention programs and explain each program's focus, delivery, target audiences, and outcome. We want to engage the group with some of our hands on educational materials and tools we use, such as our Enviroscape that is used to show storm water runoff as it would be from a classroom view. We would want to also gain useful information from other states such as what they are doing in the same field, costs, numbers, and even suggestions on what MDOT could do to enhance or further develop what we are currently doing.

Overcoming Obstacles to Outdoor Learning SEEA’s eeLandscape Analysis - and particularly the School Survey - revealed a number of barriers that limit opportunities for students to experience the benefits of outdoor learning. Despite research documenting the academic gains, real world connections to curriculum, physical and mental health benefits, problem-solving skills, self-efficacy, and nature connection that can result from outdoor learning, few classes regularly spend time outside the classroom walls. And those classes that do venture over the threshold often miss out on opportunities for enriching and empowering student-directed learning. This workshop will focus on methods and models for overcoming obstacles to outdoor learning. Building on survey findings and research, workshop participants will explore instructional strategies and approaches that have been effective in getting students outside more frequently, and for more meaningful real-world learning experiences and nature connections.

Join The Local Authority for an interactive session that integrates literature, visual arts, and creative writing to inspire Mississippi students to fall in love with reading and storytelling. This session showcases how culturally relevant stories and art-focused curriculum guides can enhance comprehension, creativity, and self-expression in the classroom.
Participants will explore sample lessons from our curriculum guides, designed around our original Mississippi-based books. Each guide integrates authentic arts experiences—such as creating character collages, story-based skits, and poetry writing—while aligning with state standards for comprehension and writing. These activities provide innovative strategies to engage students in meaningful discussions about culture, identity, and storytelling, fostering their skills as readers, writers, and artists.
The session will include:
Interactive Exploration: Participants will engage in a hands-on mini-lesson combining reading, comprehension, and art activities.
Curriculum Design Demonstration: Insights into how our curriculum guides connect literature to visual and performing arts, making learning both meaningful and enjoyable.
Student Voice Showcase: Examples of student-created work to illustrate how these lessons encourage self-expression and celebrate diversity.
Practical Implementation: Strategies for integrating our resources into classrooms, with flexible options for all grade levels and learning environments.
Participants will leave with ready-to-use tools, including an exclusive curriculum sample, strategies to foster a love of reading, and ideas to inspire students to tell their own stories through art and writing.

Join us for an interactive workshop designed to immerse participants in the world of environmental science through hands-on activities. In this session, you'll engage in exciting lessons like the DIY Watershed, Estuary Survivor Game, and the Edible Aquifer in a Cup. We will explore the scientific concepts behind each activity while experiencing them as students do.

Attendees will leave equipped with detailed lesson plans and additional resources for teaching earth science and environmental topics effectively in their classrooms. This session is perfect for educators looking to enhance their curriculum with engaging, experiential learning opportunities that foster a deeper understanding of our planet's ecosystems. Take advantage of this chance to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards!

Introduction to using the Project WILD curriculum to manage and overcome fear with nature-based learning and activities!

This interactive session explores how Gyotaku, the traditional Japanese art of fish printing, serves as a powerful tool to bridge the gap between entertainment and environmental education. Participants will engage in hands-on activities that demonstrate how art can captivate diverse audiences while fostering a deeper understanding of ecological and cultural topics. By using a non-traditional location for the workshop, people that would not normally engage in environmental education are reached.

Aligning with the conference strand of integrating creativity into educational practices, this session highlights the versatility of Gyotaku in teaching about fish biodiversity, river basins, water quality, and both place-based and Japanese cultural history. Attendees will learn how this art form connects participants to environmental and cultural heritage while sparking curiosity and engagement.

Key takeaways include methods for using Gyotaku to align with environmental education goals, strategies for integrating it into lessons on aquatic ecosystems and cultural history, and techniques for promoting community engagement through interdisciplinary, interactive learning. Participants will leave with tools to make education both impactful and memorable while inspiring environmental stewardship in audiences that may not have thought about it, through the connection of art and nature as entertainment.

A One Health approach to environmental education emphasizes a connected view of our planet and the humans, animals, and environments that create our world. “One Health, One World, Learning Together” will introduce using One Health concepts in environmental education programming. Using a holistic approach to environmental learning emphasizes the ways we are connected to our environments and how the choices humans make everyday affect the world around us. Sharing stories about our connected planet gives learners of all ages and backgrounds a chance to see how our world is interconnected and how choices we make in our region can affect humans and wildlife around the world. Using Louisville Zoo programs as examples this presentation will explore how to create and grow programming that engages people across boundaries and encourages compassion. Participants will learn program strategies that work, brainstorm program topics, and get tips for building community partnerships to support connected long-term programming.

Climate change can be a difficult concept for some students to grasp and sometimes even more challenging to teach! The presenter will provide participants with practical tips and activities to bring climate change education into the classroom. The activities will be geared towards upper elementary to high school students. The participants should expect to engage in interactive activities that they can take back to their classes. Participants will play detective while learning how climate change is affecting the spread of waterborne diseases. Participants will also apply STEM concepts with “storm water” cleanup. All of the activities and lessons that are presented will be aligned with national science standards. Educators and facilitators can expect to gain insight and activities that can be realistically used in their classes to incorporate climate change education.

FoodChain invites conference participants to explore the dynamic intersection of environmental education and hands-on urban agriculture in this highly interactive session. Drawing on FoodChain’s pioneering 7,000-gallon aquaponics system—the first of its kind in Kentucky—attendees will discover how middle and high school students are transforming their learning experiences through the Bluegrass Urban Farm Friends (BUFF) program. Under the guidance of dedicated staff and volunteers, these students work up to ten hours per week on tasks such as seeding, transplanting, water quality management, and fish care, all while connecting critical environmental concepts to real-world applications.
Anchored in the conference strand Bringing Environmental Education to the Classroom, this session will highlight how FoodChain overcomes common obstacles—ranging from funding limitations to space constraints—by cultivating partnerships with local schools and community stakeholders. Presenters will share strategies for replicating key elements of BUFF in diverse settings, including actionable tips for securing support, integrating technology, and leveraging student-driven research projects. Participants will engage in small-group discussions to brainstorm creative approaches for weaving aquaponics and other high-impact agricultural practices into school curricula.
By the end of the session, attendees can expect to leave with concrete resources, including lesson plan templates, volunteer engagement frameworks, and storytelling techniques that capture the transformational power of urban agriculture. This professional development opportunity offers more than information-sharing: it immerses participants in a holistic model of experiential learning that fosters environmental stewardship, promotes healthy food choices, and empowers the next generation of environmental leaders.

‘Postcards from the Past’ is a classroom-based program in which middle and high school students investigate how human cultures have interacted with coastal environments throughout history. Students in the program learn about the animals of the Gulf of Mexico (with a focus on shelled animals), human use of coastal resources, anthropogenic change, and the science of geochronology through short, hands-on activities. They adopt an individual radiocarbon-dated clam (0 to 6000 BP) from one of several Gulf of Mexico locations. This is a starting point in investigating how human cultures used and affected the Gulf of Mexico during their clam’s lifetime. Pre-recorded videos from art educators are shared that serve as inspiration for expressing this understanding in a mixed media ‘Postcard from the Past’. Participants in this session will get their hands dirty exploring foolproof art techniques and learn how to bring the environmental and cultural history of the northern Gulf of Mexico into their classrooms. ‘Postcards from the Past’ is a collaboration between Dr. Paul Harnik (Colgate University) and the education program at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

Learn about recent findings on the current state of environmental education in the southeast, including gaps and barriers to access that prevent the successful implementation of environmental education in communities and schools. Collected from hundreds of schools and environmental education providers across the southeast, the findings and tools from our regional landscape analysis of environmental education are relevant to environmental education providers, funders, and school teachers and administrators. Participants will have access to tools and resources to strengthen connections between schools and environmental education providers in their community.

Join us for an evening cruise aboard the old Biloxie Schooner sailing vessel for a sunset cruise aboard a piece of maritime history. Transportation to and from the field trip site is included in the cost.

Join us aboard the USM vessel, Miss Peetsy B, for an evening cruise around Deer Island. You will see dolphins and other sealife as we take in the sights from the water. Transportation to and from the field trip site is included.