California Environmental Education Interagency Network Meeting
June 21, 2012, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
California Envioronmental Protection Agency
1001 I Street, Training Room 230, Sacramento CA 94814
Meeting Leader: Donna Pozzi
Note Taker: Kay Antunez
Attendance:
Kay Antunez, Cal Fire
Bryan Ehlers, Cal/EPA
Delanie Farnham, ARB
Nina Gordon, Parks
Annie Kohut Frankel, Coastal Commission
Susan Knadle, OEHHA
Amy Lethbridge, MRCA
Donna Pozzi, Parks
Michelle Robinson, DWR
Rosie Vizina, DFG
Ed Wong, ARB
Minutes
May 2012 minutes were approved with minor corrections. Kay Antunez to be added to attendees (via conference call). Change comment from “What’s New” regarding Anne’s comment related to CREEC assuming PD for EEI. Should read “There is a discussion of CREEC taking over PD for EEI”.
Guest Speaker
Amy Lethbridge, Deputy Executive Director, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. Amy explained that MRCA is a Joint Powers Authority to manage lands with the Santa Monica Mountains owned by the state. She shared information about MRCA programs and initiatives with an emphasis on creating partnerships with underserved communities. Her PowerPoint titled “Breaking Bread and Celebrating – secrets to successful partnerships” was shared and sent to CEEIN members following the meeting by Ed Wong. Elements to MRCA’s success include:
- Develop meaningful, long term relationships with community organizations in targeted communities;
- Serve non-traditional park users with traditional park programs that are adapted to the special needs and concerns of the community;
- Support partner programs with resources, expertise and opportunities; and
- Joint creation of follow up programs and opportunities beyond initial programming.
Review of Action Items from May Meeting
- Bryan met with Anne Stephens regarding the CEEIN’s new MOU. Appears that there is no new progress. Donna commented that the lack of an MOU may detract from CEEIN members’ participation.
- No information about a one-day registration to the NAAEE conference (suggest checking on the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
for current information). - Ask Carolyn Kolstad for an update on FWS job listing.
- Ed Wong to continue coordination of CEEIN’s CSTA strand for 2012 conference.
Committee Reports:
Administration Committee: Anne Kohut Frankel
- Annie will develop a chart for locating meeting hosts and note takers for 2013. She will also send out the 2012 list again to CEEIN members.
Communications Committee: Michelle Robinson, chair
- Will order additional CEEIN brochures for the 2012 CSTA Conference.
- If you need additional brochures, please contact Michelle.
Leadership, Legislation, Diversity Committee: Anne Stephens, chair
- No report from committee.
- Bryan Ehlers asked to become a member of the committee. He commented that the Cal/EPA assistant secretary, Arsenio Mataka has involved EEI with outreach to the environmental justice community. Currently identifying communities associated with environmental impacts to target with EEI outreach.
- CEEIN members requested more information about the communities identified. One suggestion was to use ‘greenspace’ as an indicator of EJ communities since it is known that many underserved communities also lack parks and open space.
- Slow progress in launching the “Blueprint” at CDE. The Superintendent appears to have a strong interest in developing the plan with the input of a task force. Several funders have been identified.
Education and the Environment Update
Bryan Ehlers:
- Currently working on an EEI stakeholder’s survey.
- OEE may be housed in CAL Recycle when it becomes part of Cal/EPA again.
- Still working with CDE on developing a PD model through CREEC.
- Also working with tribal liaisons to introduce the EEI.
What’s New in Your World?
Nina Gordon:
- Mentioned a website that enables users to find any public open space in California and provides a wide variety of important information on that site including walking,biking, transit and driving directions,satellite and 3-D earth view,a website link for further information,and many of the trails and campgrounds. After entering any address in CA, one can search a radius of 1-30 miles for public open spaces regardless of jurisdiction. The site is free. You are encouraged to provide a link from your website and help spread the word. The site was developed by Green Info
with a variety of funding sources.
- “Summer Learning Initiative” supported by the Packard Foundation. Involves underserved youth in literacy activities and health activities and linked to visits to parks.
- Currently involved with the San Joaquin County “Flood Plain Ecology Institute” that includes Project WET.
- Deepening involvement with EEI PD and use. Continue outreach next year.
- Funder to put EEI unit on e-book.
Ed:
This fall, our student, Delanie Farnham, will attend graduate school in Geography at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Susan:
- Retired in May and looking forward to being an adjunct professor at UCD. Wants to stay involved with CEEIN.
- At six locations up and down the coast, a total of 8,500 kids received in-class environmental education on marine debris and other ocean issues, got to visit the beach to do a cleanup or habitat restoration, and create an aerial artwork in the sand. This program is funded by the Whale Tail License Plate Grant.
- Coastal Commission is developing a volunteer program to survey and clean up the 2011 Japanese tsunami debris arrival.
Kay:
- Hosting four workshops featuring PLT’s secondary modules with a focus on “Forest Science” to be held at Placer County’s Materials Recovery Facility and the Roseville Utility Exploration Center, UC Berkeley’s Experimental Forest, the Forest Service’s Forest Genetics Institute and a conservation banking site in Placer County.
- Mentioned new website focusing on Sierra Nevada “geotourism” project. See Sierra Nevada Geotourism
for more information.
- She plans to retire at the end of August.
Action Items:
- Nina will provide the Recreation link [done]
- Bryan will provide additional information about the bill sponsored by Fran Pavley.
- Bryan will provide more information about the map surveying areas of the state with environmental impacts.
- Annie, Kay and Ed will initiate a ‘white paper’ discussing the value of CEEIN to agency members.
- Kay will update CEEIN members about NAAEE registration. See NAAEE
.
- Carolyn will alert CEEIN members about the FWS job listing.
- Annie will develop a 2013 CEEIN host list.
