Welcome to the USEE e-newsletter. Our new monthly e-newsletter will allow USEE to provide educators, organizations, and concerned citizens with current information, events and opportunities. If you have suggestions for making our new e-newsletter a better resource for you, or if you have something you would like posted, please contact us at (801) 328-1549 or email info@usee.org.

Utah Environmental Education Conference

Online Registration Now Available!! - Click HERE
Early Bird Registration Deadline: September 2, 2005

USEE’s 16th Annual Environmental Education Conference will be held on September 23 & 24, 2005, at the Zion Park Inn in Springdale, Utah.

The keynote presentations will be given by Craig Childs, LA Times columnist and author of The Secret Knowledge of Water, and Bora Simmons, Northern Illinois University professor and director of the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education. Visit http://www.usee.org/ or contact Lindsey@usee.org or 801-328-1549 for registration and additional information about the conference.

Nominations for 2005 Utah Environmental Education Awards
Deadline: September 16, 2005
It is time once again to think about those who have made significant contributions to Utah’s environmental education community. Nominations for the following awards are now being accepted:

Environmental Educator of the Year
Environmental Education Program of the Year
Environmental Education Volunteer of the Year

Recipients will be recognized at USEE’s annual Benefit Bash and Awards Banquet on October 22, 2005. For more information on how to nominate your favorite educator, volunteer, or program, please contact Jen at jenv@usee.org or visit http://www.usee.org/.

Exploring EE and Intercultural Competency
October 15, 2005 (12-6pm), USU Campus, Logan, UT
As part of our regional capacity building efforts, USEE and the Northern Utah Region are hosting a one-day, diversity workshop, in conjunction with the Utah Bioneers Conference in Logan. This workshop will explore multicultural issues within the real world of environmental education. Through discussion of case studies and other activities, participants will examine the challenges of working with cultural groups different from their own and identify strategies for becoming more culturally competent. For more information and to register, please contact Lindsey at lindsey@usee.org.

Educator Night at Hogle Zoo
Educator Night will be held on August 24, 2005 from 5-8pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for PreK-12 teachers to learn more about education programs at Utah’s Hogle Zoo and get a head start on curricula for the 2004-2005 school year. Learn about and sign up for field trips, school outreach programs, on-site classes, in-service programs, and teaching kits. An RSVP is requested but not required (call 801-584-1799). For more information contact Rich Hendron at 801-584-1712 or rhendron@hoglezoo.org.

Archaeology of the Wasatch Front
The Ogden Nature Center will offer an archaeological discovery class about the Wasatch Front on September 24th at 11am. Learn about the Fremont Indians, Mushroom Springs, Dig at Antelope Island and more. For more information visit: www.ogdennaturecenter.org.

What else is going on in Utah? Find out! Visit the USEE On-Line Events Calendar at http://www.usee.org/.

NAAEE 2005 Conference Registration – Now Available Online
Register now for the 34th Annual NAAEE Conference, “Sustainability and Environmental Education: Focus on the Future.” The conference will be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 25-29, 2005. The host team from the Environmental Education Association of New Mexico (EEANM) is working with NAAEE leadership to offer more than 230 presentations, 6 exceptional keynote speakers, 14 workshops and 13 field trips. For more information visit: http://naaee.org/catalog/register.php.

Conservation Careers and Diversity Project Survey
The Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) is conducting a national research project on initiatives/activities/programs, which aim to educate, recruit, support and retain underrepresented groups within the conservation field. ECO would like to include your activities in this important project in a free online directory. Please go to: http://pragmatic-research.com/Surveys/10/eco.htm to provide your information. For more information visit http://www.eco.org/DI/Mapping/backgrnd.html or contact the Project Manager, Marissa Glowac, at mglowac@eco.org or 617-426-4375 X 131.

Nominate and Outstanding Educator
Each year, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) selects one educator to receive the ASCD Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA). The award, including $10,000 and a profile in Educational Leadership magazine, seeks to recognize a teacher under the age of 40 who demonstrates excellence in his or her profession. For more information, visit www.ascd.org.

Where can you explore ideas for creating a healthy lifestyle and community?
The Great Basin Earth Institute (GBEI) will hold two introductory meetings in September at the Salt Lake City Main Public Library.

• September 12, 7pm: General Introduction to GBEI Courses Salt Lake City Public Library, Children’s Department Conference Room

• September 14, 7pm: Introduction to Healthy Children, Healthy Planet Salt Lake City Public Library, Children’s Department Conference Room

The first meeting will provide a general introduction to all courses offered by the Great Basin Earth Institute. The second meeting will focus on our newest course, Healthy Children, Healthy Planet. This course explores the influence that our fast-paced, consumer-oriented society has on our children and presents alternatives for people who want to create meaningful times and healthy environments for our children. The readings and questions in this discussion course address the pervasive effects of advertising and media on our children's view of the world as well as exploring ways to develop a child's connection to nature and foster creativity.

To RSVP for an introductory session contact Sommer at 801-328-1549 or sommer@usee.org. Please visit http://www.usee.org/services/GBEI/home.htm to learn more about GBEI courses.

Three Utah Mayors Support Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels’ Climate Plan

On June 13th, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels won unanimous support for his proposed climate protection agreement at the U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Chicago. Nickels challenged cities nationwide to meet or beat the 7 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions called for in the Kyoto Protocol. Three Utah mayors were among those supporting the plan: Mayor Rocky Anderson, Salt Lake City; Mayor David Sakrison, Moab; and Mayor Dana Williams, Park City.

For more information visit www.seattle.gov/mayor/issues/eaa/ (information also adapted from SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCE NEWS SERVICES).

Every Ton of Recycled Office Paper Saves 380 Gallons of Oil
We all know that recycling paper helps to reduce the amount of trees used in production. However, according to thinkquest.org, did you know that every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil? What does papermaking have to do with oil? Energy to power the papermaking plants comes from a variety of sources including oil as in diesel generator sets, and oil-fired boilers for the paper drying process. Transportation of the trees and delivering paper also contribute to oil usage. So what recycling measures can you take at your office?
Start an office recycling program for paper, cardboard, etc. and educate the staff to its purpose and uses. Use recycled paper for printing, photocopies, stationery and business cards. Use scrap paper for informal notes to yourself and others. Print and photocopy only when necessary, only the number you really need, using both sides of the paper. Make environmental education a priority at every level of the organization. Use staples, paper clips and white glue rather than more toxic adhesives. Use soy-based inks and chlorine-free paper. Get into the habit of proofing everything on-screen before you print. Use smaller pieces of paper for memos.
For more tips visit: http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/facts.htm http://www.green-networld.com/facts/facts_fr.htm http://www.itdg.org/docs/technical_information_service/papermaking.pdf

We would like to welcome and say thanks to USEE’s new and renewing Institutional Members and Corporate “Partners in Environmental Education” :

Colorado River and Trail Expeditions
Kennecott Utah Copper
Salt Lake City Mayor's Office
Tracy Aviary
Utah's Hogle Zoo

Environmental Education Funding Restored

Early this month, President Bush signed the FY 2006 spending bill that controls funding for the EPA’s Office of Environmental Education (OEE). The bill includes $9 million in funding for the OEE! Congratulations and thanks to everyone in Utah who responded and helped to restore funding for Environmental Education! Give yourselves a pat on the back! Also, big thanks to Senators Burns, Bond, Milkulski and Clinton, and House Representatives Taylor, Walsh, Boehlert and Obey, who all supported the funding for Environmental Education.