Talking Stick
Volume 2
Newsletter of the Environmental Education Association of Oregon
Promoting a healthy, sustainable environment through education
EEAO Charging Ahead
Linda Rhoads, Executive Director
I t's hard to believe I have been in
Oregon for six months already!
As the rainy months turn into a
beautiful Spring, I would like to give
you an update on what in the world
your Executive Director has been up
to…
As a spokesperson for EEAO, it
will be invaluable for me to have
first-hand knowledge about the
environmental education programs
and centers in Oregon. Visiting,
observing, and experiencing your
facilities and programs will help me
better represent EEAO. Check out
the fantastic environmental educa-
tion centers and programs I have
been visiting and learning about on
page 7! I look forward to meeting
and visiting with many more of you.
EEAO Ambassador
As your ambassador, I have
recently represented EEAO at sever-
al events including the Future
Teacher's Conference in Albany and
the Idaho Environmental Education
Association (IdEEA) Summit in
Boise. They have been great net-
working opportunities to meet with
folks from IdEEA, the Deputy
Director from the Utah Society for
Environmental Education (USEE)
and the past-president of the
Environmental Education
Association of Washington (EEAW)
who is also a consultant with the
National Environmental Education
Advancement Project (NEEAP). At
the national level, I am serving on
the planning team for the North
American Association for
Environmental Education (NAAEE)
pre-conference affiliate workshop.
Getting EEAO’s House in Order
On the administrative side, the
Board and I have been working
together to tackle and manage
numerous tasks to ensure the long-
term success and stability of EEAO.
One important aspect is fundraising
and to that end we have developed a
fundraising plan, EEAO case state-
ment and participated in numerous
training events conducted by TREC
(Training Resources for the
Environmental Community) and
TACS (Technical Assistance for
Community Services). A grant pro-
posal has been submitted to the
Bullitt Foundation to implement a
diversified fundraising plan and
sound financial strategies, increase
membership, implement a leader-
ship development and mentoring
program, and align environmental
education with Oregon Science
Content Standards. News of whether
we were selected for funding should
come in October. EEAO's website is
up and running - check it out!
www.eeao.org.
Issue 3
Summer 2002
Welcome to the EEAO Board,
Freda Sherburne and Ryan
Collay!
Freda is a Waste Reduction
Educator with Metro Regional
Government in Portland. She has
been a member of EEAO for 10
years and will serve on the Board
as the Awards Team Leader.
Ryan Collay, a relatively new
member of EEAO, will be serving
on the Board as Program
Development Team Leader. Ryan
lives in Eugene and works as the
Design and Evaluation
Coordinator with the SMILE
(Science and Math Investigative
Learning Experiences) Program at
OSU in Corvallis.
Looking Ahead
With many of the preparatory
administrative tasks coming to
completion, I am eager to embark
on the next leg of this new journey.
In the next several months, I will
be focusing on fundraising and
implementing sound fiscal policies
to ensure that EEAO is financially
stable and will continue to grow.
I am proud to represent you and
I look forward to working with
you on many new EEAO projects
and initiatives. As always, please
continue to stay in touch. I look
forward to hearing from you!
- Linda
1
TALKING STICK
Summer 2002
EEAO 2002 Executive Board
President
Donal Wilkinson, Eastham
Community School. 503-982-2312.
ddwilkinson@netzero.net
President-Elect
Dara Wilkinson. 503-982-2312.
eeaoregon@yahoo.com
Past-President
Elaine Jane Cole, PSU. 503-725-8294.
colee@pdx.edu
Secretary
Rachel Felice, PSU. 503-725-3190.
felicer@pdx.edu
Treasurer
Jeanie Waterbury, Tualatin Hills
Nature Park. 503-642-2683.
h2oberry@hotmail.com
EEAO Committee Chairs
Communications Committee
Sarah Bidwell, Alternatives to
Growth Oregon. 503-222-0282.
sarahbidwell@AGOregon.org
Membership Committee
Donal Wilkinson 503-982-2312.
ddwilkinson@netzero.net
Awards Team Leader
Freda Sherburne, Metro Regional
Services. 503-797-1522.
sherburnef@metro.dst.or.us
Program Development Team
Leader
Ryan Collay, OSU. 541-737-3553.
collay@smile.orst.edu
Staff
Executive Director
Linda Rhoads 503-234-EEAO.
lindarhoads@mindspring.com
Contact Information
Environmental Education
Association of Oregon
P.O. Box 15192
Portland, OR 97293
(503) 234-EEAO www.eeao.org
Newsletter layout and design
Sarah Bidwell
Printed on recylced paper.
2
Message from the President
Donal Wilkinson
T he spring 2002 conference was a
very interesting and enlighten-
ing experience. The site was beauti-
ful, quiet and perfect for an environ-
mental education conference. The
workshops were fun and exciting.
We had everything from heavy
snow to sunshine for weather. One
of the most interesting events during
the conference was a brainstorming
session led by our Executive
Director, Linda Rhoads, and our past
president, Elaine Jane Cole. This ses-
sion was designed as a primer for
conference planning but encom-
passed membership services, capaci-
ty building in EE, as well as celebrat-
ing all the outstanding environmen-
tal education programs our state has
to offer. Overall the conference was a
success and we are looking forward
to planning our next conference in
fall of 2003. I encourage all of you to
get involved at some level, whether
it be on the conference committee or
by promoting the conference in your
neck of the woods.
As EEAO embarks on a new path,
one that includes new member serv-
ices, better networking, a sharp
Executive Director to help guide our
way, and a strong committed board
of directors, we will be facing new
challenges. One of our biggest chal-
lenges is that the movers and shak-
ers of environmental education in
Oregon are very, very busy people -
how do we work together to do
more? One way is to have new peo-
ple step up and become a mover and
shaker.
Our state is one in which dedicat-
ed educators are focused on their
projects and programs. We collabo-
rate well in small groups. And
because of this we have some ban-
ner EE programs in Oregon. Out of
60 proposals nationwide, PG&E
picked seven Oregon proposals to
fund. We have some awesome
environmental educators. Now we
need to come together, use our col-
lective resources and our best
minds to establish EE in Oregon
like it never has been before.
We are seeing signs that it will
be imperative for us to work more
closely. The push to get rid of the
office of Environmental Education
at EPA, outdoor school programs
being cut, and the fact that most of
Eastern and Southern Oregon has
never had outdoor school as part of
the student experience, are all signs
that we need to step up and work
together at putting a stop to this.
We need to build a strong organ-
ization that can make EE not a friv-
olous extra in the curriculum, but
an integral part of every student's
education. It's essential if we want
to have a literate society that under-
stands the natural world and how
we as people depend on it for our
well being.
As we work together as commit-
ted environmental educators, this
message will become stronger and
stronger. In the EEAO version of
the immortal words of John F.
Kennedy, Ask not what your
Association can do for you, but
what you can do for your
Association, lets move forth, make
our membership rolls skyrocket,
and then work together to advance
EE in our state, and make the
world a better place live.

www.EEAO.org Is Where It’s At!
H ave you checked out our new
web site lately? If not, have a
look at www.eeao.org and you'll see
that we've come a long way toward
achieving one of our strategic goals!
As with any great organization,
our web site is a very important
component for providing informa-
tion about EEAO to the public, and
environmental education resources
for members. To be a fully effective
and useful web site, it will be critical
to keep it updated and maintained
on a regular basis. That's where
YOU come in!
The Board of EEAO is seeking a
dedicated EEAO member to main-
tain and periodically update our
web site. The EEAO Webmaster will
be responsible for adding and delet-
NAAEE News
NAAEE Annual Conference
August 6-10, Park Plaza Hotel,
Boston, Massachusetts
The NAAEE conference in
Boston, the "Boston TEE (Total
Environmental Education) Party,"
is sure to be a "rich, stimulating
and fun-packed experience!" Join
several of your EEAO colleagues,
Board members and Executive
Director to represent Oregon at this
internationally recognized event.
The conference will follow four
strands (EE Through Time,
Designing and Planning Spaces,
Environmental Justice and The
Role of Higher Education in EE)
featuring workshops, concurrent
sessions, poster sessions, interacts
and a keynote speaker. Registration
and conference schedule informa-
tion available online.
http://naaee.org/conferences/
ing time sensitive items, maintaining
up-to-date links, and ensuring user-
friendly navigation thru the site.
Over time, as EEAO grows and
develops, new web pages will be
needed to reflect the dynamic nature
of our organization.
This volunteer opportunity is a
great way for you to serve your
organization and be a vital part of its
progress. As we continue to pursue
our strategic initiatives, YOU can be
a major player and contributor for
shaping the future of EEAO!
Interested in learning more?
Contact our executive director,
Linda Rhoads, at 503-234-EEAO for
more details.
Anchorage Selected for 2003
NAAEE Conference
In April, the North American
Association for Environmental
Education selected Anchorage, AK
instead of Portland for the 2003
North American conference. The
choice to go to Anchorage was
based primarily on financial consid-
erations. The staff and Board of
NAAEE were very impressed with
the proposal and compilation of
information provided by EEAO and
they indicated that the decision was
very difficult. Great job and kudos
to all who participated in this
endeavor including everyone who
hosted or met with Barb Eager
while she was visiting, provided
pamphlets and other information to
include in the proposal, and partici-
pated in the brainstorming session
at the EEAO conference!
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION OF OREGON
www.EEAO.org
Chocked Full of Great Ideas
and Resources for
Environmental Educators!
■ Links to teacher training facili-
ties/programs
■ Conferences for Students
■ Camps, Tours, and Field Trip
Information
■ Curriculum and Activity Guides
■ Membership Information
■ EE centers around the state
■ General Public Programs
■ Lecture Series Information
■ Clearinghouses of EE
Resources
■ Informal EE Programs for K-12
Are you connected?
The EEAO listserve is a great tool
to learn about and share environ-
mental education related news, job
postings, announcements, work-
shops, programs and other items
of interest. Take advantage of one
of the benefits of membership to
stay current and in-the-loop about
environmental education happen-
ings around the state! To join, e-
mail Dara Wilkinson at ddwilkin-
son@netzero.net.
3
TALKING STICK
Summer 2002
Lessons from Geese
Author Unknown
As each goose flaps its wings, it
creates "uplift" for the bird follow-
ing. By flying in a V formation, the
whole flock adds 71% more flying
range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson: People who share a com-
mon direction and a sense of com-
munity can go further and get
where they are going quicker and
easier because they are traveling
on the thrust of one another.
Whenever a goose falls out of for-
mation, it suddenly feels the drag
and resistance of trying to fly
alone, and quickly gets back in for-
mation to take advantage of the
"lifting power" of the bird immedi-
ately in front. Lesson: If we have as
much sense as a goose, we will
stay in formation with those who
are headed where we want to go.
When the lead goose gets tired it
rotates back into formation and
another goose flies at the point
position. Lesson: It pays to take
turns doing the hard tasks and
sharing leadership - with people,
as with geese, interdependent with
others.
The geese in formation honk from
behind to encourage those up front
to keep up their speed. Lesson: We
need to make sure our honking
from behind is encouraging - not
something less than helpful.
When a goose gets sick or wound-
ed or shot down, two geese drop
out of formation and follow it down
to help and protect him or her.
Continued on sidebar, next page
4
EE’ers Gather for Professional
Development, Networking, and Fun!
Jen Seamans
F
rom March 10-12, 45 EEAO us new hopes and insights into
members gathered at the Salem energy alternatives and conserva-
4-H Retreat Center for a weekend tion measures being implemented
celebrating "Energy: The Current within our state. Clan Dyken kicked
that Moves Us." Workshop topics off the evening musical festivities
Educators from across the state gather on a snowy spring day to celebrate and foster
excellent environmental education.
brought together a small but spirit- with a participatory drum circle,
ed group of educators for thought- and raised everyone's dancing feet!
ful discussion on education taking
place inside and outside the class- On Sunday the conference hosted
room. Topics of workshops ranged an EEAO Issues Forum, which
from solar energy education, to sparked good discussions and will
wildlife conservation, to tracking fuel ongoing dialogue. One brain-
(with a light snow blanketing the storming session catalyzed energy
ground Saturday morning!). continued top of next page
An evening awards ceremony
honored Lynn Wilson-Dean of the
World Forestry Center for
Individual Contribution; the best
school program award was given to
Grant Community School in Salem;
and the Metro Waste Reduction
team received the best program
award. The keynote speaker was
Chris Dymond, Oregon Janet Nagele of OSU Extension
Department of Energy, who gave describes how the sun's energy moves
through the aquatic environment.
 ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION OF OREGON

and ideas toward Portland's possi- strategies such as holding regional 2003 EEAO Conference
ble hosting meetings on a regular Planning Team is Taking
of the basis, and trips for Shape!
national members to visit EE We are in the beginning stages of
NAAEE sites outside the forming the team to plan our Fall
conference-- Portland/ Salem 2003 Conference, and we want YOU!
ideas that area. The organiza- This planning team will be instru-
we will keep tion as a whole is mental in setting guidelines for
for future searching for ways it future conference locations and
events! can extend itself to themes.
Another the statewide com-
Some really great folks have
strong con- munity and draw a
Rex Ettlin of the Oregon Zoo shares items larger group of mem- already volunteered to serve on the
cern that
planning team so it's bound to be a
received air from the endangered species box. bers together for re-
fun endeavor. Volunteering on the
time was how energizing themselves,
Conference Planning Team is a
the organization can support and be and re-charging EE in Oregon
great way to meet and get to know
supported by members living out- through events and conferences
your colleagues from other organi-
side the Portland/Salem area. such as this one.
zations.
EEAO has responded with recent
If you have enthusiasm, ideas, or
want to try out your organizational
skills, you fit the bill! Contact
Recognizing Excellence in EEAO’s executive director, Linda

Environmental Education Rhoads, at 503-234-EEAO to learn

more and volunteer.
EEAO honored Lynn Wilson-Dean, Metro Waste Reduction Education, and Grant
Community School with awards for Excellence in Environmental Education for We’re looking for coordinators to
Best Individual Contribution, Best Program, and Best School Program respectively. help with:
Below is a kind note from Lynn Wilson-Dean in appreciation of her award. ■ Field Trips

■ Program Design
I want to thank you all for the won-
■ Silent Auction
derful award that EEAO presented to
me. It means a great deal to be ■ Facilities and Site Logistics
acknowledged for work in the envi- ■ Entertainment
ronmental education arena. I believe in ■ Marketing
education, empowerment and support
■ Fundraising
of people of all ages in the field of
environmental education. Even though
we may not all have the exact defini- Lessons from Geese
tion of what EE is, we all know that it Continued
means a better community, life and earth for us now and those to follow us
in the future. I was terribly proud to get the award when there are so many They stay with the goose until it is
deserving people out there leading the charge for EE. either able to fly again, or dies.
Thank you for the honor and most importantly for your support. It felt so Then they launch out on their own
good to be surrounded by such great people!!!!!! with another formation or catch up
Lynn Wilson-Dean to the flock. Lesson: If we have as
Community Programs Manager, much sense as geese, we will
World Forestry Center stand by each other like that.

5
TALKING STICK
Summer 2002
Access Nature
The National Wildlife Federation's
inclusive nature curriculum,
Access Nature, helps children
make a personal connection to the
natural world. The adaptations
that follow each of the 45 hands-
on activities provide educators
(formal and non-formal) with the
tools to engage participants with
hearing, learning/cognitive, motor
and visual disabilities alongside
their peers without disabilities.
Other features include: alignment
with the National Science
Education Standards, general dis-
ability-related teaching guidelines,
a fully developed action project
complete with accessibility guide-
lines, and a disability-related
resource section. Check it out at,
www.nwf.org/schoolyardhabitats/
accessnature.cfm
Thank You Outgoing Board
Members, Sue Baker and Jan Curry!
Sue is a lifetime member of EEAO,
Past President (1997), and served
the organization for several years as
the NAAEE liaison. Sue has been an
enthusiastic leader and member of
EEAO and (among her many contri-
butions!) worked with Kate
Ferschweiler to plan and coordinate
the Diamond Lake Fall 1998
Conference.
Jan Curry of Jackson Bottom
Wetlands Preserve has been serving
EEAO as the Awards Team Leader
for the past year. She has been a
valuable Board member and contrib-
utor to the development of the
organization.
Tremendous thank-you to both Sue
and Jan for their participation in and
leadership of EEAO!
6
Professional Development Opportunities
Creeks and Kids: Watershed
Education Workshops for
Educators, July 7th-11th or
July 17th-21st.
Workshop to help educators
acquire the skills and confidence to
use their local streams as learning
sites. You'll walk away ready to
use your local watershed or stream
as a focus for learning, with inno-
vative curriculum activities that
meet Oregon's educational stan-
dards. $45.00. For more informa-
tion contact: Lin Howell, 503-681-
6429 at Jackson Bottom Wetlands
Preserve.
Adopt-A-Watershed's National
Leadership Institute, July 13th
– 20th in Bend.
An eight-day series of professional
development activities providing
intensive leadership training in the
integration of educational stan-
dards, curriculum application to
local environments and service-
learning concepts. For more infor-
mation contact: Adopt-A-
Watershed, 530-628-5334,
aaw@Adopt-A-Watershed.org.
The Forests Encountered by
Lewis & Clark, July 23rd or
24th.
All day tour, ideal for environmen-
tal educators, focused on the land-
scapes of the lower Columbia River
and northern Oregon Coast that
existed at the time of the Lewis and
Clark Expedition. Free! For more
information contact: Jeremy Solin,
503-229-6718 x. 27, solin@ofri.com
at Oregon Forest Resources
Institute.
First Friday at the Lucky Lab
in Portland, August 2nd and
September 6th at 4:00.
A relaxed gathering of EEAO mem-
bers to enjoy good company and
conversation. Excellent opportuni-
ty to meet and share ideas with
other environmental educators and
colleagues. For more information
contact: Tim Lichen, 360-546-9510 at
Clark County Environmental
Information Cooperative.
Water Quality: A Watershed
Perspective, August 8th.
All day tour, ideal for environmen-
tal educators, will examine water
quality through the Clackamas
River watershed with focus on for-
est management, forest fire, agricul-
ture, and urban and industrial
water quality issues. Free! For more
information contact: Jeremy Solin
(see previous listing).
Habitat Enhancement Through
Forest Management, August
27th.
All day tour, ideal for environmen-
tal educators, will emphasize the
role of forest management in pro-
viding healthy and diverse habitat
for fish and wildlife. Free! For more
information contact: Jeremy Solin
(see previous listing).
Others
Keep you eye on EEAO’s listserve
for other professional development
opportunities.
To submit a professional develop-
ment opportunity for the next
Talking Stick issue, contact Linda
Rhoads at 503-234-EEAO or
lindarhoads@mindspring.com.

Membership News
New Membership and Donor
Categories
As EEAO continues to grow and
take on more financial responsibili-
ty, the need for financial support
beyond membership dues is also
growing. Additionally, revising our
membership categories was one of
EEAO’s strategic initiatives deter-
mined in 1998. In preparation for
moving forward with implement-
ing our fundraising plan, the Board
created new "donor" categories in
addition to the traditional "mem-
ber" categories (professional, stu-
dent, senior, organizational, etc.).
The new "donor" categories provide
a framework for individuals and
organizations to select the support-
ing membership level that is best
suited for them. By providing an
appealing structure for organiza-
tions and individuals to identify
themselves with, we hope to
acquire significant financial com-
mitment from numerous sources
that have previously gone unsolicit-
ed and untapped.
Since membership categories are
articulated in the EEAO By-laws,
majority vote of the membership is
Yes, I want to support environmental education in Oregon! I’d like to:
❏ Become a member of EEAO
___ $25 Regular ___ $30 Family
___ $15 Student ___ $200 Lifetime
NAME(S)
ADDRESS
EVENING PHONE
OCCUPATION
needed to make this change. Please
keep your eyes on your mail for a
separate mailing later this summer
to change our By-laws. And please
return your ballot so that we can
raise the necessary funds to sup-
port our activities including the
web site, newsletter, e-mail list-
serve, conference, and our new
executive director!
Welcome New Members!
Kim Bredensteiner, Keith Brkich,
Katy Bryce, James Carpenter, Kathy
Child, Ryan Collay, Jeff Cutter,
Jeanne Dubois, Becky Fleshman,
Dawn Grafe, Pamela Heresco,
Trena Jayne, Rick Jones, Kurt
Krueger, Rhian Lang, John
LeCavalier, Newt Loken, Kori
Losoya, Emily Potter, Jan Rankin,
Tammy Sanders, Tandra Schmid,
Linda Simpson, Jessica Walter,
Kevin Weber, Mikke Weddle,
Michael Wherley, Julie Wojcicki
Organization member: Mark
Reynolds, program manager for
Region 9 Ed. Service Dist.
Welcome Lifetime Members!
David Heil and Sue Baker
Membership / Contribution Form
❏ Renew my membership ❏ Make an additional contribution of
___ $75 Organizational
CITY STATE
DAY PHONE
AFFILIATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION OF OREGON
Oh, the places I’ve been!
Linda Rhoads
■ Cascade Stream Watch and
Wildwood Wetlands Trail
■ Oregon Zoo
■ Hatfield Marine Science Visitors
Center
■ Oregon Coast Aquarium
■ Yaquina Head Outstanding
Natural Area and Lighthouse
■ Tualatin Hills Nature Park
■ Friends of Opal Creek
■ The High Desert Museum
■ John Day Fossil Beds National
Monument
■ Hoyt Arboretum
■ Jackson Bottom Wetlands
Preserve
■ The Resort at the Mountain
■ World Forestry Center
■ Silver Falls State Park
■ Oregon 4-H Conference and
Education Center
■ National Historic Oregon Trail
Interpretive Center
■ Oregon Trout
Want to add your center to the
list? Call me at (503) 234-EEAO!
$ ___________
ZIP
7
TALKING STICK
Summer 2002

Quiz Box! Look Inside for . . .

How well do you know our state? www.EEAO.org .............................................................................3
See if you can name each of the
following of Oregon's state sym-
NAAEE News ................................................................................3
bols:
1. Tree
2. Flower EEAO Conference 2002 ........................................................4 & 5
3. Animal
4. Bird Professional Development Opportunities .................................6
5. Insect
6. Rock
Access Nature ..............................................................................6
7. Fish
8. Gemstone
9. Mushroom Membership News .......................................................................7
10. Nut
11. Seashell
Is your membership due for renewal? Check the date above your

Look for answers in the next issue

of the Talking Stick.
! name on the address label. If your membership is due, please fill
out the membership form on page 7 and send to EEAO with your
membership renewal check for $25.00.

Environmental Education Association of Oregon

P.O. Box 15192
Portland, OR 97293
www.eeao.org