Registration is now open for the 2012 MEES Conference!
Early Bird Rate extended to February 7th!

Wednesday, March 14th, 2012, College of the Holy Cross, Hogan Campus Center, Worcester, MA

The 2012 MEES Conference theme is "Refresh: New Tools and Techniques for Today's Educators."

Workshops will share ideas for revitializing our education pratice and the systems we use to promote environmental education. Workshops will provide tools that can be used to promote positive environmental education with a wide variety of audience and to keep the message of environmental conservation fresh, timely, and inspiring across the state. Reach new audiences and keep participants returning to programs.

Review the workshops on our website, and then Register Online. You may also download the 2012 Conference Brochure to review workshops and print out the registration form to mail.

Conference registration fee is $90.00. Register by January 31st and pay only $75. Full time student's fee is $60.00.

Please register and postmark checks and paper forms by the general deadline of February 27, 2012. Registration is first-come, first-served. Registration may end sooner than February 27th if the registration limit is met.

For scholarship information, please contact treasurer This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it g
For presenter information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
For exhibitor information, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Application for Exhibitors here.

Register here for the 2012 Conference: http://www.massmees.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=4&id=183&Itemid=606

URL for Registration Form: <https://mees.wufoo.com/forms/mees-2012-conference-and-exhibits-registration/>

Registration for the 2011 Annual NEEEA Conference has been extended to Thursday, October 13th!

Navigating New England Environmental Education: Charting a Course to an Environmentally Literate Future
October 21 - 23, 2011 at Prindle Pond Conference Center in Charlton, MA

Download the brochure (PDF) to view workshops and registration details.

Register now!

www.neeea.org/conference.html

          Citing the need for the nation’s schools to “work towards a future where school facilities…enable students to become environmentally literate citizens who are well prepared for the 21st century economy,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan this week announced criteria for the Department of Education’s new Green Ribbon Schools Award.

         In accordance with comments submitted by Congressman John Sarbanes, the No Child Left Inside Coalition, and other proponents of environmental education, the final criteria encourages schools to put in place programs that, among other things, “promote environmental education that supports students’ strong civic skills, environmental stewardship and workforce preparedness.”

 Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization, announced the launch of “Recycle-Bowl,” the first comprehensive nationwide recycling competition for elementary, middle and high-school students. Recycle-Bowl was created to provide students with a fun, interactive way to learn about waste reduction and environmental responsibility through in-school recycling.

Open to all U.S. schools and classrooms, the incentive-based recycling competition and benchmarking program kicks off this October and registration is now open on the Recycle-Bowl website at http://recycle-bowl.org. The competition runs from October 17 through November 12, culminating around America Recycles Day. Participating schools will track and report how much recyclable material they collect for a chance to win prizes. At the close of the four-week competition, the school in each state that collects the most recyclable material per capita will win $1,000. A national champion will then be chosen from among the statewide winners to receive an additional grand prize of $2,500.

It’s finally that time of year again. Leaves have returned to the trees, flowers are in bloom, schools are letting out and it’s time step out of your office or classroom and into the woods. In Massachusetts, we are fortunate to have such a variety of ecosystems at our finger tips. This issue of the Observer is meant to inspire us to get outside and serve as a resource for where and how we can explore and share our local environment with our families and students. As environmental educators, exploring different ecosystems isn’t just a profession, it’s a passion. Safe and happy summer adventures!

On Wednesday March 2, one hundred and eighty eight friends of Environmental Education gathered at the College of the Holy Cross, Hogan Campus Center, Worcester, MA to take course in Navigating MA Environmental Education: Mountains to Marine.  Some gathered new fresh techniques to bring back to classrooms or out in the field while others made connections for future employment. The MEES conference is an annual day of networking,  sharing ideas and meeting new and old acquaintances that some may only meet once a year. 2011 is special year for Environmental Educators in MA! We will enjoy a second conference here in Massachusetts, as MEES is sponsoring the 2011 New England Environmental Education Alliance (NEEEA) Conference in Charlton, MA. On October 21-23 2011, we will be Navigating New England Environmental Education: Charting a Course to an Environmentally Literate Future.

Thank you to all who presented, exhibited, and attended the MEES Conference! Read on for reflection and a sneak peek of good things to come in October.

You've likely heard about the threat of the Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) to the trees in your community. This invasive species has devastated other towns around the country, causing entire neighborhoods to lose many of their trees. And in fact, many science educators just like you have been seeking a curriculum tailored to this critical issue – for as you know, the best way to make science engaging and meaningful to students is to make it real.

Now, you can bring local science right into your classroom with Beetle Busters – a fun, hands-on science program brought to you by the USDA. You and your students can take action together to help stop the spread of the ALBby recognizing the beetle, searching for it and reporting your findings directly to USDA!