REIMAGING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

Environmental education doesn't just happen in classrooms, on trails, and at outdoor camps. It also happens on podcasts, through visuals like illustrations and maps, at community meetups, in office buildings, and in conversations between friends.

What if we looked for environmental education beyond where we expect to find it?

The past year reinforced that environmental education professionals are reimagining how people like us move through communities and plant seeds for meaningful change. Here are some experiences that made me more aware of how environmental education happens and how to think about it differently.

In 2024, I had the opportunity to read Storytelling to Accelerate Climate Solutions, a book project to which I had the chance to contribute. I was excited to read chapters by contributing authors from outside traditional environmental education

I had the opportunity to speak with Emily Coren and Helen Wang (editors of the book mentioned above) about what it was like to collaborate with science communicators in fields ranging from entertainment education to scientific illustration to mapping to puppetry.

Last year, I also read This is Strategy by Seth Godin, which shifted my thinking about systems and how to approach the planning and implementation of projects.

I continued taking journalism courses and immersing myself in a community where science writers have a strong presence.

I launched Transferable Solutions, our current newsletter about reimagining the skills and expertise of environmental education professionals.

I also had many conversations about my project, strategy, and cross-sector work with friends and colleagues.

Moving forward, I will continue to explore how freelance educators work and how environmental education professionals navigate their careers, whether as independent professionals or someone exploring environmental work in other fields. I hope you join the conversation as it happens throughout 2025.

Employment and environmental literacy are weighing heavy on my mind.

Are you ready to reimagine environmental education with me?

Photo by Kane Taylor on Unsplash