The 2021 Conference is now underway!
Information for attendees can be found here. 

Dive Into a New Kind of Conference!
The conference features two full days of virtual learning followed by a day of outdoor in-person
training offered at three locations across New York State. This allows us to engage with each
other during a year when travel and overnight stays may prove challenging.

​The full conference booklet can be downloaded here. The conference schedule can also be found at the bottom of the registration page. 
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The 2020 virtual conference proved that we can successfully provide valuable professional development for our members, and we're working hard to build on that success. The one-day in-person trainings will have a similar format to NYSOEA's tested and well-attended WNY Environmental Educators Activity Exchange, providing a large number of resources through a plethora of in person activities presented by attendees and special guests.

In-person training sessions will be at: Montezuma Audubon Center, Five Rivers Environmental
Education Center, and Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center.

​Test the Waters at the Pre-Conference Kickoff:

NYSOEA Name That Tune
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 at 7:30pm
Get ready for a virtual evening of music and laughter as we put a NYSOEA spin on the classic
game Name That Tune! Team up with other members and earn points for naming song titles
and artists, and even more points for singing a few lyrics of each tune. The theme of each
round will be a different conference strand. Everyone can enjoy this evening of fun hosted by
Elijah Kruger.

​Surge Ahead with Cutting Edge Content:

On Thursday and Friday, choose from more than two dozen workshops that​ fall into six strands that ripple together to make a wave:
Building a Safe Space for Outdoor and Environmental Education
Connecting to the Outdoors in the Digital Age
Climate Change
Environmental Stewardship: Be a Changemaker
Equity, Access and Inclusion
Natural History and Outdoor Skills

Visit the registration page to learn more about scheduled workshops!

Ride the Wave With Outstanding Speakers:

​Award-winning environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb, author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter
is a featured speaker. He is currently working on a book about the  emerging field of road ecology.

"Beavers are ecosystem engineers who clean our water, mitigate droughts and floods, and provide habitat for creatures from salamanders to moose," says Goldfarb. "But they also flood property, plug up road culverts, and gnaw down fruit trees. How can we coexist with these vital but challenging keystone rodents — and communicate their value to a skeptical public?"
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Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Sherri A. Mason, professor of chemistry and leading researcher in freshwater plastic pollution. Recipient of the 23rd Heinz Award in Public Policy, her work drew international attention to the threats posed by microplastics and led to the passage of national measures banning microbeads. She currently serves as Sustainability Coordinator at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College.

Using the framework of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, Dr. Mason will discuss the life cycle of plastic, from extraction to pollution. Connecting with the ground-breaking work of her research group, she will conclude by giving strategies to engage students and citizen scientists in plastic pollution research and solutions across curriculum and disciplines.

Flow into Evening Activities:
Bonfire with the NYSOEA “Elders” Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 at 7pm
A panel of NYSOEA’s longest-standing members share their stories of success, lessons learned,
and changes in the field of outdoor education from their 20+ years of NYSOEA membership.  

Climate Change and the Wine Industry Friday, Nov. 5, 2021 at 7pm
Grab a glass of something delicious and join a discussion about the impacts climate change is
having on the wine industry with Marie Guido-Miner, the Tasting Room Lead of LaBelle
Winery in Amherst, New Hampshire and a facilitator for wine courses with eCornell.

Make a Splash on Saturday!
To provide the in-person networking experience we are craving while being mindful of changing
pandemic conditions, the conference includes a Saturday Educator Activity Exchange at three
locations across the state. Held largely outdoors, these sessions will give you hands-on
experience with new tips, techniques and curricula that can enhance your work as an
educator. Continuing a tradition started at the 2016 conference, attendees can opt to engage in a
stewardship activity, giving back to the host community!  

Conference participants can choose to attend any of the three sites:
Montezuma Audubon Center, Savannah, NY (Between Rochester and Syracuse)
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar, NY (near Albany)
Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center, Jones Beach State Park, Wantagh, NY (Long Island)
More details about Saturday can be found on the conference registration page.
Details on carpooling, food, and what to bring to each Saturday location can be found here.

Sponsor Opportunities Available:
The conference provides an opportunity to reach more then 200 outdoor educators, camp and nature
center administrators, and classroom teachers from across New York State and beyond.

Virtual exhibit booths let you reach conference attendees in multiple ways, including live chat time with attendees, content that can be accessed anytime such as a slideshow or video about your business, and a link to your website/email etc. Booths can include a customizable “tell me more” button for collecting email addresses, are open for the duration of the conference, and attendees will be actively encouraged to visit booths during specific times on the conference schedule. For more information, click here.

Get Involved:
We are looking for a few volunteers to help at each Saturday session. If you are interested, please
fill out this form and you will be contacted by a member of the Hospitality Committee with more
details. Your help is much appreciated!
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Questions? Email conference chairs Meaghan Boice-Green and Carol Rogers at conferencecommittee2021@nysoea.org or call 518-414-0244.
Thank you to the 2021 Conference sponsors and donors!
What 2020 Virtual Conference Attendees Had to Say:
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“I am new to my role and [the conference] gave me insight and helpful ideas as to what I can
offer our school districts.”

“It goes without saying that there is no replacement for in-person conferences, but the virtual
platform did exceed my expectations. It seemed like a great way to replicate an in-person
conference digitally.”

“[The Conference] exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed the friendly spirit of the entire
conference, meeting people, and found the webinars and workshops helpful. I appreciated the
emphasis on issues of inequity for BIPOC. I also liked the platform.”

“You had a great mix of workshop presenters and the feature speaker and panelist were great!”

“It was more fun than I expected and everyone seemed really engaged throughout.”

“I joined for a required credit for my class and I loved every minute of it! Thank you!”

“It was great to get a feel for EE efforts across the state.”