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.

Featured Articles

MEES and other Signs of Spring by Kathryn Parent

Many have said the MEES conference is a sure sign of spring. I have to agree that spring has been on my mind the past few years as I drive to Holy Cross; my eyes are drawn to the swollen crimson buds of the red maples along the highway, with maple sugaring season on my mind.  Just as the promising drip of sap from the spile reminds us that spring is awakening, the reenergizing at the MEES conference renews and inspires us. Now that April is here, we can look forward to leaf- out season!  Get in tune with the change of the seasons by simply observing and recording the size of buds until they reach “leaf- out”, or the size of a quarter.  Share this activity with your students or program attendees and make a phenology map for a sense of the immediate area in relation to surrounding outreaching climates. Click here to read more.

What Inspires Me about the Annual MEES Conference? by Arianna Alexsandra Grindrod

Just connecting with friends and colleagues seems to replenish my well. I always leave the conference cheery. I also always appreciate the plethora of workshops; sometimes it is quite challenging to decide between workshops. For example, Aimee Gelinas, no matter what she presents on is dynamo! This year it was "Foraging our fields and forests for food, art and function!" But then at the same time, after years of requesting Brad Glass to return, he did - but workshop was a same time at Aimee's. Okay, for one year I won't go to Aimee's only because I felt I really needed the work Brad was offering in "A Consciousness of Possibility - What Nature Teaches Us about Living Authentically". Oh then more pain, I wanted to attend Erica Wheeler's "The Soulful Landscape: Uncovering Stories of Place and Belonging" but I have several times before and LOVE it so I felt it would good (and WOW was it!) to attend Beth Short's "The Ecological Footprint of a School- Challenges and Triumphs". So see, tough decisions. But then I knew I really couldn't go wrong AND I can only hope that these same folks will present at the upcoming NEEEA Conference in October . Click here to read more.

NEEEA Conference 2011

The Massachusetts Environmental Education Society (MEES) proudly presents the 45th annual New England Environmental Education Alliance (NEEEA) Conference:

Navigating New England Environmental Education: Charting a Course to an Environmentally Literate Future

October 21 – 23, 2011

Prindle Pond Conference Center in Charlton, MA. 

Join us for an exploratory weekend of learning and fun, featuring Keynote speaker Julian Agyeman, and world music entertainment by Gaia Roots . We hope to see you there!!

For more information, go to: www.neeea.org

Click here to read more. 

Upcoming Events/Announcements

Spring is here and that Means it's Almost time for the Envirothon!

Every year, Envirothon teams representing schools and community organizations across Massachusetts prepare for a statewide event in May that tests their knowledge of forest, wildlife, water, and soil resources and of current environmental issues.

This year the Envirothon will take place at Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle on May 12, 2011.

Envirothon competition day caps off high school students’ year-long exploration of environment, advocacy, and community. This is THE day to celebrate the students’ work and accomplishments and to welcome them into the environmental community of Massachusetts. The 2011 Current Issue that each team of students is researching in their towns is "Wetlands Protection." Please consider volunteering for the Envirothon competition day this year.
Contact Susan Benoit, Volunteer Coordinator, (508) 389-6393, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please contact Susan to volunteer before April 22.

Visit our website at: http://www.maenvirothon.org/ for more information. Click here to read more. 

Celebrate Earth Day and Park Serve Day!

Celebrate Earth Day!
Check with your local Watershed Association for clean-up volunteer opportunities!

Blackstone River Watershed Association Clean-Up April 16
http://www.thebrwa.org/Cleanups/2011-April-16/flyer.pdf

Charles River Clean-Up April 16, 2011
Charles River Parklands
http://www.charlesriverconservancy.org/

Mystic Community Earth Day, Saturday, April 30
http://mysticriver.org/watershed-clean-ups/

Park Serve Day    April 16                                                                                                      
The Department of Conservation and Recreation’s fifth annual Park Serve Day will be held on Saturday, April 16, in state parks and beaches across the Commonwealth. Since 2006, thousands of volunteers participate in dozens of projects, such as picking up litter along ocean beaches, clearing debris from hiking trails, painting benches, and planting flowers at picnic areas.
http://parkserv.env.state.ma.us/

Stay in Touch! 

Have a question? Find a great resource? Develop a successful activity? Share them with other MEES members using the Forums on our website.

Support MEES on Facebook! Click here to see the MEES Facebook page. Share our page with your friends!

Another way to stay in touch is by using the participant directory. Use this to search for contact information for your colleagues. Use this link to go to the Full Member Directory.

Check out the Advocacy page for updates on the No Child Left Inside, Environmental Literacy Plan, and other EE movements. 

Next Issue of the Observer

The theme for the next issue of The Observer is "Ecosystem Travels". Part of Environmental Education is experiencing the many different ecosystems throughout Massachusetts and beyond. Where have you been in Massachusetts that others should check out? Send articles to Lisa at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it by June 1, 2011. We welcome pictures as well. Please attach a jpeg separate from your article. We look forward to reading about and visiting some great outdoor places this summer!