As promised...

Want to know more about the Community Discussion Groups that are forming for the fall? Here is a list of which courses that are starting in about a month. Registration is open, so please contact Nancy Carruthers at discussions@usee.org for more information or to reserve your spot! If you don't find a topic that works for you, please consider starting your own discussion group with one of the other topics that are available. USEE staff are on hand to assist you in forming your own group. Check out the newly revised Global Warming: Changing Co2urse!

Healthy Children Healthy Planet
Monday, 6:00pm - 7:30 pm
September 22 - November 3

Choices for Sustainable Living
Wednesday, 6:00pm - 7:30 pm
September 24 - November 5

Discovering a Sense of Place
Thursday, 6:00pm - 7:30 pm
September 25 - November 6

Global Warming: Changing CO2urse New Revised Guide
Tuesday, 6:00pm - 7:30 pm
September 30 - October 2

Menu for the Future
Wednesday, 6:00pm - 7:30 pm
October 1 - November 5
Location, TBA

All of the first meetings for discussions will be held at the USEE offices, which are at 466 E 500 S ste 100 in Salt Lake City. After that, depending on your group and where everyone lives a more flexible meeting place may be established. And on that note, I'm outta here for the long weekend. Happy Labor Day!

Community Discussion Groups

Have you ever wanted to talk about environmental issues with your family, friends, co-workers, or neighbors? Or how about people in your community? Have you yourself wanted to learn more about a particular subject? With the environment becoming such a hot topic these days I can't help but wonder what people think about it all. Climate change, water issues, being green, food choices, and sustainability are all words we hear on nearly a daily basis. But what about them?

The Utah Society for Environmental Education hosts Community Discussion Groups where members of the community get together to talk about these topics. There are several courses to choose from including Healthy Children Healthy Planet to Voluntary Simplicity (and many more!) Each person in the group receives a book. One section of the book is read before each group meeting and then group members discuss the readings from that section. The sections contain published articles and contain new information and ways of thinking about whatever topic your group is covering. It's kind of like a directed book club, only each group member has a chance to play facilitator, questions and activities are embedded into section text, and a celebration potluck is highly recommended at the end of each book.

Over the summer, I participated in the brand new Menu for the Future Community Discussion with my co-workers and some other members from the environmental education community in Salt Lake City. It was a fabulous experience where I was able to connect with community members and my co-workers on a different level. Even though I know quite a bit about sustainable food choices, I learned so much about the importance of the decisions that I make everyday about what I am eating. Menu for the Future addresses questions like: If I can't have both, is it better to go with local or organic? What is the nutritional difference between conventionally grown and organically grown produce? and What is up with all this fish talk? At the end of the course we had a celebration potluck where we exchanged all of our delicious recipes. Those of us who had gardens spent plenty of time trading tomato-growing tips, winter bedding secrets, and urban chicken-ing.

In the fall, I will be in charge of the Choices for Sustainable Living Community Discussion group that is currently forming. I am really looking forward to this course as an extension to get to know my community a little better, and especially to learn more about choices that I can make in my everyday life in continuing to become more sustainable. The course starts during the last week of September. There are also four other discussion courses, including Healthy Children Healthy Planet, Discovering a Sense of Place, Global Warming: Changing CO2urse, and Menu for the Future, beginning that same week. I will be posting a more detailed schedule soon for those of you who would like more information. Generally, discussion meetings are held weekly, but the format of the courses are flexible depending on the needs of your group. To register for one of these groups, or to start your own, contact Nancy Carruthers at discussions@usee.org.

Don't live in Salt Lake City? No problem! These courses are available to anyone who wants to form one and we can point you in the right direction of how to get involved, just let us know!

What to do with all that Zucchini?

If you're looking for something very tasty to do with all of that zucchini growing in your garden, I highly recommend zucchini pasta. Just use a vegetable peeler to get thin fettuccine like strips and saute them in a little oil and garlic. Add some fresh tomato sauce and you have a healthy and tasty meal fresh from the garden!

Mountain Ablaze

Have you ever witnessed a natural disaster? What exactly is a natural disaster? According to dictionary.com, a natural disaster is any event or force of nature that has catastrophic consequences, such as avalanche, earthquake, flood, forest fire, hurricane, lightning, tornado, tsunami, and volcanic eruption. Catastrophic consequences. Catastrophic consequences to whom? To the animals, the landscape, the ecosystem? To people?

Yesterday a natural disaster that had catastrophic consequences such as a forest fire struck the mountain just above where I live. Firefighters haven't yet confirmed what started the fire, but it was big and raging.

Photo David Kockerhaer

Photo courtesy of ksl.com

The fire started at about noon yesterday and by the time that I came home from work, nearly the entire mountain beneath Lone Peak had been eaten by the rising flames. Many emotions ensued. Is my family okay? Neighbors? My house is in one of the lower parts of the valley, and though the fire started less than two miles from my home, the wind was blowing away from me and since fire burns in the upward direction, I knew that I was safe. But what about the people that lived even closer to the fire? Evacuations had been taking place all day for dozens of homes. The fire burned all night, and was still burning when I left for work in the morning.

Photo Kevin Nash

Luckily, no homes were damaged and no one was hurt. But the winds were howling, fueling the fire farther and farther out in nearly every direction. As I watched the black mass grow over the mountain I have lived beneath for nearly my entire life, I began thinking of all the trails that I frequent. Would the bridge on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail have to be rebuilt? That mountain is very sandy. There could be mudslides along that whole slope if rains come too soon. The "beauty" of the mountain has been sacrificed in some people's eyes, namely my mom, who displays her emotional reaction in her own blog. This natural disaster has, or could have, catastrophic consequences for humans, to be sure.

Photo Gary Hansen

Photo Jim Mcclintic

But what about the ecosystem of the mountain itself? Now I am no fire expert, but I do know that low intensity fires that don't burn too hot are extremely beneficial for forest ecosystems. Low intensity fires help clear dead underbrush and fallen trees and leave behind nutrient rich ash behind. This process is known as nutrient recycling and is good for replenishing the forest floor with vital nutrients that will be used by new plants beginning to grow back, replenishing food sources for animals. So the question is, how hot was this fire? Did it burn in such a way that a healthy ecosystem may emerge, or did it completely destroy everything in its path?

The forest will grow back no matter what, but a healthy ecosystem depends on nutrient recycling. And as far as ecosystems go, it may be that this fire is a good thing in the end. Forest fires, it would seem, are ultimately catastrophic for humans. But what about the consequences of other forces of nature? Are natural disasters only defined in terms of human reactions? Should they be defined any differently?

Worms at Work

Worms get a bad rap.....

A couple of years ago I had the grand idea to give all my brothers and their wives worm compost bins for Christmas gifts. It didn’t go over so well. One sister in law loved it, but she was alone in her joy. For the other two families, a summary of their feelings could be seen in the reaction of my then 2 year old nephew, who pulled off the bow, opened the lid to the bin, quickly shut it and exclaimed, “Ew, gawbage.” Needless to say, I don’t think those worm bins were used much.

I now have a compost pile in my yard, so I haven’t had a worm bin for a couple of years. However, I have noticed that here at the USEE office, we end up with a lot of food waste in our trash. Our building owners created a plan for sustainability for the offices (recycling, low flow toilets, etc), but didn’t go as far as Vermicomposting. So, I thought I would contribute that to our building and our blog.

If you aren’t familiar with a worm bin, it is basically a Rubbermaid tub (or other container) with holes drilled in it, some shredded newspaper (or peat moss) inside that you keep moist, some red wiggler worms and the food scraps that you add to it. If you have kids or students, they will love to watch the worms at work. If they are quiet enough, they can even hear the worms moving. The worms break down the food scraps that you add, creating castings, which is great organic matter for your garden, or you can make a “compost tea” to water your houseplants with. Some questions you may have are – Does it stink? Don’t the worms crawl out? The answers are no and no. The worm bin, if maintained properly (which is easy) smells wonderful and earthy, like you were digging in healthy soil. The worms prefer to be in the dark, so they stay away from the holes and won’t crawl out of the bin. It’s easy to do and can be kept right in your kitchen.

Having a worm bin is a great learning experience, a wonderful teaching tool, and it helps all that food waste from going into the garbage or down the disposal. If you’d like to come down to USEE to check out our worm bin, or for help setting up your own, feel free to send me an email.

Teaching Evolution

There was an interesting article on some issues related to religion and the teaching of evolution in the New York Times on Sunday. I particularly liked this quote from a teacher:

“Faith is not based on science,” Mr. Campbell said. “And science is not based on faith. I don’t expect you to ‘believe’ the scientific explanation of evolution that we’re going to talk about over the next few weeks.”

“But I do,” he added, “expect you to understand it.”

Get em Ouside 2

The No Child Left Inside Coalition has posted a great video:

Get Em Outside

As environmental educators we know that there are profound benefits to the simple act of getting children outdoors. But increasingly research is showing that as kids become disconnected from nature, the ramifications are profound – dramatic increases in childhood obesity, diabetes and attention deficit disorder.

Over the past 4 years, based in part on Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Wood: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, there has been a broad movement across the country to find ways to get kids to turn off their electronic devices and get outside to explore and learn about their natural world (i.e. No Child Left Inside Coalition, Children and Nature Network.) I think that the exciting aspect of this movement is the diverse groups of supporters--hunters and fishers, conservationists, environmentalists, manufacturers of outdoor gear and more--who are working together to ensure that the places they love continue to be appreciated.

Another exciting vehicle that could help get kids appreciate nature is pending in Congress – the No Child Left Inside Act, which is scheduled to be voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives in September. This legislation, which passed the House Education and Labor Committee with bipartisan support, would get kids outside during the school day by providing new funding for environmental education. The funds would ensure that teachers are trained in providing high-quality, engaging lessons and would expand environmental learning opportunities here in Utah and around the country.

The Act does not create any new mandates on our schools. Instead, it would create incentives to states to create environmental literacy plans ensuring that all of our students have a solid understanding of the environment. For more information visit the No Child Left Inside Coalition.

Project SESAME

Reducing your impact on the environment is a very hot topic these days. That is why my aunt decided to start project SESAME (Save the Earth SAve MonEy) for her family. Here's how it works: Every time one of my cousins finds a way around that house that will SESAME, my aunt and uncle give them the financial savings for the first two months. So far, each one of my cousins has come up with one really great way to SESAME.

Olivia, the eldest, has come up with the plan to replace their paper napkins with cloth ones. Brilliant. They went to the store and bought a couple of packs of cute dishcloths that could pass for napkins. With a little help, Olivia factored out the cost of buying paper napkins over one year versus the cost of purchasing the cloth napkins upfront. Every week that their family abstains from purchasing paper napkins, Olivia receives $1.75, and so far they haven’t bought any all summer.

Annemarie, the youngest, had the idea to be in charge of turning off the main power strip button to all of the electronics that are around the television. She is still waiting for their next power bill to come so she can see how she did.

Tony’s SESAME project is to buy less at the grocery store and to reduce average spending each week. In the summer time, my cousins usually accompany my aunt to the grocery store. Before SESAME, the summer-time grocery bill would increase significantly as the kids suggest and relentlessly bug my aunt for extra, and often nutrition-less, food items.

With the goal of a $180 per week for groceries, the kids make the grocery list. They go through the refrigerator, pantry, and garden to try and come up with meals that their family has on hand. At the grocery store the kids watch my aunt like a hawk to make sure that she doesn’t slip in any extra items that are not listed on the grocery budget. As a result, they rarely ask for junk food, and if they do it is only one thing, which is well thought out. At the end of the trip, they all stand by the register and watch to see how they did.

So far this summer they have missed the goal once. And they were only over by one dollar. Every week that they beat their goal, the kids split the difference of the total bill and $180 between the three of them.


SESEAME is Environmental Education at its finest. There are so many connections and skills that are presented: math, creativity, budgeting, responsibility, environmental awareness and stewardship, healthy eating habits and nutrition, waste reduction, and so many more! What are some ways that you might employ SESAME in your home?

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

There’s an order to things: Reduce, re-use, recycle

Yes, there is an order to things. Arguably, it’s the moments that we stray from the mundane that truly keep us from going crazy on this planet. However, there is a certain order to things that we should try to adhere to in our everyday lives. More specifically, I think that we often skip a few steps when it comes to the order in which we do things: Rather than first reducing, reusing, and then recycling, we become indignant and proud because we are so incredibly good at the third step, recycling. I am as guilty of it as anyone else. Somehow I feel as if I can purge the guilt I have of being an American Consumer (with a capital “c”) if I be sure to recycle it all. And man, since my husband and I got married, we have received all kinds of gifts, and of course with that has come more recycling. In fact, there is so much of it that we requested another recycling bin—which is free of charge if you live in Holliday by the way. But even still, we fill up both of our containers, look for space in our neighbors’ bins after the sun goes down, and we still don’t have enough space. We’ve got extra boxes and such strewn all over our back porch waiting for the day when we can get it all recycled.

And who really knows if half the stuff we are thinking we’re recycling actually gets recycled? Do your orange juice containers need to be rinsed out? The plastic rings around the top cut off? Does it matter? I’ve heard yes and no. What about styrofoam? I’ve heard yes and no—it has a six on it—does that count? I always say “Just recycle it,” even if you’re not sure. My logic is that it gets hand sorted so if it shouldn’t be recycled then someone will just pick it out—and that's someone’s job security. Idea for the creation of new jobs, anyone?

But beyond that I think we are missing the bigger picture. Not only does all of this recycling remind me of just how “good” of consumers we are (not that I’m bragging), but it also reminds me that we are forgetting about the order of things. Remember, it is REDUCE, REUSE, then RECYCLE. In other words, you’re supposed to try to reduce the amount you consume, then re-use things if you can. Then, you recycle. It seems like we and so many others we know are so proud and indignant about the fact that we recycle and are so quick to rid ourselves of the guilt of consumption so long as it ultimately ends up in a recycling bin.

Now, I am not telling anyone to stop recycling—oh no. I think that recycling can be good and a good step toward doing other things for the environment. I only think it’s a problem when that is the only thing people do and as a result feel like they don’t have to do anything else. And there are times when I hold onto stuff in an attempt to re-use, like boxes and gift bags and ribbons—I think “Oh yeah, I’ll use that again.” Then, six months or a year goes by and have I used them? No. I have not. But I keep them anyway. And my closets and extra drawers just get more and more full. Can you I imagine if we had to dispose of our own waste? Geez!

I had a friend brag to me once that she fills up her recycling bin every week. So much so that her neighbor noticed and said “Hey we don’t use our recycling bin—why don’t you use ours?” While on one hand you can think, “Wow! Isn’t that thoughtful?” But then you peel back the layers and there is more there. For example, why in the heck are they recycling so much crap every week? Why don’t they buy less crap? And secondly, why doesn’t her neighbor give a crap about recycling? I have also had people tell me that recycling is pointless in terms of the cost/ benefit and it is not worth it. In other words, the amount it costs to melt everything down that I am recycling is not worth it in the long run. And honestly, I don’t know if that’s true or not—I hope not.

And don’t even get me started about Salt Lake City and our big city trash day—you know the one: The day when the garbage trucks will come pick up absolutely anything you want them to--No guilt on your part. Seem like we are incentivised to waste more in this city rather than reduce? Hmmm . . .

And I get torn here. Because it’s not like I want everyone to feel guilty all the time. Who wants that? What kind of life would that be? But at the same time, a little bit of guilt might go a long way. And how about my friend saying something to her neighbor? We’re all so gosh darn polite. It’s like I say to myself sometimes, “No I don’t want to push my lifestyle and way of being on other people,” so in that sense I don’t want to say anything. But then at the same time, if I don’t say anything and remain silent, it really is a crime, right?

The bottom line is “yes,” I appreciate you for recycling. But please just don’t forget that there are a few other steps before you get to the recycling part. One thing that my husband and I try to remember to do is to take our own bags to the grocery store. It doesn’t kill us to have to walk out a few more times to the car when we bring in our grocery bags (it acually is probably good for us to do a little extra walking). And boy, do we like the confused looks on the clerks’ faces. “Oh we don’t need any bags,” we say. And the clerk says with a puzzled look, “Are you sure?” Although I do appreciate the gesture and it is something that they can offer me, it amazes me how entrenched we all are in our way of thinking that we can’t see that people may not want/ “need” (let’s not get started on the meaning of that word) a bag. We’re also trying to get into the habit of taking Tupperware containers with us when we go out to eat for our leftovers. Rather than using the Styrofoam, we just put it in our own container. Although we get strange looks, we do get s sense of satisfaction when we walk out with the containers in our hands. One time we used them at a local Mexican place and the server said to us, “Your own containers! What a great idea.” It seemed as if she had never thought about that as an option before (and probably many people don’t). So in moments like those it makes me feel good. I think, “Maybe we just made a difference.”

Maybe I don’t have to preach to other people all the time (because I am sure that eventually that will also work against you—people will get sick of hearing it). But I have to remember that it is sort of a luxury to even worry about these kinds of things. You know, I’m sure that there are some single parents out there (some of my friends actually) who are trying to makes ends meet that are not necessarily worried about recycling all of their cardboard or taking their own containers to dinner. Heck no, they are more worried about where they will get the money to pay for their groceries and that their kids actually get fed. So what do you do?

You know what I say, “Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.” And try to talk to people about it sometime. We all have to do our part to try to embed things into our everyday lives and make it a part of our routine. So remember the order of things: Reduce, Re-use, recycle.

And things to think about . . .What do you do to try to reduce the impact of your own consumption? What small things like taking your own containers to dinner do you already do on a regular basis that can make a difference? What other small changes can you make to get better at the reducing and re-using part?

~Autumn Garrison

About Nancy:

I am a long time supporter and activist for environmental education and stewardship! An avid enthusiast of outdoor recreation, I moved to Salt Lake City from Maine, in 1981 mostly for the skiing, but my passion for adventure and the outdoors also led me to pursue rock climbing in Indian Creek, American Fork, Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons, and mountain biking in Moab. Missing the ocean and the sailing—from the coast of Maine, down to the Caribbean, the 80’s in Utah also brought me windsurfing from Deer Creek to Rush Lake (yes, it was filled then in those high water years!) In search of the wind we also ventured to the Hood River Gorge, Coyote Point in San Francisco Bay, and the Baja. Traveling throughout Utah and other regions in the west, whether in pursuit of a new crag, a new adventure mountain biking, or a day out in the Wasatch Mountains skiing with friends, I learned to appreciate the beauty of the open spaces our western region has to offer.

Along with my passion for the outdoors and nature is my passion for knowledge and being engaged with higher education. I am currently a master’s candidate at the University of Utah researching climate, drought and fire in the west, and I am very interested in how this new scientific knowledge can offer better ways for us to respond to the problems and opportunities created by a varying and changing climate. Although we don’t know for sure how climate change will affect our regional water resources, it is clear from the last several years of drought, that water resources are already stressed, independent of, and any additional stress from, climate change or increased variability will only intensify the competition for water resources.

As Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Utah Society for Environmental Education I lead the Community Discussions Program working within the community, city government and higher education, using resources and tools to explore ways of bringing environmental education and sustainability into the lives of people. I can’t think of a better way for me to integrate my love for nature and the outdoors with my passion for communicating my knowledge about climate as it relates to our community and the critical issues we face in regard to our environment.

Sustainability emphasizes relationships and I am deeply motivated by my connection to all these places that have touched my life and hope to impart a deeper understanding of climate, our environment, and sustainability. Striving to build new partnerships within the community, higher education, and organizations is meaningful and the creative part of my job that I love!

When not at my desk I can be found working on my thesis, in my garden, cooking for friends (basically everything and anything to do about food), or somewhere engaged in outdoor sports.

Here are some pictures from the cactus on my front porch:

I believe one of the marvels of the world is when my cactus blooms! This amazing cactus blooms one flower once a year for 8 hours. Usually in mid August the flower begins to bud. The process takes from 7-10 days and then one late evening it opens—Long after sunset when the evening begins to cool (usually around 10:00PM). While most of the world sleeps this marvelous flower in all its glory blooms and by 6:00AM the show is over and the bloom closes. I await camera in hand to capture this stunning appearance—until next year!

Welcome to Green Fork!

Green Fork is the newest extension of the Utah Society for Environmental Education (USEE) where the staff can address environmental education issues directly with the public. USEE's vision is to cultivate ecological knowledge to build environmental consciousness that ensures economic, social, and environmental sustainability for Utah. USEE is non-profit organization dedicated to a non-advocacy standpoint that has clear, set goals to provide leadership to formal teachers, non-formal educators, and the community at large.

What is Green Fork? We at USEE wanted to connect with the community on a different level than we do through our newsletters and emails. We wanted to provide a space for the public to connect with each other, too. Green Fork is that space. It is a place to ask questions, provide thoughts, contribute your efforts, and mainly to learn from each other.

Who is Green Fork for? Well, anybody! The primary purpose of Green Fork is to connect with the people of Utah, to spread the word about environmental education (EE), to discuss EE-related issues, and to expand environmental literacy within the state of Utah, but anyone is welcome to contribute. So if you have an interest in the environment, education, or environmental education, or if you have a desire to learn more about these things, then please get involved!

How can I get involved? Do you have something to say, an experience to share, or an idea to contribute that might relate to something we are writing about? Please share it in our comments section after each post. If you would like know more about a certain topic or have a specific question about something we haven't covered, please ask us! The USEE staff is comprised of people with very diverse backgrounds and our collective knowledge is extensive. If we don't know, or can't find, the answers to your questions, then we can certainly locate the resources to get you started in the right direction.

What types of things will be posted? Once we start to develop an article base, we will begin to categorize posts into groups with labels such as: EE Policies & Issues, Community Experience, Staff Efforts & Goals, Environmental Literacy, and a Teacher's Corner to name a few.

Are there opportunities to connect with my community face-to-face? Of course! Green Fork is also a springboard for our Community Discussion Courses where you can get together with your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to discuss issues such as food, energy, sustainability, voluntary simplicity, and many more. The USEE staff just completed the newest Community Discussion Course, Menu for the Future. There will be much more information about the Community Discussion Courses coming soon to a Green Fork post near you!

We hope you are as excited about Green Fork as we are. Stay tuned to join in on our journey of on-going environmental literacy, and remember to please relax, sit down, enjoy, and connect.

About Andree'

My name is Andree’ Walker Bravo and I am the Associate Director here at USEE. I’ve been here just about a year now, and love it. Previously, I worked at Utah State University Water Quality Extension as the Watershed Education Program Coordinator. I am a California girl at heart, but have been in Utah for 11 years, completing an undergrad and master’s degree at Utah State University, and various other things during that time. I’ve tried to leave Utah a couple of times, but have found that the amazing landscape and abundant outdoor opportunities here suck you back like a vortex. I’ve been in Salt Lake for a couple of years and have really enjoyed the “city life.” It is quite different than Logan, which I still miss as well.

I am recently married, bringing my new household to my husband (Joe) and I, my stepkids (Gracie and Johnny), my Black Lab (Bronco), and my 3 young chickens (Honey Glazed, Teriyaki, and BBQ). We are also new homeowners. So, you could probably guess that my hobbies are learning to be a mom, trying hard to grow a good garden (the first time in my life I’ve been able to have a garden for more than one year in a row), landscaping (read: pulling weeds), and trying to keep my chickens from eating the tomatoes. I love learning and trying new things. I’m the youngest of four in my family, and the only girl, so I’ve always been a bit stubborn, and not afraid to get dirty.







My goal with the Green Fork posts is to bring new information to you, whether you are a teacher, a parent, an interested citizen, whatever. I’d like to be able to share the new things I learn and make them easy to apply to our own lives if we wish. Happy Reading!

About Me: Nicole

First of all, I would like to say hello! to all of our new readers out there. With the launch of Green Fork, I am so eager to be able to reach out to the community in a way that we never have been able to before. Yes, you have heard it is an exciting time for environmental education. There are stimulating things happening on every front from the No Child Left Inside Coalition to talk in our own Salt Lake City newspapers. But these conversations will have to wait for another day. As much as I would like to talk about all of the amazing things that are coming together for environmental education, I must instead tell you a bit about myself first.

My name is Nicole Thomas and I am the Programs Assistant at USEE. I have been working here for a little over half a year and I love it! I was also working as a Youth Education Specialist at Red Butte Garden, but I now am dedicating my full time and attention to USEE. I was born in Salt Lake City, and have lived here for most of my life. My parents divorced when I was young and afterward my dad spent most of my life moving around to different parts of the country in pursuit of better career opportunities. Summers and Christmases were spent in Minnesota, Colorado, Indiana, and Tennessee. I also spent a fantastic five months in Alaska out on my own. Through these experiences I have developed a unique palate of landscapes, but after all is said and done, I keep coming back to the Utah backdrop.

My love affair with the outdoors started from an early age. I remember camping with my family in the Northern Wasatch Mountains when I was three or four, asking my mom, "why can't we bring the TV and plug it into a tree?" I soon vanquished this wild notion as I realized the joy to be had in the simplicity of the pine-forests and aspen groves. Since then I have explored many different types of outdoor enjoyment from hiking to rock climbing to cross-country skiing. My other interests and hobbies include playing my guitar, reading, and riding my bikes.

I attribute my attraction to environmental education to my early years spent in the vast wilderness of Utah and Colorado. This interest is ever expanding as I learn more and more about the troubles of our society and the solutions provided by getting kids outside. My continued involvement with USEE fosters my growing curiosity in matters of environmental education and I look forward to going on this journey of environmental literacy with you!