Category: Article

This week, we wanted to continue the conversation about acting as an environmentally literate citizen by living a greener lifestyle! From shifting to sustainable products to researching local climate issues, there are a million things you can do to transition to a greener lifestyle. To eliminate some of the stress of getting started, we have prepared a checklist that can serve as a guide for your green journey!  

Need some more information before you get started? Visit last week’s blog to read more about the connection between environmental literacy and a green lifestyle. 

For a Greener Home: 

❑ Turn off and unplug appliances such as TVs, lamps, computers, and phones when not in use 

❑ Regularly replace filters in heaters, air conditioning, and dryers 

❑ Curate gardens with native plants and trees 

❑ Create a compost bin and reduce food waste 

❑ Buy non-toxic and plant-based cleaning products 

While we encourage people to use products they are comfortable with, these are some Green Guardians favorites for a greener home: Blueland for non-toxic, plastic free home cleaning products, OhmConnect to save on energy bills and consumption, Native Plants Finder 

For a Greener Lifestyle: 

❑ Buy less – take a minimalist approach to purchases 

❑ Read and share books on climate change and eco-living 

❑ Shop locally for produce and shop second-hand for clothing and décor 

❑ Drive or rent an electric, hybrid, or hydrogen car to reduce CO2 emissions 

❑ Use zero-waste alternatives such as glass straws, reusable cotton rounds, and detergent 

Some Green Guardians favorites for a greener lifestyle: A Better Planet: Forty Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future, Climate Change Podcasts, How to Save a Planet, Climate-Friendly Supermarkets, Loop Store, Thrift Books 

For Active Engagement: 

❑ Encourage schools to: 

▫ Switch to solar energy  

▫ Take classes outdoors 

▫ Create green spaces (I.e., gardens, recycling centers) 

▫ Offer plant-based meals 

▫ Ditch single-use plastic 

❑ Join a climate activist group such as Climate Reality and Citizen’s Climate Lobby 

❑ Educate yourself and vote for candidates that have a progressive platform 

❑ Create or join a sustainability/green team at your workplace or in your community 

❑ Discuss green living and climate change with friends and family to encourage action 

Some Green Guardians favorites for active engagement: The Natural Resources Defense Council: Guide to Talking With Kids of All Ages About Climate Change, Climate Reality Chapters, One Green Planet Petitions 

Relevant Links

How Clean is Your Electric Vehicle? 

Electric cars tend to produce less carbon pollution than gas-powered ones—but just how much less? This tool allows you to see how clean your electric vehicle is compared to those in your local area! 

5 Climate Action Chores for Kids | The Climate Reality Project Blog  

While many kids may not be fully equipped to truly tackle the science and stakes of the climate crisis until they’re a bit older, you can lay a strong foundation for future learning and action by engaging your child in some age-appropriate activities that will instill a sense of environmental responsibility that they will carry with them into adulthood. 

Climate Action  

Established in 2007 and headquartered in London, UK, Climate Action establishes and builds partnerships between business, government, and public bodies to accelerate international sustainable development and advance the ‘green economy’.  

The Climate Reality Project  

The Climate Reality Project has the mission to create a global sense of urgency on climate change and catalyze a planet-wide shift to clean energy to solve it. Founded and chaired by Nobel Laureate and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, they share the truth of climate disruption with communities around the world and empower people everywhere with the knowledge and tools to help create a sustainable future. 

Terracycle  

TerraCycle is Eliminating the Idea of Waste®. They develop ways to make things that are typically non-recyclable nationally recyclable such as chewing gum, cigarette butts, and even dirty diapers. They integrate recycled materials into new products and create platforms that move consumers from disposable, single-use packaging to durable, reusable packaging without sacrificing the economics and convenience that make disposable products desirable. 

As we look at ways to advance environmental literacy for students across the nation, climate change is at the front of many students’ minds. However, most teachers don’t teach climate change, either because they feel that climate change is too daunting to discuss in the classroom, or that it doesn’t apply to their subject matter (NPR/Ipsos 2019). Many others see the large systems issues that need addressing and identify them as being too big to confront individually. But students want to be educated about these issues and want to learn how they can make a difference. Think about it, each person making one small act could equal 7 billion actions to fight climate change! By taking the step to learn more as an individual – whether you are a student, teacher, parent, or policy-maker – you can increase the momentum for change wherever you reside. No matter how big or small your actions are, each step towards a more sustainable lifestyle can make a difference in the fight against climate change and the advancement of environmental literacy for all citizens of the world.  

“An environmentally literate person has the capacity to act individually and with others to support ecologically sound, economically prosperous, and equitable communities for present and future generations.” 

 – A Blueprint for Environmental Literacy (2015) 

The climate crisis is an omnipresent issue in our world today. From global temperatures rising to an influx of natural disasters, people across the world are experiencing the devastating effects of human contribution to our environment. It can be overwhelming to find a way to reverse or lessen the effects of climate change in our daily lives, so we wanted to share some ways that individuals can make a difference through sustainable changes in their routines.  

One of the easiest ways to get started on your green living journey is by minimizing your use of single-use plastics. Items such as plastic water bottles or grocery bags are often used out of convenience, but utilizing items such as reusable bottles or bags is a simple way to encourage businesses to stop supplying single-use plastics as well as limiting personal use of these items. Items such as personal care products, toys, and home cleaning products also fall into the “single-use” plastic category, so if alternatives are not easily accessible, using resources such as Terracycle’s Free Recycling programs that partner with notable brands (Hasbro Toy, Burt’s Bees, Colgate, and many more!) is a great way to get started. It’s as easy as printing out one of their free shipping labels and using an old package mailer or box lying around the house to ship them to the recycling centers that can easily process the materials. 

Everyone has heard that swapping to reusable materials is always a good way to transition to a green lifestyle, but did you know that you can swap out items in your home for ones that are more energy-efficient and cost-effective? For example, you can replace incandescent and CFL light bulbs with LED bulbs. You can also swap out older appliances and buy Energy Star models, running them during non-peak hours to save on your monthly bill! Another option if you are in the process of looking for a new home or renovating your current home, is to insulate your home and install double-pane windows. This allows for heat-loss prevention and can lower your overall heating bills. 

Making all of these changes to alternative, eco-friendly products is necessary for the future of our planet, but having a green lifestyle is one that supports organizations and continuous learning about how our actions can contribute to climate change. Encouraging your local businesses to support and stock green products or serve more plant-based meals is a fun way to start conversations and educate others about the climate crisis. You can also create conversations in the workplace about divesting from fossil fuel companies and investing in renewable energy companies such as SunPower or Tesla. You can buy carbon offsets when traveling by plane, ship, or rental car through Terrapass or 4AIR to make your commute more climate-friendly. All of these small actions add up, especially when we share our thoughts and concerns with others. The company we keep usually shares the same values, it just takes one person to start a conversation and inspire change! 

If you want to continue learning and become an advocate for green living, it’s important to seek out information about climate solutions as well as green practices happening in your local community! Check out the list of resources below, and feel free to share this article with a friend to get them started on their green lifestyle journey! 

Want to learn more about supporting a green lifestyle and advancing environmental literacy? Join our newsletter! 

Relevant Links 

4AIR 

4AIR is an aviation sustainability company assisting stakeholders in private aviation implement meaningful sustainability programs that meet and exceed industry commitments. 4AIR assists with environmental regulatory compliance and sources independent review to assure compliance with voluntary and regulatory commitments.

5 Climate Action Chores for Kids | The Climate Reality Project Blog 

While many kids may not be fully equipped to truly tackle the science and stakes of the climate crisis until they’re a bit older, you can lay a strong foundation for future learning and action by engaging your child in some age-appropriate activities that will instill a sense of environmental responsibility that they will carry with them into adulthood.

Climate Action 

Established in 2007 and headquartered in London, UK, Climate Action establishes and builds partnerships between business, government, and public bodies to accelerate international sustainable development and advance the ‘green economy’. 

The Climate Reality Project 

The Climate Reality Project has the mission to create a global sense of urgency on climate change and catalyze a planet-wide shift to clean energy to solve it. Founded and chaired by Nobel Laureate and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, they share the truth of climate disruption with communities around the world and empower people everywhere with the knowledge and tools to help create a sustainable future.

ENERGY STAR®  

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including nearly 40% of the Fortune 500®—partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions that protect the climate while improving air quality and protecting public health. 

SunPower 

SunPower designs all-in-one residential and commercial solar and storage solutions backed by personal customer service and the industry’s most comprehensive warranty.

Terracycle 

TerraCycle is Eliminating the Idea of Waste®. They develop ways to make things that are typically non-recyclable nationally recyclable. In their research, they have found that few things are beyond recycling, and have found solutions for chewing gum, cigarette butts, and even dirty diapers. They integrate recycled materials into new products, such as working with some of the world’s biggest brands to turn ocean plastic into shampoo bottles. Or toothpaste tubes into playgrounds. They create platforms that move consumers from disposable, single-use packaging to durable, reusable packaging without sacrificing the economics and convenience that make disposable products desirable.

Terrapass 

Terrapass is dedicated to the fight against climate change. Their mission is to provide the resources necessary for companies and individuals to understand and take responsibility for their climate impact through offsetting carbon emissions.

Tesla 

Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy through increasingly affordable electric vehicles in addition to renewable energy generation and storage. To achieve a sustainable energy future, Tesla also created infinitely scalable energy products: Powerwall, Powerpack, and Solar Roof. As the world’s only vertically integrated energy company, Tesla continues to innovate, scale, and reduce the costs of commercial and grid-scale systems, with the goal of ultimately getting us to 100% renewable energy grids.

When we think about environmental literacy, we think of classroom lessons and outdoor field trips. But environmental literacy can be practiced outside of educational settings, specifically at home in your community! According to Jason Morris, the Senior Program Officer for Environmental Education at Pisces Foundation, the 3 key components of a strong environmental education ecosystem are experiences at school, experiences in programs, and experiences at home and in local communities. By implementing green practices at home, families can spark conversations that advance environmental literacy and help them better understand their connection to the natural world around them – one of the core goals of environmental literacy! If you are looking to incorporate environmentally literate activities at home in your community, look no further. 

One of the easiest ways to advance environmental literacy at home in your local community is to get outside! Exploring your neighborhood is a great way to discover the positive environmental practices already occurring within your community. Keep an eye out for community gardens, monarch butterfly waystations, and local trails and parks – these sustainable living locations can become the catalyst for your neighborhood to transition into a greener community. 

As you explore your neighborhood, take note of the natural flora and fauna you witness. Encourage children or other family members to carry a nature notebook – capturing their thoughts about the butterflies they see, what flowers they land on, the colors of their wings – taking notes about experiences in your community is a great way for children to relate to the natural world around them. Apps such as iNaturalist, allow explorers to act as citizen scientists, capturing images of the plants and animals they see in their communities to help naturalists identify and protect the many plant species we have on our planet. Joining a network like iNaturalist is an easy and exciting way to get involved in your community, learn about your surroundings, and continue conversations about the environment outside the classroom.  

Another way to encourage environmentally literate members of your community is through utilizing public transportation or taking a bike ride to the grocery store! When taking these alternative forms of transportation, you can start a conversation with your family about how you have lowered your carbon footprint and how the environment benefits from these small acts. Bike riding and using public transportation is also a great way to explore new areas of your community that you may usually avoid due to busy parking lots, fares for parking garages, or ease of accessibility. Creating a neighborhood carpool group is also a great way to lower your carbon footprint while also bringing environmental literacy practices to more families in your community. 

A fun and tangible way to introduce environmental practices into everyday home life is to introduce recycling processes into everyday actions. Take a look at your community’s recycling policies: Do they separate plastics? Do they accept glass? If you start a conversation at home about how you can improve your community’s recycling policies, families and neighbors can come together to write a letter to local governments to update policies in a way that best fits the needs of your community. You can also introduce programs such as Terracycle, which utilizes school recycling centers and encourage recycling through a school rewards program!   

There are many ways to incorporate environmental literacy activities at home in your community. Creating exciting conversations surrounding actions and observations in your neighborhood is a great way for children to actualize the way their experiences are a part of the natural world. Children are more likely to connect with the natural elements around them when they are introduced to practices at home and in their local community, as well as in the classroom. Learn more about how you can take action and support the advancement of environmental literacy among children in your community through the links below.

Relevant Links

Calculate your Carbon Footprint with Global Footprint Network

Humans use as many ecological resources as if we lived on 1.6 Earths. The Ecological Footprint is the only metric that compares the resource demand of individuals, governments, and businesses against Earth’s capacity for biological regeneration. Calculate your Carbon Footprint today!

iNaturalist 

Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. iNaturalist shares your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.

Online Activity Guides | National Parks Service 

With scavenger hunts, word games, matching pictures, and more, you can find Junior Ranger activities online. The National Park Service is building this page with more fun stuff, so check back often to see which parks add more activities to this page.

Monarch Waystations 

Monarch Waystations are places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. Without milkweeds throughout their spring and summer breeding areas in North America, monarchs would not be able to produce the successive generations that culminate in the migration each fall. 

Find a National Park in Your Community 

The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.

California Park Directory 

California parks include California State Parks, National Parks, and local community-operated city and community parks. There’s lots of “parking” going on at these natural assets that locals need for healthy living and tourists come to see their amazing attractions such as the world’s tallest trees, the world’s oldest tree, the world’s biggest tree, and much more.

Terracycle 

TerraCycle® is a social enterprise Eliminating the Idea of Waste®. In 21 countries, they tackle the issue from many angles. They have found that nearly everything we touch can be recycled and collect typically non-recyclable items through national, first-of-their-kind recycling platforms.

Exploring New Horizons is an outdoor education program that was founded as a nonprofit in 1979. Its mission is to empower students, build environmental literacy, and strengthen school communities through residential and environmental education. Each year, Exploring New Horizons’ experienced naturalists serve 7,000 students throughout the greater San Francisco and Monterey Bay area in their outdoor education programs that are aligned with NGSS and Common Core standards. Their goal is to provide high-quality and affordable programs to create positive associations between learning and the outdoors. 

Currently, Exploring New Horizons is offering outdoor school programs for students in Santa Cruz County, as well as a virtual science camp to accommodate current mandates. We recently spoke with Jacob Sackin, Executive Director of Exploring New Horizons, and he provided some insight on the importance of outdoor education programs, noting “In CA less than 10% of 4-6th grade students attend outdoor school.” Through experience and research, Jacob has highlighted the benefits when students participate in 3 to 5-day residential outdoor education programs, including: 

• • Increased motivation to learn and achievement in school
• • Greater self-esteem, respect, and conflict resolution skills
• • Less stress, depression, and symptoms of ADD

Exploring New Horizons takes a “Whole Child Approach” with the creation of their programs, focusing on environmental stewardship, social-emotional learning, and the arts. They offer two program types: 

• • A larger program that engages entire 5-6^th grade classrooms and teachers in a 4–5-day overnight program in Pescadero/Scotts Valley allows students to explore the redwoods, go tide pooling, take night hikes, and sing songs about decomposition. 
• • A smaller program 1 to 3-day program that engages 20-40 3^rd– 8^th graders at Pigeon Point Lighthouse where students learn about northern elephant seals, look for whales, cook meals each day, and more! 

At the core of Exploring New Horizon’s mission is environmental literacy, and Jacob believes that environmental literacy starts with equity of access to environmental education programs. If environmental education and literacy programs were implemented at the state level, funding could be more easily accessible for students across California. Students that were offered free preschool and outdoor learning programs throughout the years could better understand their connection to the world and the ecosystems around them. 

“Environmental Literacy involves building on environmental education experiences before and after attending an outdoor school program.” 

As noted by Jacob in a survey conducted by Exploring New Horizons in the last 5 years, 96% of 700 participating classroom teachers agreed that after participating in an outdoor education program, students:  

• • Expressed more self-esteem 
• • Strengthened relationships with peers and their teachers
• • Felt more connected to the environment and comfortable being outside 
• • Better understand the ecosystems of coastal California and their role as environmental stewards 

Overall, teachers mentioned that they noticed more respect and appreciation for the environment, stronger community, and cooperation, more independence, sense of responsibility, confidence, and self-esteem from student participants. 

Exploring New Horizons and many other nonprofit organizations rely on the support of their community to provide high-quality and affordable educational programs. Through the support of local schools, individual donors, and grant-funding, Exploring New Horizons works hard to curate a wide breadth of outdoor educational programs and help provide scholarships for schools with students who are eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Meals.  

During this past year, Exploring New Horizons has had to reduce the number of programs offered due to the pandemic and lack of support for outdoor education. ENH has taken the time to prepare lessons and programs that are educational and safe for children to participate in outdoor/open-air spaces and hopes to continue doing so as we look forward to the year ahead.  

If you are a teacher, parent, or guardian looking to get involved with an outdoor education program like Exploring New Horizons, visit the CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub and find partners and programs near you: CAELI Community Based Partner Hub

Philanthropic support is also a great way to get involved with nonprofits like ENH, so if you are an individual donor or a local foundation or corporation interested in funding opportunities, please visit: Support Exploring New Horizons!

Exploring New Horizons is an organizational member of the California Association of Environmental & Outdoor Education (AEOE). AEOE is a network of dedicated individuals and organizations in California that are committed to using environmental and outdoor education as a tool to create lasting environmental change. Their mission is “to advance the impact of environmental and outdoor education in California.” AEOE, led by Estrella Risinger, has 3 core goals: 1) Convene program providers to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive network of skilled practitioners. 2) Provide learning opportunities that are aligned with best practices and content relevant to the field 3) Promote high-quality environmental education and advocate for all young people to experience meaningful learning opportunities outdoors. 

Become an AEOE organizational member and get access to resources, conferences, and events! 

AEOE is the California affiliate for the North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE).

Relevant Links: 

Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education | California AEOE 

As the professional association for environmental and outdoor education in California, AEOE provides programs and practitioners with the tools, resources, and expertise to ensure that future generations are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and experiences necessary to develop lifelong connections to the natural world and the commitment to sustain it. 

California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI)

CAELI, led by Ten Strands, works statewide with guidance from a leadership council to create systems change in support of environmental literacy with a focus on access, equity, and cultural relevance for all students.

Environmental Education Equity | Exploring New Horizons 

Exploring New Horizons seeks support to serve more lower-income schools, to continue providing affordable rates and scholarships to participating schools, and to provide professional learning for our staff on equity, inclusion, and culturally responsive pedagogy. 

Loma Mar Program | Exploring New Horizons 

Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools at Loma Mar takes a hands-on, experiential approach to science education, and focuses on adventure, self-discovery, and environmental stewardship. Located in the Pescadero Creek watershed near Memorial and Pescadero Creek County Parks, students learn about how they are connected to the natural world while exploring the Oak and Redwood Forest. Each evening activity finishes with songs and stories around the campfire. 

Pigeon Point Program | Exploring New Horizons 

Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools at Pigeon Point is based at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse State Historic Park with accommodations provided by Hostelling International. Pigeon Point is located on the Pacific Ocean, 50 miles south of San Francisco, and 20 miles north of Santa Cruz. The Pigeon Point program offers a unique opportunity for students to learn more about themselves as well as the natural world that surrounds them. 

Sempervirens Program | Exploring New Horizons 

Exploring New Horizons Outdoor Schools at Sempervirens takes a hands-on, experiential approach to science education, and focuses on adventure, self-discovery, and environmental stewardship. Students explore the coastal ecosystems, the Oak, Madrone, and Redwood Forest, and each evening activity finishes with songs and stories around the campfire. 

Ten Strands 

Ten Strands weaves stakeholders and strategies together into strong, focused education partnerships, with the goal of raising environmental literacy by providing high-quality environment-based learning and hands-on education to all California K–12 students. Ten Strands acts as an incubator and a catalyst to create collaborations, build capacity, and transform systems to increase their impact and sustainability.

President Biden promised that his administration would take an aggressive role in combating climate change. Although still early in his presidency, there is evidence to suggest that it will be at the forefront of this administration’s agenda. He has committed to rejoining the Paris Agreement and is reviewing the standards protecting communities, water sources, and air quality. The Biden Administration has set a goal to have a net-zero emission economy by 2050. But the question is: How do we get there?

The Executive Order to combat climate change includes the following bold claims:

• The United States government will exercise its leadership to make climate considerations an essential element of U.S. foreign policy and national security

• Both significant short-term global emission reductions and net-zero global emissions by mid-century – or before – are required to avoid setting the world on a dangerous, potentially catastrophic, climate trajectory. 

• Commit to conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and oceans by 2030 and launches a process for stakeholder engagement from agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, Tribes, States, Territories, local officials, and others to identify strategies that will result in broad participation.

• Formalize a commitment to make environmental justice a part of the mission of every agency by directing federal agencies to develop programs, policies, and activities to address the disproportionate health, environmental, economic, and climate impacts on disadvantaged communities.

• Build a stronger, more resilient nation.

(Source: WhiteHouse.Gov)

While this order certainly advances the US’ climate agenda it does not incorporate or account for an education plan that focuses on climate change and how to prepare students with 21st-century skills that will enable them to make informed decisions and be capable of participating in a rapidly evolving world. If we want to create a more resilient nation, there is a need to prepare and educate our citizens from a young age about the causes and effects of climate change and their role in combating it. Creating a cross-sector agenda that includes the Department of Education is at the center of this action plan, and many organizations are reaching out to the Biden Administration to encourage them to take action.

President Biden has budgeted $102.8 billion for education in his $1.5 Trillion Budget Request, which can be used towards environmental literacy tools for students. With this budget, we would see an increase of 40.8% in education spending. (NPR.org) This increased budget, as well as the $14 billion increase allocated for fighting climate change, can serve students by providing funding for teachers for their basic classroom needs, while also meeting the need for resources to implement environmental literacy and justice campaigns across all grade levels.

Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), wrote a letter to the Biden Administration encouraging them to establish a joint federal and civil society effort based on their strategic framework (ACE Strategic Framework). ACE has created its national planning framework with the support of a broad coalition of partners with the goal of preparing the United States to enter the Paris Agreement. The need for a community-focused approach to climate action is the main foundation of the ACE framework.

If the Biden Administration were to utilize the community-focused approach of the ACE framework and incorporate the Department of Education into their climate change plan, we can begin to work on tackling climate change from the ground up. Without support from the Department of Education, teachers are left to their own devices, which often include limited support and resources to create a curriculum that supports climate action. As noted by author Christina Kwauk,

 “86% of teachers think climate change should be taught in classrooms, yet only 42% actually teach it.”

As the Biden Administration has made the call to acknowledge and support environmental justice throughout the nation, it is also important to recognize the connection between environmental justice and environmental literacy. In order to create a generation prepared to fight climate change, they need to have a fundamental understanding of not only the global repercussions of climate change but also the effects that climate change has on the communities they reside in. We recently spoke to youth activist Isha Clarke who mirrored this sentiment, mentioning that using the environment as a multi-disciplinary lens to highlight and provide context around injustices facing students’ communities will reach students and inspire action.

At Green Guardians, our motto is “environmental literacy, community action”, which directly correlates with the community-focused approach to environmental education. Our goal is to provide educators and their students with the tools and connections needed to create an education system with environmental literacy as the foundation across all subjects and grade levels.

Are you looking to join us as we champion for a sustainable and equitable future for all?

Join our newsletter!

Relevant Links

ACE National Strategy Framework for the United States

Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) —climate education, training, public awareness, public participation, access to information, and international cooperation—  as embedded in the UNFCCC Article 6 and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, can accelerate climate action and advance people-centered climate policies through increasing public awareness, building local capability, enhancing information sharing, encouraging innovation and beneficial behavioral norms, and promoting ongoing engagement.

Biden Proposes $1.5 Trillion Federal Spending Plan | NPR.org

The Biden administration on Friday unveiled a $1.5 trillion partial budget request for the next fiscal year, calling for increases across a range of domestic programs aimed at fighting poverty and climate change while keeping defense spending relatively flat.

Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad

The United States and the world face a profound climate crisis.  We have a narrow moment to pursue action at home and abroad in order to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of that crisis and to seize the opportunity that tackling climate change presents.  Domestic action must go hand in hand with United States international leadership, aimed at significantly enhancing global action. 

K12 Climate Action 

Their mission is to unlock the power of the education sector to be a force toward climate action, solutions, and environmental justice to help prepare children and youth to advance a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable society.

Letter to Biden-Harris Administration | ACE Framework

ACE Framework writes in support of Article 12 of the Paris Agreement: Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), which seeks to inform, engage, and empower the public to join in finding and implementing solutions to the climate crisis. 

The White House: Fact Sheet

President Biden Takes Executive Actions to Tackle the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, Create Jobs, and Restore Scientific Integrity Across Federal Government. 

This week, we want to highlight the importance of creating partnerships between the formal and nonformal education sectors to advance environmental literacy across the nation. We have had discussions with knowledge leaders Judy Braus, Andra Yeghoian, and Jason Morris about this topic, so we wanted to revisit the benefits of these partnerships, and how they can provide a holistic environmental literacy solution and positive outcomes for all K-12 students across the US.

Judy Braus, Executive Director of the NAAEE, core work has revolved around strengthening networks and building support for the advancement of environmental education and conservation. Judy notes that the necessary components to build a strong environmental education ecosystem are funding, policies, professional development, high-quality interdisciplinary curriculum, evaluation and metrics, equitable access to the outdoors, a focus on equity and inclusion in the field, and society-wide buy-in. Judy sees strong networks as the glue holding the environmental education ecosystem together and a bridge between state and local actors.  

Judy believes that the interplay between the non-formal and formal education sectors is crucial for the advancement of environmental literacy. Judy explains that,

“Schools are not isolated units in society. We have to look cross-sectoral and understand that we need to think about education throughout society, including early childhood, K-12, higher education, and all the places the people learn outside of our formal system.”

Judy Braus

Jason Morris, the Senior Program Officer for the Environmental Education Program at Pisces Foundation, where he works to identify and fund “backbone organizations” expressed a similar sentiment, “We need to aggregate this work so the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.” Jason believes there is a need to increase networking between states, among states, and that greater leadership is needed from the federal level.

A common thread of belief between the environmental education knowledge leaders we have interviewed is that the field lacks “connective tissue”. Utilizing resources from formal and nonformal education as well as the public and private sector creates more opportunities to network and acquire funding for environmental literacy initiatives across the country. Without a public and private partnership between philanthropy and federal and state funding streams, it becomes a lot harder to implement these initiatives due to a lack of resources and competition for the few resources that do exist. This is at the heart of Pisces Foundation’s mission, as Jason stated,

“We are trying to create those connections between the key nodes of strategic work going on because a school partnering with a non-profit, partnering with a CBP is stronger than any three of those things by themselves.”

Jason Morris

Andra Yeghoian, the Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Coordinator at San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE), is passionate about the idea of collaboration as she has driven change from the classroom to the site, county, and state levels through environmental literacy. When examining the current state of environmental literacy and sustainability in the formal K-12 sector, Andra acknowledges that there are areas of improvement when it comes to resource utilization and institutional change, and suggests we start by having educators and administrators build relationships with green leaders and stakeholders.

To better support environmental literacy initiatives for students and teachers, administrators need capacity-building tools for environmental literacy and sustainability. When the formal and nonformal education sectors collaborate, they can complement one another; both provide expertise and resources that the other needs. Working symbiotically on providing resources for educators and creating learning experiences for students that connect the classroom to field-based programs, they can effectively take advantage of each other’s resources.

As Andra mentioned in our interview, the education system is fundamental to our cultural narrative, so to make a paradigm shift happen in the field of environmental education, we must make sure the education system is on board. By creating partnerships between the formal and nonformal education sectors, there are more game changers keeping their eye on the environmental literacy landscape and providing insight for growth across the board.

“That is the reason to invest in formal education. The true leverage point for change in a society is through education.”

Andra Yeghoian

Funding and resources remain a critical barrier to the advancement of environmental literacy. But, by drawing resources from the corporate and philanthropic worlds, advocating at all levels of government, and increasing local networks’ capacity to provide new learning experiences, there is a future where environmental literacy is at the forefront of every child’s education.

Relevant Links

Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE) – AEOE is a statewide organization that was created by and for outdoor and environmental educators. It is the California affiliate for the North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE), its mission is to advance the impact of environmental and outdoor education in California.

North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) – NAAEE uses the power of education to advance environmental literacy and civic engagement to create a more equitable and sustainable future. It works with educators, policymakers, and partners throughout the world. 

Pisces Foundation – The Pisces Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations to accelerate to a world where people and nature thrive together. It supports early movers, innovative ideas, and bold leaders and organizations, adapting based on what it learns. 

SMCOE Environmental Literacy and Sustainability Initiative – Explore Andra’s site for the San Mateo County Office of Education. You’ll find a seemingly endless amount of useful resources and information on the work SMCOE is doing. These paid fellowships build teacher and administrative capacity for driving sustainable and climate-resilient transformative change in their classroom and school communities.

Ten Strands – Ten Strands is the leading field catalyst and “backbone organization” in the state of California and the founder of CAELI. It partners with the state government, local education agencies, providers of environmental education, community members, and funders to make environmental literacy a reality for all California’s K–12 students.

Here at Green Guardians, we wanted to take a look back at our previous interviews we have had with environmental education knowledge leaders and revisit the need for equitable access to environmental literacy tools. Our first interview was with Dr. Gerald Lieberman, Director of the State Education and Environmental Roundtable (SEER) where he has been instrumental in the development of California’s initiatives around environment-based education (EBE). In his role with SEER, Dr. Lieberman developed a strategy for implementing EBE called the EIC Model ™ or Environment as an Integrating Context for learning which focuses on developing localized instructional programs at the school or district level. 

As Dr. Lieberman noted in his book Education and the Environment (2014): 

“The major educational and environmental challenges that our society is currently facing are inextricably connected to the ways humans interact with the world around them… changing the way teachers teach and students learn is the only way to develop an educated citizenry capable of resolving these challenges.” 

Dr. Gerald Lieberman

In other words, in order for our community to have an impact on the environment around us, we need to start educating students on culturally and environmentally relevant topics, as well as on actionable tasks that can be taken beyond the classroom. One of the main challenges that educators face when implementing environmental literacy is equitable access to resources, programs, and relevant lessons. This issue is especially prevalent in low-income and underrepresented communities.  

To address relevancy in environmental literacy implementation, Craig Strang, the Associate Director of the UC Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science, advocates for designing at the margins. To design at the margins, we need to identify marginalized communities and work with their representatives to design locally relevant environmental literacy programs and projects. “The lesson is that when you design at the margins you can often address the needs of marginal populations while also serving the mainstream,” expressed Craig. 

We spoke with Craig Strang about the issue of environmental justice and equity in the space, and he believes that we should place environmental justice at the heart of the emerging discipline of environmental literacy. He suggests we start by recognizing that environmental degradation typically also incubates a problem of social justice. Whether we consider the location of polluting industries, or the marketing of unhealthy foods, or the ravages of fires and floods, the fallout disproportionately impacts historically marginalized groups, particularly people of color and people from low-income families. 

In relation to environmental literacy and environmental justice, we are seeing youth leaders emerge where education has been insufficient and environmental challenges have greatly impacted communities. We spoke with Isha Clarke, a youth activist and one of the founding members of Youth vs. Apocalypse, and she emphasized that environmental literacy is environmental justice due to the fact that they are inseparable for many underserved communities who disproportionately suffer the impact of many environmental issues. Isha explained how environmental literacy can advance “collective liberation from systems of oppression” by helping people see the interdependence between natural and human systems. It also addresses the fact that while educators may understand the importance of learning about the environment, the environment is core to the identity of many youths today. Using the environment as a multi-disciplinary lens to highlight and provide context around injustices facing students’ communities will reach students and inspire action. 

In California and other leading states, environmental literacy is being developed as a multi-disciplinary, project-based learning domain, ideally linked to programs offered by a wide range of community-based partners. It is important for schools across the nation to roll out environmental literacy initiatives in an equitable manner to make the greatest impact on our society’s relationship with the environmental challenges prevalent today. Craig notes: “Access includes making sure that underserved schools have access to teaching and curricular resources and subsidies that cover the cost of school projects, enrolling in community programs, and materials and transport.” 

As we look forward to the future of environmental education, environmental literacy must be at the forefront of school curriculums. Through interdisciplinary lessons, educators and students can connect with environmental topics in non-traditional and exciting ways. Working with community-based partners is a great way for counties and school districts to get a jump-start on introducing environmental literacy into their curriculums as CBPs provide a wealth of knowledge and resources for educators.  

Our upcoming CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub, in association with CAELI and Ten Strands, aims to provide equitable access for County Offices of Education, school districts, and educators to environmental education resources and programs provided by community-based partners. 

See the K-12 Environmental Literacy timeline here.

NEWS RELEASE 

Green Guardians launches California Environmental Literacy Initiative (CAELI)

 Community-based Partner Hub

Oakland, CA — March 31, 2021 — Green Guardians is excited to announce the launch of the CAELI Community-Based Partner Hub (The Hub) in collaboration with CAELI and Ten Strands and with generous initial funding support from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Morgan Family Foundation. 

The Hub promotes environmental literacy by building educator awareness of community-based partners (CBP) and their products and services and fosters educator-CBP relationships for increased student enrichment and engagement. Through The Hub, county offices of education showcase and promote existing environmental education providers to districts and schools as well as discover new partners looking to align their offerings to the needs of the K-12 school system. Currently, four California county offices of education will have a dedicated presence at The Hub — San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and San Joaquin — with more coming online later in the year. San Francisco USD, a district and a county, will also have a dedicated presence at launch.  

The goals of The Hub are to increase the visibility and access to environmental education partners and providers and be a reliable central repository for districts, schools, and educators to identify programs that align with their local needs and meet educational standards.

The Key Themes of The Hub:

• Increase Equitable Access to Environmental Literacy Programs
• Support Capacity Building for Administrators and Educators 
• Create Connections Between the Formal and Nonformal Education Sectors

“The Hub will help with equity efforts by making it apparent which districts/schools/grade levels are receiving services from the CBPs within the county and where access needs to be expanded.”

Dean Reese, Science Coordinator, Outdoor Education and Environmental Literacy, San Joaquin County Office of Education

County Offices of Education can enroll in The Hub and get their own county-specific portal through the central CAELI site. Through their portal, they can provide links to their resources, promote their services, and most importantly direct users to vetted environmental education providers.

Community-based partners (CBPs) can sign-up directly through the central CAELI site and promote their organization and programs. CBPs will have the opportunity to highlight how their offerings meet K-12 school system needs by connecting them to environmental topics and identifying key links to California’s standards and Environmental Principles & Concepts (EP&Cs).

Districts, Schools, and Educators can clearly identify providers that offer standards and EP&Cs aligned locally relevant, and culturally responsive programs for their students. Utilizing filters such as grades, subjects, topics, standards, and availability, educators compare and connect with providers and programs that best suit the needs of their stakeholders.

About CAELI, Ten Strands, and Green Guardians: 

CAELI, a project of Ten Strands, is a public-private partnership that works statewide, with guidance from a leadership council, to create systems change in support of environmental literacy with a focus on access, equity, and cultural relevance for all students.

Ten Strands is a field catalyst for the K-12 school system in California focused on advancing the environmental literacy of students. It partners with state government, local education agencies, providers of environmental education, community members, and funders to make environmental literacy a reality for all California’s K–12 students.

Green Guardians is a new California-based education technology company dedicated to advancing environmental literacy as an activity-based and standards-linked paradigm in K-12 education across the United States and the world. 

Contact Green Guardians today to become part of The Hub: info@greenguardians.com

Visit www.greenguardians.com to learn more!

Educators and teachers have a wide range of responsibilities when it comes to implementing a classroom curriculum that meets both the needs of students and the school board. From creating engaging lessons to providing resources for new programs and initiatives, educators and teachers are doing a lot of extra work behind the scenes to make sure our students have the best education possible.  

When introducing environmental education and literacy into the school curriculum, one of the main challenges teachers and educators face is making sure there is equitable access for all students to learn in the natural environment. We had the opportunity to speak with Amity Sandage, the Environmental Literacy Coordinator for the Santa Cruz County Office of Education (Santa Cruz COE), where she leads a countywide effort to promote environmental literacy for K–12 students. Amity has provided invaluable insight on making sure there is equitable access to natural spaces for all students while also helping to increase the capacity for teachers and educators in this space.  

“If we can build these experiences into the campus of the public schools so that every school has a green space, it would provide tremendous benefits and help advance environmental literacy.” 

Amity Sandage

Advancing environmental literacy has been at the core of Amity’s work with the Santa Cruz COE, and she has a unique understanding of the challenges for incorporating it into the school curriculum with experience in both the formal and non-formal sectors of education. She recognizes that equitable access for students is one of the first factors we must acknowledge to make systemic change, but she also notes that creating capacity-building tools for teachers is essential for success. 

Teachers face an enormous amount of pressure to make sure their instruction conforms to school curriculum and standards, all while maintaining high scores for performance records. This demanding environment forces many teachers to prioritize Math and English Language Arts over environmental education. Amity provides insight to teachers on how they can incorporate environmental literacy into their curriculum in a way that meets the needs of the teachers, the students, and the curriculum, and that is through an interdisciplinary approach. 

Introducing environmental literacy through an interdisciplinary approach addresses the issue of time since teachers are confronted with the reality that there is not enough instructional time in a day to introduce a new learning subject into their classroom. Environmental literacy programs can be a great tool in bringing together different subject areas in a way that connects to the world of the students. As Amity mentioned, there is an opportunity for students to apply their learning from environmental literacy to a multitude of subjects. She brought up the example of studying pesticides: If a student is studying an issue with pesticides, they can take that problem, research the history and its current impact, and understand the policies and governing body behind the decisions about it. From there, they can look at the data, the impact on the communities and ecosystems, and create an argument based on their findings. All of these actions connect to English Language Arts, Math, History, and Science in a way that is all-encompassing and advances environmental literacy. 

Although the interdisciplinary approach seems like an easy addition to the classroom curriculum, many teachers lack the resources and training opportunities to help them effectively integrate core subject areas with environmental literacy. Most teachers did not experience this type of integrated instructions themselves as students. Professional learning opportunities can provide teachers the opportunity to experience integrated learning through a student lens while building their own environmental literacy, which is what Amity and the Santa Cruz COE implement in their Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI).  

“It starts with a common understanding of what environmental literacy means among the group that is working towards it.” 

Another aspect that prevents teachers from incorporating environmental literacy is access to local resources. Many teachers lack the time to research resources, find programs to use with students, and identify phenomena in the local area that they can use within their learning. They need more outside support, which can come from the non-formal education sector in the local community. 

When community-based educators and classroom teachers collaborate, they can complement one another; both provide expertise and resources that the other needs. Working symbiotically on creating learning experiences for students that connect the classroom to field-based programs, they can effectively take advantage of each other’s resources. For example, classroom teachers can support non-formal educators in adapting lessons for multilingual students and can use assessments back in the classroom to make sure students are progressing in their learning. For teachers, one of the benefits of working with a community-based partner is the support they can provide for teachers to transition the classroom to an outdoor setting. The non-formal sector is bringing their knowledge of local phenomena that teachers may not know about, as well as access to real scientists and projects where students can engage and work with community-based partners.  

This collaboration allows teachers to feel more confident in introducing environmental literacy into their instruction and bringing their students outdoors for an engaging learning setting. Because of the firm structure of school systems, it is beneficial to have collaboration with environmental education partners who are more flexible in order to, “be drivers for innovation and pilot new programs that can lead to improvements in the school,” as Amity stated. When looking towards the ideal cooperation between the formal and non-formal sectors, it’s important to remember that what’s lacking for a lot of environmental education organizations is an insider’s understanding of the needs of the schools so that when they create programs, they are relevant and helpful to the school. A strong partnership can change that. 

“Part of the vision of ideal cooperation would be for the public school system to recognize the non-formal education system as an incredible resource for them and to really embed them into their visions and plans.” 

Amity Sandage

A great example of this cooperation at work is the success of a school-wide “Outdoor Education Week” that took place just this past year. Amity received a request from a principal who had an idea to host a week-long environmental education week for their entire school while their teachers had planning time for the shift to hybrid instruction. The principal wondered if the network of environmental education partners could create a program that could engage all K-8 students even in a 100% distance learning format. Amity reached out to environmental education partners who are at the core of the Teacher Leadership Institute (TLI) to collaborate on this project. The Santa Cruz COE collaborated with six of the organizations: Coastal Watershed Council, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Bird School Project, Santa Cruz Climate Speakers, and Santa Cruz County Outdoor Science School. Together, the partners and educators built on distance learning lesson sequences that they had developed in the TLI; their goal was to make the lessons more interdisciplinary, integrate social-emotional learning, and include multiple real-world outdoor experiences for the students. Amity expressed that during distance learning, students can still “get off the computer and connect with the outdoors.” Since the non-formal and formal educators had a good partnership before the conception of the “Outdoor Education Week” and a common vision of environmental education integrated with core subjects, the execution of the event happened quickly and efficiently. 

When COVID-19 started to impact our school systems, the partners within the TLI got to work adapting all the K-12 draft lessons they had previously created and transformed them into distance learning sequences that the partners could then prepare for teachers to utilize. The lesson sequences have now been released on the TLI website for use by all interested K-12 teachers, and as teachers pilot them with students, Santa Cruz COE is collecting feedback to evaluate how well they connect to the school standards, as well as gathering data on the number and demographics of students served. 

The collaboration of formal and non-formal educators is the foundation for the success of programs such as the Santa Cruz County “Outdoor Education Week” because of the wide breadth of resources from all participants. Without the resources provided by both sectors, teachers would not have the capacity to create these engaging and innovative programs for their students. Environmental literacy is made easier for teachers to implement when there is a collaborative environment where partners and educators can work together to meet the standards and individual needs of each classroom. 

To learn more about Santa Cruz COE and the Teacher Learning Institute, visit: https://sites.google.com/santacruzcoe.org/santa-cruz-county-teacher-lead/home 

Relevant Links 

Coastal Watershed Council 

The Coastal Watershed Council is a dynamic and growing non-profit based in Santa Cruz, CA, working to transform the lower San Lorenzo River into a community destination by inspiring people to explore, enhance and protect this critical natural resource. 

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary 

Designated in 1992, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) is a federally protected marine area offshore of California’s central coast. Stretching from Marin to Cambria, the sanctuary encompasses a shoreline length of 276 miles and 6,094 square statute miles (4,601 nmi2) of the ocean, extending an average distance of 30 miles from shore. The sanctuary contains extensive kelp forests and one of North America’s largest underwater canyons and closest-to-shore deep ocean environments. 

Santa Cruz Climate Action Network 

Santa Cruz Climate Action Network (SCCAN) seeks to address the current Climate Change Emergency, recognizing that failure to act quickly will have devastating effects on future generations of humans and other life forms. SCCAN’s Santa Cruz Climate Speakers specialize in Climate Change education curriculum tailored to fit the needs of a specific class, with the goal to provide information, inspire dialogue, and motivate solutions. Their aim is to have all local students graduate with literacy in Climate Change.  

Santa Cruz County Outdoor Science School 

At the Santa Cruz County Outdoor Science School, fifth and sixth-grade students experience a four- or five-day residential, hands-on science program. Students focus on investigating the rich coastal redwood forest ecosystem. Residential Outdoor Science School promotes care for self, others, and the natural world upon which our survival depends. We are committed to a safe and stimulating educational environment that nurtures an inquisitive mind. 

Santa Cruz County Teacher Leadership Institute 

The Teacher Leadership Institute for Science and Environmental Literacy is an innovative year-long program designed to support emerging teacher leaders by deepening knowledge, increasing confidence, and enhancing abilities to support the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards using the environment as a source of phenomena and connecting to the California Environmental Principles and Concepts. 

Santa Cruz COE TLI K-12 Lesson Sequences 

In 2020-21, Santa Cruz COE TLI launched the Relevant Environmental Action & Learning (REAL) Science Institute: Phase 2 of the Teacher Leadership Institute for Science and Environmental Literacy. They focused on reviewing and strengthening the lessons for teachers and students across 10 counties. 

Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 

The Museum features educational, hands-on exhibits for children, families, and adults who are curious about the world they live in and the natural history of one of the most scenic locations on the California coast. Many locals know the Museum by the life-size gray whale statue, created in 1982, that rests near its entrance, between Tyrrell Park and Seabright State Beach. 

The Bird School Project 

The Bird School Project uses outdoor experiential learning to inspire and equip students and teachers to love, study, and steward their local environment. Limited school resources, transportation constraints, and a lack of time and support often prevent students from connecting directly with the environment. Bird School works to meet the need of utilizing outdoor locations such as schoolyards and backyards for learning and exploration opportunities. 

Tierra Pacifica Charter School 

Tierra Pacifica Charter School, formed in 1998, is a collaborative effort among parents, teachers, and community members committed to the development of the whole child. Through the establishment of a charter school, we believe we can work within the school system to create an innovative alternative model to traditional public elementary schools. Tierra Pacifica educates children from Kindergarten through 8th grade. The school is designed for families who want to take an active role in the education of their children, both in and out of the classroom.