EEASC 2026 Conference Camp Compass

"Sketch" your imagination and creative muscles and join Beth Burkett for a nature journaling pre-conference workshop. During this session, participants learn how nature journaling can be used in a variety of outdoor spaces, ranging from backyards to public parks, to school grounds, to connect with the environment and serve as a cross-curricular approach to teaching a variety of subjects. Using the natural world for inspiration, participants learn sketching, drawing, writing, and observation skills to enrich a journaling practice. 



This workshop welcomes all skill levels, from beginners to experienced. Please bring a journal or something to draw and write on and your favorite pen or pencil. Additional art supplies will be provided for practice during the session. 



Our Wednesday pre-conference sessions will wrap up at or before 12:00 PM, giving you time to take a break and enjoy lunch on your own before the full conference begins at 1:00 PM. We’ll share a list of nearby dining options during the session to make it easy for you to explore local spots and connect with fellow attendees over lunch.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) must serve environmental education, not redefine it. Yet most professional development focuses on how to use AI, not whether or when we should. This interactive session examines AI through three lenses: the good, how it might support idea generation and data analysis; the bad, how it can mislead, oversimplify, or weaken authentic connection to people and place; and the ugly, the hidden environmental, social, and ethical costs with its use. Rather than promoting or dismissing AI, this session initiates the process for environmental educators to critically assess AI’s role, if any, in their work.
Participants will engage in small and large group discussions and collaborative brainstorming to evaluate real-world examples in using AI. Through guided reflection and movement-based activities, attendees will practice asking the essential questions that must come before adopting AI tools. Participants will leave with a Before You Use AI Field Card, a concise tool to help environmental educators pause and evaluate AI decisions before adopting them.

For this session, we will need an indoor space to do the primary compass education, and possibly the knots...if it is really hot out.  We will also need outdoor space for the orienteering, setting up shelters and  definitely the fire starting.  However, if there is inclement weather, all can be done indoors.  We will start off with parts of a compass and how to use it, discover how many steps it takes to go 10 feet and basic orienteering.  Then we will run a simple course and discuss how a compass could help with no bearings or even knowing where you are.  We will then go into how long a human can generally survive without certain things and what to secure first in a survival situation.   We will learn 3 knots that can be used to secure a tarp for shelter and then try our hands at getting smoke with a fire bow and board, flint and steel, and glasses lens, plastic bag with water, or magnifying glass.  

In this hands-on, interdisciplinary session, I will facilitate classroom activities that help elementary students explore interconnections in nature and introduce concepts of environmental stewardship and sustainable resource management. At the same time, these activities build academic skills in elementary mathematics, science, social studies and English language arts.
After a brief introduction on the ecology concepts to be presented, I will lead participants in several hands-on activities. These include a cooperative board game based on the Dr. Seuss classic, The Lorax, to model reforesting an area to restore biodiversity; a 3-D activity to model resource extraction and environmental considerations for the area; an interactive story on a local habitat and a game of strategy on managing a shared resource. All presented activities are matched to state standards for several subject areas. The presented activities use a variety of strategies and modalities to be inclusive of all types of learners in a formal or informal educational setting. Participants will receive activity instructions and background materials in an electronic format, with access to a password-protected website.

The presenter will talk about  the hobby of Geocaching and how to incorporate it into Environmental Education programs. After this short talk, participants will track a nearby cache to get a feel for how to participate. 

Sit Spot is a deceptively simple practice: participants return regularly to the same outdoor place to observe, reflect, and notice change over time. Yet research with former students reveals that this slow, recurring routine can foster deep environmental connection and long-term care for place. In this session, we will briefly explore key findings about Sit Spot’s enduring impact on holistic well-being, engagement with affect (wonder, calm, reflection), and connection to nature.Participants will then engage in a guided mini Sit Spot experience outdoors, followed by structured reflection and discussion about implementation in formal and informal environmental education settings. We will discuss practical considerations such as scaffolding trust, journaling prompts, group culture, and adapting Sit Spot for different age groups and contexts. Educators will leave inspired and equipped to create space for stillness in their own programs.

Older adults are an eager, curious, and deeply engaged population ready to explore the world in new ways. Many now have the time to dive into environmental and science topics they once set aside—and an added bonus is they can bring grandchildren along for the adventure. Research shows young adults and children thrive socially and emotionally when learning alongside a trusted mentor that helps them stay more focused and connected to the material. This creates powerful opportunities to design workshops that spark curiosity, strengthen relationships, and build a more sustainable future. We will brainstorm together on creative programs that invite both generations to learn, explore, and make an impact together.