EEAO's 2003 Excellence in Environmental Education Awards

The Environmental Education Association of Oregon began in 1975 and strives to foster an environmentally literate citizenry with the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about natural resources. Every year EEAO recognizes an Educator, an Organization, and a School Program that have contributed greatly to environmental education in Oregon. The 2003 ceremony was held in Blue River, Oregon October 17-19.

Educator of the Year:

Gerilyn Nichols, Binnsmead Middle School, Portland

Gerilyn Nichols has been a teacher for 11 years, 10 at Binnsmead Middle School as an 8th grade integrated earth science teacher where her goal is to make science relevant to student's lives. At Binnsmead, a great number of the students are non-English speaking, and she believes that science really helps break through language barriers. For the past 10 years, Gerilyn has been teaching a field-going, forest study project that includes classroom studies and two field trips. The project connects students with resources that sustain them, the local economy and the concept of ecological balance. Data collected from the project is used to help Forests Forever, the property owner, with decision-making and alerts board members to needs, issues and habitat changes over time.

In the face of dwindling budgets she has found business support and grants, established and retained involvement of volunteers, and put forth her personal energies to ensure her students have an opportunity to study a forest ecosystem first hand. Some students even return as high school assistants/mentors - a testament to the lasting impact that this project has had for her students.

Organization of the Year:

Oregon Trout, Mary Ann Schmidt, Metro Regional Education Coordinator

Since 1993, Oregon Trout's Salmon Watch has been an effective environmental education program involving over 25,000 middle and high school students - first in the Portland area, and now throughout Oregon. The program provides a comprehensive curriculum to teachers; organizes field trips so that students can experience the stream habitat as they learn about how it functions; and coordinates service learning projects that restore or enhance fish habitat. Enabling students to witness spawning salmon, one of nature's great spectacles, coupled with classroom instruction and service learning projects, the program is designed to instill a deeper appreciation and understanding of the value of native wild fish, watershed conservation and environmental stewardship. Resource agency staff members participate, but a major component is the use of adult volunteers who are trained to help with the field trips and service learning projects. Thus, although the primary focus is middle and high school students, the entire community is involved. In 2002, nearly 3,900 students from 78 schools participated, as well as 350 individual adult volunteers.

One 9th grader, when asked if their attitude about salmon and their habitat had changed: "I now realize how much of an effect I have on the salmon."

Teacher: "I like seeing students turned into scientists."

Volunteer: "I have been a Salmon Watch volunteer for 7 years, and wouldn't continue doing it if I didn't think it was an excellent use of time and resources."

School Program of the Year:

Center for Research in Environmental Sciences & Technologies (CREST), West Linn-Wilsonville School District, Bob Carlson, Founder and Director

"The objective is to teach the student to see the land, to understand what he sees, and to enjoy what he understands." Aldo Leopold's words resonate deeply for Bob Carlson, the creator, director and primary educator of CREST, West Linn-Wilsonville School District's Center for Research in Environmental Sciences and Technologies. His energy and passion for awakening others to the wonder and significance of the natural world is infectious. Even to the point of convincing and inspiring the West Linn-Wilsonville School District to create an environmental science center.

Founded in 2000 and dedicated by Dr. Jane Goodall in September 2001, CREST quickly became the centerpiece of science education in the district's 12 schools. CREST engages students in hands-on/minds-on science, field research and community service projects. CREST offers outreach and on-site programs for 8,000 West Linn-Wilsonville K-12th grade students and provides a variety of resources to 450 teachers and the broader community. School day lessons range from anatomy and astronomy to storms and salmon. Students have participated in other activities including the Prescott Bluebird Recovery Program, STEP, after school classes, community service field days and waste reduction efforts. The center also provides "Learning-on-the-Go," a series of full-day field trips offered on non school days, and a summer program.

The center sits on 4 acres of land and is adjacent to the 250-acre Wilsonville Tract, one of Metro's Greenspace areas. The greenspace consists of wetlands, creeks, fields, and a 75-acre forest with old growth Douglas-firs. As the gateway to the greenspace CREST showcases many green technologies including solar demonstration panels, eco-roof, Earthtub composters and water catchment systems.

Special Commendations

Two special commendations for efforts to rescue and/or maintain environmental education programs from the loss of the Multnomah Educational Service District's Outdoor School program in two Portland school districts.

Cheryl Bland: Ventura Park Elementary, Portland

Cheryl is a 6th grade teacher and passionate supporter of environmental education in the David Douglas School District, where she has taught for 7 1/2 years. As a teacher, Cheryl took 6 classes to Outdoor School. Prior to working for David Douglas, Cheryl was a staff member of Outdoor School. When David Douglas did not have the money for Outdoor School for the 2002-03 school year, Cheryl organized a fundraiser, "Walk for the Woods," which raised $27,000. Unfortunately it was not enough to reinstate the program. Instead of giving up on environmental education for David Douglas students, she worked with City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Service and Parks to provide habitat restoration activities, and with Metro to provide waste reduction presentations. She also worked with Multnomah Educational Service District to design an overnight environmental education program, "Snapshot of Science," which provided a 2-day overnight experience for all the 6th graders in David Douglas.

Without Cheryl's dedication and efforts, there would not have been an Outdoor School environmental education program for David Douglas 6th graders. The importance of environmental education and the value of Outdoor School was kept in the minds of the community, and Outdoor School was restored for the year.

Save Outdoor School Coalition: Chad "Wildcat" Stewart and William "Red Hat" McClosky

When Portland Public Schools announced that it was canceling the spring Outdoor School session for its remaining 6th graders, SOS jumped into action. They organized events such as Outdoor School in the square, door to door canvassing and a party at the Ecotrust building to help raise money. A major donor campaign built upon the momentum gained from the grassroots campaign and the final result of SOS's efforts was that over $470,000 in donations and matching funds were raised in less than 8 weeks, enabling the rest of Portland Public School 6th graders to attend Outdoor School.

The efforts of SOS not only helped maintain a 37-year-old tradition of environmental education in Portland Public Schools, the outpouring of support made it clear how much the Portland community valued the Outdoor School program. For the 2003-04 school year, all of the participating school districts in Multnomah County maintained or reinstated Outdoor School as a part of their 6th grade science curriculum.

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