EEA ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROGRAM 2012eeag.memberclicks.net/assets/Documents/conference2012/final... ·...

Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia

2012 Annual Conference Program 1

2012 Annual Conference

The Art and Science of Environmental Education

March 30 - 31, 2012

Southwest Arts Center



The Art and Science of

Environmental Education

Art plays an integral role in our learning. Who among us didn’t learn their ABCs by singing

them? Incorporating the arts into any lesson plan has been proven time and again as an

effective method to increase retention of information. By engaging our emotions through the

creative power of the arts, we connect ourselves with the object of our study, indeed

associating our own perceived wellbeing with our subject’s condition. So what better way to

facilitate a love of and sense of stewardship toward our natural world than by learning new

ways to combine art and science lessons?

Our sessions are categorized into five unique focus areas:

1. Philosophy of Environmental Education

2. Science of Environmental Education

3. Art of Environmental Education

4. Program Development

5. Hands-on Programs

Each session will introduce attendees to exciting ideas and inspire creativity in educators from

all backgrounds. The intent of this conference is to support environmental education

professionals in finding new and imaginative ways to stimulate a kinship with nature among

their students.

Hopefully during each session time and through the workshop and field trip offerings, we have

“something for everyone”. Our conference planning committee worked diligently to keep the

program diverse to suit the many different areas of interest among our members.



Keynote Address

Pam Longobardi will discuss her point of view on

the synergistic intersection of art, science and

activism to address global environmental problems

with the specific example of the Drifters Project

Initiative. She will speak about the environmental

crisis of plastic pollution, her firsthand experiences,

and the artwork she makes with the recovered

plastic. Pam will also share details of her

participation in GYREx, a major project between the

Alaska Sea LIfe Center and the Anchorage Museum and the Smithsonian that will involve an

art/science expedition along the Aleutian Island chain in 2012.

Drifters Project Statement ~ Pam Longobardi

IN 2006, after discovering the mountainous piles of plastic debris the

ocean was depositing on the remote shores of Hawaii, I began

collecting and utilizing this plastic as my primary material in my project

called Drifters. Since then, I have made scores of interventions,

cleaning beaches and making collections from all over the world,

removing thousands of pounds of material from the natural

environment and re-situating it within the cultural context for

examination. These collection missions are often done solo, as part of

my process. I approach the sites as a forensic scientist, examining and

documenting the deposition as it lay, collecting and identifying the

evidence of the crime.

Plastic objects are the cultural archeology of our time. These objects I see as a portrait of global

late-capitalist consumer society, mirroring our desires, wishes, hubris and ingenuity. These are

objects with unintended consequences that become transformed as they leave the quotidian

world and collide with nature to be transformed, transported and regurgitated out of the

shifting oceans. The ocean is communicating with us through the materials of our own making.

The plastic elements initially seem attractive and innocuous, like toys, some with an eerie

familiarity and some totally alien. At first, the plastic seems innocent and fun, but it is not. It is



dangerous. We are remaking the world in plastic, in our own image, this toxic legacy, this

surrogate, this imposter.

Even though my previous work involved heavily constructed

painting-objects, I consciously avoid commodifying this work into

a luxury object, preferring to keep it in a transitive form as

installation. All of the work can be dismantled, reconfigured but

nearly impossibly recycled. The objects are presented as

specimens on steel pins. I am a conceptual artist with a strong

affinity to materials and process. I was trained as a painter and

printmaker, but have always worked in varying mediums from

photography to painting and collage to installation, allowing the

ideas to dictate the materials I work with. Some ideas are better

as paintings, others as installations. I am interested in the collision

between nature and culture. Ocean plastic is a material that can unleash unpredictable

dynamics. I am interested in it in particular, as opposed to all garbage in general, because of

what it reveals about us as a global culture and what it reveals about the ocean as a type of

cultural space, as well as a giant dynamic engine of life and change. As a product of culture that

exhibits visibly the attempts of nature to reabsorb and regurgitate this invader, ocean plastic

has profound stories to tell.

To date, Drifters Project has worked directly through local sponsorship, small grant support and

personal expenditure with communities in Beijing, China (NY Arts Beijing, 2008); in Atlanta,

Georgia (New Genre Landscape, 2008); in Nicoya, Costa Rica (Chorotega Sede/Universidad

Nacional, 2009); in Samothraki, Greece (EVROS Cultural Association and PAI 2010); in Monaco

(Nouveau Museé National de Monaco 2011); in Seward, Alaska (Alaska SeaLife Center 2011):

and in Kefalonia, Greece (Ionion Center, 2011).



EEA Annual Conference

Program Offerings

Schedule at a Glance

FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012

TIME ACTIVITY LOCATION

8:00 - 9:00 Onsite Registration

Continental Breakfast

Exhibits, Silent Auction, EEA Store

Performance Theater Lobby

9:00 - 10:00 Welcome and EEA Updates

Keynote Speaker – Pam Longobardi

Performance Theater

10:15 - 11:00 Concurrent Sessions 1 Studio Building


12:30 - 1:15 Lunch Performance Theater Lobby


2:30 - 3:45 Concurrent Sessions IV Studio Building

4:00 - 6:00 Awards

Friday Afternoon Social

Conclusion of Silent Auction

Performance Theater and

Lobby

Saturday, March 31, 2012

TIME ACTIVITY LOCATION

8:00 - 9:00 Check-in and Breakfast Performance Theater Lobby

9:00 - 12:00 Workshops

Field Trips

Meet in the Performance

Theater Lobby

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch Performance Theater Lobby

1:00 - 3:00 Service Project Quality Living Services

Senior Center



Exhibits & Vendors Friday, March 30, 2012

EEA

MAG

EEinGeorgia.org

Georgia Adopt-A-Stream

Project WET

Stone Mountain Memorial Association

Chattahoochee Nature Center

Oxford College

A-Z Animals

Med Share

Wesley International Academy

Linda Fraser - Botanical Artist

Katy DeMent - Papermaker

Project Learning Tree

UGA 4-H

Eco Addendum



Friday, March 30th

9:00 – 10:00 CONFERENCE OPENING: Welcome, Announcements, & EEA Updates

Performance Theater

Concurrent Sessions ~ 10:15 - 11:00

Music Room Say No to Cookie Cutter Art

Presenter: Mary Beth Cary

Session Strand: Philosophy of EE

Description: As you move toward Common Core and cross-curricular integration of

standards, become inspired to give young children and yourself the direction

and assistance needed to produce quality creative responses to literature that

incorporate nature.

Drama Room Bad Science

Presenter: Karan Wood

Session Strand: Science of EE

Description: "Be careful what you put into that head, because you will never get it out."

Sometimes bad science is worse than none at all! Participants will try out

engaging, hands-on, authentic environmental science activities and ways any

age student can learn to recognize researcher bias and flawed experimental

design.

Art Gallery Southeastern Native Plants: A Walk through the Calendar Year

Presenter: Linda Fraser

Session Strand: Art of EE

Description: Linda's exhibit of ninety paintings of Southeastern native plants is hung

chronologically, and has been featured at many major botanical gardens. Learn

about the educational value of the exhibit and hear amusing stories about the

critters found with their plants.

Dance Studio Plastic Awareness Week

Presenter: Jim Reis

Session Strand: Program Development

Description: The One More Generation (OMG) "Plastic Awareness Week" curriculum is

designed to educate elementary aged students about all types of plastic

pollution and provide real-world solutions they can incorporate in their homes,

schools and communities.



Visual Arts 1 Edible and Educational Crafts that Make Learning Sweeter

Presenter: Liz Swafford

Session Strand: Hands-on Programs

Description: Food, art, and science collide in this delicious session with unforgettable

desserts. Who said you can't have your compost heap and eat it too? Join us for

edible craft demonstrations and receive a collection of unique recipes with

which to teach.


Music Room 7 Billion and Counting: Population Education for a Sustainable Planet

Presenter: Carol McCullough

Session Strand: Philosophy of EE & Hands-on Programs

Description: Discover innovative, hands-on activities that examine the connections between

human population growth, resource consumption and sustainable ecosystems

and communities. Presenter will engage participants in memorable games and

simulations for use in the classroom or nature center. Free activities CD-ROM!

Visual Arts 1 Bee-dazzled!

Presenter: Kathryn Masuda


Description: Buzz into the world of bees and learn about life in the hive. Discover the

difference between native bees and honeybees, learn about the bee’s roll in

pollination, do a waggle dance, taste honey, and discuss activities that will get

your students buzzing with excitement.

Drama Room Artscape: In Perfect Balance: Creating the Ideal Habitat Influenced by Artist

Henri Rousseau

Presenter: Sarah Collman, Eco Addendum


Description: Artscape: In Perfect Balance: Creating the Ideal Habitat influenced by Artist

Henri Rousseau. This lesson will be directed in three parts; Seek and Find

outdoor activity, interactive discussion of the Tropic levels and importance of

environmental balance, and creation of a drawing/painting of the ideal habitat.

By having a lesson that involves both science and art, we can inspire students to

interact with the environment and help them understand the importance of

knowing their local Georgia Ecology. We are excited to have an opportunity to

introduce and instruct teachers of the importance of native plants in their local

environment, and to take back this dynamic lesson to their students.



Dance Studio St. Johns River, FL: A Total Immersion, Transformational Learning Opportunity

Presenter: April Moore


Description: Experiential learning has been shown to increase students' ability to process and

integrate conceptual learning useful for subsequent applications. This

transformational learning opportunity increases connections with a natural

system and intentionally promotes multidisciplinary student collaboration.

Visual Arts 2 Creating Amphibian Field Guides for Your Region

Presenters: Susan Meyers and Brian McKnight, Stone Mountain Memorial Association

Session Strand: Hands-on Programs & Science of EE

Description: Can you identify the amphibians that are in your schoolyard, county or region?

Take a close look at live specimens and their identifying characteristics then

create a field guide using photographs and sketches.

12:30 - 1:15 pm Lunch, Exhibits, EEA Store, Silent Auction

Performance Theater Lobby


Music Room Effects of Art Based EE Programs on Children’s Environmental Perceptions

Presenter: Ami Flowers


Description: This study examines how a varying emphasis on art-focused activities during

nature-based summer camps influences children's environmental Perceptions.

Results provide a conceptual base and subsequent recommendations for

methods and materials that integrate art into EE programming.

Dance Studio Service Learning – Bonding Environment, Education, and Engagement

Presenter: Gerald Pollack


Description: Service learning is an educational approach that combines community-defined

service activities with educator-defined learning outcomes. Georgia Perimeter

College students enrolled in Environmental Science with a mandatory service

learning component are more environmentally literate with a greater

understanding of scientific concepts.



Visual Arts 1 Good Dirt! EE in a Clay Studio

Presenter: Kim Sutherland, Good Dirt Clay Studio


Description: Kim Sutherland of Good Dirt Clay Studio in Athens, GA will discuss how clay

sculpture is used as a means of understanding and communicating principles of

environmental education. Project ideas addressing environmental education

topics are appropriate for any formal or non-formal educator looking for the art

and science connection.

Drama Room Georgia’s Natural Regions

Presenter: Becky Facer, Fernbank Museum of Natural History


Description: From mountains to the ocean and marsh to the swamp, Georgia is an

exceptionally diverse state. Come discover activities, games, and books you can

use to educate your students about the different regions, how they formed, and

what lives there. You will also encounter a few live animals that call GA home.

Visual Arts 2 Backyard and Recycling Crafts

Presenter: Vicky Beckham Smith

Session Strand: Hands-on Programs

Description: In this make and take session you will construct interesting crafts using natural

items from your backyard and items from the home that would normally be

tossed away. Make palm tree bark reindeer, tin can critters, baggie butterflies,

stick bugs, etc.


Music Room Common Core Standards for Literacy in Science

Presenter: Jackie Walton, Pearson Inc.


Description: Information will be provided about Common Core State Standards for Literacy in

Science. The presenter will discuss the Reading and Writing Standards and how

to start implementing these within the participants content standards.

Visual Arts 1 Bugs, Birds, & Goldenrods! So what galls you?

Presenter: Jerry Hightower, US National Park Service


Description: Measure, magnify, dissect, sketch, and record to discover the awesome diversity

of pollination, predation, reproduction, parasitism, and the amazing diversity of

birds and bugs that utilize the common Goldenrod.



Drama Room Discover Life: The Georgia Natural History Survey

Presenter: John Pickering, Discover Life


Description: Use Discover Life web tools and digital photography to monitor bees, moths,

wildflowers, trees, lichens, salamanders, and others. We are setting up a natural

history survey across Georgia and invite all to participate!

Dance Studio Engaging Children in Environmental Conservation through Sctue’s Ocean

Adventure Puppet Show

Presenter: Kira Stearns and Nicole Niese, Georgia Sea Turtle Center


Description: How do you take complex scientific concepts and translate into a way that

successfully engages visitors? Come see how the Georgia Sea Turtle Center's

Education Staff has found a way to connect with sea turtle enthusiasts of all

ages with Scute's Ocean Adventure Puppet Show.

Visual Arts 2 Kite Making…and Flying

Presenter: Dana Gray, Southwest Arts Center

Session Strand: Hands on Programs

Description: This class will engage the creative process from sketch to the finished product.

Have fun designing, creating and constructing your own kite using simple tools

and recycled materials. Join us as we expand your creativity!



The Friday Social ~ 4:00 - 6:00

The Awards

The statewide EEA awards are presented each year at the annual conference. Awards will be given by

EEA in the following four categories: Dr. Eugene Odum Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Service to

Environmental Education by an Individual, Outstanding Service to Environmental Education by an

Organization, and PreK-16 Formal Educator of the Year. Other awards will also be presented by

Monarchs Across Georgia, Project WET, and DNR. Don't forget to bring your door prize ticket! New this

year, the award winners will draw the winning door prize numbers!

The Party

EEA is celebrating 20 years! And in fine EEA tradition, we are putting our own twist to the traditional

20th anniversary gift of china. Instead of giving you china, we are putting an international spin on things

and giving you a China party, complete with traditional Chinese games, foods, and decorations! We

know it’s a stretch, but hey, the whole point of the afternoon social is to have fun and meet with friends

old and new! So, raise your glass with us in a toast to another 20 years of Environmental Education!

The Auction

If you have ever attended an EEA Conference, you know about the silent auction. Fabulous items are up

for bid. But watch out, someone will sneak in a higher bid when you aren't looking! We will stop taking

bids at 5:30 pm so that you can pick up your items before the end of the Social. Remember, all proceeds

from the silent auction are used to fund conference scholarships!

The Exhibit

The Southwest Arts Center is hosting a special exhibit in our honor.

Occupy: Repossessing Our Planet

An environmentally conscious exhibition in which artists express their love and devotion to the

perseverance of the planet. We are repossessing our planet through visual communication. The work in

this exhibit either supports the efforts in its content or was created with recycled material or both.

Southwest Art Center will host this exhibit March 30 thru April 20, 2012 in the Performance Theater and

Gallery.

One special piece in the exhibit by artists Brian Hebert and Brian Walker, entitled "Keyboards Don't Slay

Lions on the Serengeti", addresses global issues and society's dependency on technology. The yin and

yang symbol of balance is disguised as a planet with one side representing technology and the other

representing nature. Nature and technology are at odds, so we used robot arms to attack nature and

vines to attack technology. Within the piece each side incorporates elements that are opposite of one

another.



Saturday, March 31st ~ 9:00 - 12:00 Workshops and Field Trips

Workshops

Repossessing the Planet - Mixed Media Painting

Brian Hebert

A structured painting project using magazines and newspapers on canvas along with acrylic paint to

create a piece of art. We will conceptualize the project theme and visualize our own interpretation of

healing the planet. A quick discussion on recycling and collage artists like Romare Bearden will begin the

workshop, along with an example of the instructor's work, “Keyboards Don’t Slay Lions on the

Serengeti” acrylic and collage on wood, 4ft X 4ft. We will discuss concepts and sketch our ideas. We will

act as the example and incorporate our sketches into our pieces. The object is to start with a blank

sheet of paper and end with a complete piece.

Brian Hebert has held the position of Arts Program Specialist/Visual Arts at the Southwest Art

Center since 2001 and was the catalyst for establishing the visual arts program. Mr. Hebert has

taught visual arts classes for ages 5 to adult for over 10 years in various media from drawing,

painting and ceramic sculpture. As an Artist and Curator, he has conceptualized and organized

various projects merging visual arts with dance, music, and theater resulting in project; Bridging

the Gap, The Antidote, and Camouflage, to name a few. Brian Hebert is currently the Visual Arts

Instructor for the Teen Arts Academy, Experiment with Art Media and Drawing and Painting

Workshop. Brian exhibits his work throughout the country.

Methods of Botanical Illustration

Linda Fraser

We will focus on how to do an accurate illustration of a plant's structure, habitat, pollinators, etc, that is

also aesthetically pleasing and interesting. Linda will share her personal methods and tips. White

paper, a mechanical pencil with an eraser, and colored pencils will be provided. Bring your own plant

sample or use some that will be provided. You may also bring your own art supplies if you wish.

Linda Fraser is a botanical artist who specializes in native plants of the southeastern United

States. When she moved to Georgia she began collecting specimens of plants on her property

for a herbarium. She soon realized the best way for her to study the plants and learn to

recognize them was to draw them. In her words, “I hope my illustrations of southeastern native

plants will promote appreciation of their excellent qualities, sometimes taken for granted."



Workshops, continued

Papermaking: A Gateway To Myriad Subjects

Katy DeMent

Learn to use papermaking to expand you lessons in fine arts, the environment, language arts, science,

math, history, and social studies. Learn to build your own equipment for use in the classroom, create

pulp, manage large quantities of wet paper/pulp, and practice follow-up possibilities, including story-

telling, creative writing, bookbinding, printmaking, nature study/botany, history, and environmental

issues.

Katy DeMent has been making her living as a full-time papermaker and teacher for over 20

years. She teaches papermaking in all grade levels throughout the Southeast. DeMent's work is

found in galleries and museums worldwide and has been featured on HGTV’s “Crafters Coast to

Coast”. Her work history includes instructor positions at the Woodruff Arts Center, Georgia

Council for the Arts, Young Audiences of Atlanta, The High Museum of Art, and several Atlanta

area school district programs.

Project WET Facilitator Refresher Course

GA Project WET

Are you a Project WET Facilitator? Have you attended a 2.0 re-certification workshop? Join Georgia

Project WET for this re-certification workshop and receive the Project WET 2.0 Guide and materials for

two activities. All facilitators must attend one of these re-certification workshops by September in order

to maintain Project WET Facilitator status.

This workshop is designed for current WET facilitators. Educators who wish to attend a full WET

workshop can visit gaprojectwet.org or the calendar page on eeingeorgia.org for upcoming

workshops.



Field Trips

Cochran Mill Nature Center

Join us for a field trip to Cochran Mill Nature Center in Palmetto, Georgia. CMNC boasts a large

collection of reptiles, birds of prey, and flying mammals – bats! In honor of 2012’s Year of the Bat, Vicky

Beckham Smith will give a brief presentation followed by an introduction to live Egyptian Fruit Bats. Bat

related arts and crafts, books & resources will also be on display. Finish out your visit with a half-mile

hike to one of Palmetto’s unique granite rock outcroppings, visit with resident wildlife, and an animal

encounter.

Truly Living Well Farm

Join us for an exciting tour of one of Truly Living Well's (TLW) urban farms that contributes to producing

over 20,000 pounds of food annually within the City of Atlanta! Learn about the TLW programs and

sustainable urban agriculture.

TLW Center for Natural Urban Agriculture is a 501(c)3 that works to engage the community in

developing local food systems through education and food production. Our unique farm campus is

located in the heart of down town Atlanta. Through classes, internships, markets and summer camp we

raise awareness about the value of local food systems. These methods allow us to engage in community

development by providing healthy natural food and increasing horticultural literacy in all the areas we

farm.

Boat Rock Preserve

Join climbers from the Southeastern Climbers Coalition for a tour of this amazing area populated with

rocks the size of, you guessed it, boats. See demonstrations by seasoned climbers as they defy gravity

ascending the boulders. The more adventurous will be given the opportunity to try climbing under the

guidance of expert climbers.

Boat Rock is a small urban boulderfield located just a few minutes from the SW Arts Center. Boat Rock

has a long history of climbing and held one of the first bouldering competitions in the U.S. back in 1985.

Within the past few years, the urban sprawl of Atlanta began to consume the once isolated bouldering

area. Much of the "Back Side" has been recently subdivided into residential subdivision while the area

around the lake is slated for high density commercial use. The SCC has continued to work with the

developer to save the area around the lake and make it a park for the public. The local climbing

community galvanized when the opportunity to purchase a forested tract along Boat Rock Road came

up for sale. The newly purchased 7.8-acre tract is now open to the public and located on 1220 Boat Rock

Road.



Saturday March 31st ~ 1:00 - 3:00 Service Project

Volunteers will give back to the community by revitalizing the existing community garden at Quality

Living Services Senior Center. We will pull weeds, do some planting, amend the soil, and repair a

walkway to help the seniors grow fresh produce this summer in their own garden.

A booklet will be prepared for the seniors to commemorate the project featuring before and after

photos, plant lists, and gardening tips.



Thank You to our 2012 Sponsors!

George M. Brown

Trust Fund of Atlanta

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