California Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education - AEOE

California Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education - AEOE We are a California-based non-profit organization created by and for outdoor and environmental educators. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

AEOE strengthens environmental education in California by connecting providers, building professional expertise, and championing environmental literacy and outdoor learning. This is a page for supporters of the California Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (AEOE) and those interested in promoting environmental education and outdoor learning. We welcome participation and dialogues

that are appropriate for all ages and relative to our mission. By participating in this page, you are agreeing to the following policies:

- Be respectful of all audiences when posting or commenting. That means avoiding profanity, pornography, personal attacks, willful misinformation, and spam.

- Please be sure your posts are related to EE (especially if advertisements), relevant, not spam, not infringing on copyrights/trademarks, non-violent, and promoting only legal, morally sound activities. If you violate this policy, your post(s) will be removed immediately. If you repeatedly violate this policy you will be permanently banned from our page.

Free fall virtual workshops offered in partnership with Take Me Outside and the The Outdoor Learning School & Store are...
08/28/2026

Free fall virtual workshops offered in partnership with Take Me Outside and the The Outdoor Learning School & Store are now open for registration!

🍂 Sept 15: Well-Being through Outdoor Learning
🍂 Oct 13: Understanding Outdoor Play
🍂 Nov 10: Supporting Risky Play
🍂 Dec 8: How to Be Hopeful

In addition to being free of charge, all participants will receive the link to the recording, access to a certificate, and entry for some great prizes!

Register at aeoe.org/events or https://outdoorlearning.com/events/category/workshops

Introducing Maria, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!Maria is a daughter of immigrants from the Philippines and raise...
08/27/2026

Introducing Maria, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!

Maria is a daughter of immigrants from the Philippines and raised on both the East and West Coasts. You could always find Maria outside exploring nature wherever it was - from catching fireflies on vacant lots in New York City to the diverse natural terrains of the Bay Area. Maria has always been a believer that nature is everywhere, and that belief has continued through her 20+ year professional career. She combines her B.S. in Environmental Education and Sociology from U.C. Berkeley, her Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from San Jose State University, her Master Certified Life Coaching training, and her lived experience as an actively decolonizing present ancestor to live in right relationship with land and ancestors past, present, and future. Maria’s professional work is focused on getting more people connected to nature because she believes that a return to nature is a return to self and all the healing and wellness that comes with that. In addition to supporting individuals with their personal decolonizing journeys as a life coach, Maria also currently supports local cities with growing the community’s knowledge of and connection to the environment through its municipal environmental services such as waste reduction, stormwater protection, and climate resiliency planning. Maria is raising a young family on unceded Tamien Ohlone land (San Jose, CA) and, in true introvert fashion, enjoys quiet and calm moments for recharge. Her experience with AEOE started in 2010 and she is thrilled to return and serve as Co-Chair on the AEOE Board’s Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Learn more about our incredible team: aeoe.org/Staff-&-Board

Deepen your practice as an environmental educator this winter with the Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Environmenta...
08/26/2026

Deepen your practice as an environmental educator this winter with the Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Environmental Education eeCourse!

This course is designed to provide a strong foundation in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous ways of knowing. It is meant to be an introductory course and spark interest in further learning around how we can more intentionally and respectfully incorporate traditional ways of knowing into our environmental and outdoor learning programming. Course topics include diving into what TEK is, how it compares to Western Science, and building relationships and observations as knowledge building. In the final module, you will put your new knowledge into a plan to integrate TEK into your teaching. This course is online and asynchronous.

The course was developed by Scott Frazier, Santee and an enrolled Crow Tribal Member, Renee Sans Souci, Omaha woman, Abby Ybarra, Yaqui-Tohono O’Odham, the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, and the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education in collaboration with the Missouri Environmental Education Association, the Montana Environmental Education Association, the Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environmental Education, the Utah Society for Environmental Education, and the Wyoming Alliance for Environmental Education. The course has been adapted for a California-based audience by the Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education.

Upcoming session dates: September 2 - October 20, 2026

Register online at: aeoe.org/eeCourses

Introducing Laura, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!Laura Rodriguez is the Founder & CEO of Restoring C.A.R.E., Capa...
08/24/2026

Introducing Laura, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!

Laura Rodriguez is the Founder & CEO of Restoring C.A.R.E., Capacity for Accountability, Reciprocity, & Empathy, LLC. Through leadership coaching, organizational training and facilitation she helps changemakers be the change they want to see in the world. Laura is committed to justice, equity, and inclusion and is dedicated to working with individuals and organizations that are ready to create lasting change. With over twenty years of nonprofit experience she supports people in applying theory to practice, taking personal accountability, and advancing their missions while restoring care for people and process. She currently serves as vice president of the board of directors for Climate Action Pathways for Schools (CAPS), a nonprofit supporting young people to advance climate solutions within their communities. She also serves as the new Facilitator for the Environmental Education Funders Collaborative (EEFC). Formerly, she served as Chief Program Officer at Justice Outside, where she worked to increase access to outdoor experiences for communities across the country through equitable grantmaking and professional development programs for emerging leaders in the outdoor and environmental education fields. Laura was born and raised in the Central Valley of California, where she developed a great love for the outdoors. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Bachelor of Arts in Chicana Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has a passion for hiking, backpacking, gardening, and sharing in these activities with her daughter and husband as much as possible.

Learn more about our work: aeoe.org

Join us this October for the 2026 AEOE Fall Regional Meetups! These gatherings are the perfect opportunity to connect wi...
08/22/2026

Join us this October for the 2026 AEOE Fall Regional Meetups!

These gatherings are the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow environmental and outdoor educators, exchange ideas, and share best practices in EE. Stay tuned as we finalize exact locations across the state. Whether you're in the north, south, or central regions, there's a meetup for you!

Learn more: aeoe.org/Meetup

Introducing Joy, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!Joy Hilton, MAgrSc, is a seasoned biologist with extensive experie...
08/21/2026

Introducing Joy, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!

Joy Hilton, MAgrSc, is a seasoned biologist with extensive experience in education and communications. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota, then began her professional journey in advertising and management. Driven by a passion for science and sustainability, Joy later completed a Master of Agricultural Science in Agricultural Biology and Horticulture at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, with a focus on plant pathology and food systems. Joy brings more than 25 years of experience in communications alongside 16 years of work spanning agriculture, nonprofit organizations, government, food system equity, and environmental science. For the past 15 years, she has been dedicated to designing and teaching environmental and garden science programs, fostering hands-on learning, and a deeper understanding of local ecosystems.

Come learn with us! aeoe.org/Events

There is still time to register! Deepen your practice as an environmental educator with the Traditional Ecological Knowl...
08/18/2026

There is still time to register! Deepen your practice as an environmental educator with the Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Environmental Education eeCourse!

This course is designed to provide a strong foundation in Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous ways of knowing. It is meant to be an introductory course and spark interest in further learning around how we can more intentionally and respectfully incorporate traditional ways of knowing into our environmental and outdoor learning programming. Course topics include diving into what TEK is, how it compares to Western Science, and building relationships and observations as knowledge building. In the final module, you will put your new knowledge into a plan to integrate TEK into your teaching. This course is online and asynchronous.

The course was developed by Scott Frazier, Santee and an enrolled Crow Tribal Member, Renee Sans Souci, Omaha woman, Abby Ybarra, Yaqui-Tohono O’Odham, the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, and the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education in collaboration with the Missouri Environmental Education Association, the Montana Environmental Education Association, the Nebraska Alliance for Conservation and Environmental Education, the Utah Society for Environmental Education, and the Wyoming Alliance for Environmental Education. The course has been adapted for a California-based audience by the Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education.

Upcoming session dates: September 2 - October 20, 2026

Register online at: aeoe.org/eeCourses

Introducing Jo, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!Jo is an educational leader dedicated to advancing equity through e...
08/14/2026

Introducing Jo, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!

Jo is an educational leader dedicated to advancing equity through environmental education and community-based STEM learning. As Out-of-School Program Manager at Ocean Discovery Institute, she leads community-based STEM and outdoor education programs that expand access to high-quality science learning for K–12 students in City Heights, San Diego. Over the past decade, Jo has partnered with communities from Portland, Oregon, to Baja California, Mexico, creating opportunities for young people to connect with science, nature, and community. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Management from the University of Redlands, an M.S. in Environmental Science from California State University, Fullerton, and an Ed.D. in Educational Justice and Leadership from the University of Redlands. Jo is honored to serve on the AEOE Board of Directors and is excited to support AEOE's mission of strengthening environmental education across California. Outside of work, she enjoys camping, backpacking, tending her garden, and playing guitar.

Join the movement: aeoe.org/Membership

Registration is now open for the NAAEE 2026 Conference (October 6–9) & Research Symposium (October 6–7), hosted by the N...
08/14/2026

Registration is now open for the NAAEE 2026 Conference (October 6–9) & Research Symposium (October 6–7), hosted by the North American Association for Environmental Education - NAAEE in partnership with the Environmental Education Association of Oregon.

In times of change, imagination matters. This year’s theme of “Imagine If…” invites us to pause, look beyond current constraints, and consider what becomes possible when education drives connection, action, and positive change. We’ll explore how we can build on the momentum already underway across our field—and what more becomes possible when environmental education is fully leveraged to shape a more just, resilient, and sustainable world.

The Annual Conference and Research Symposium offer inspiring and thoughtful keynotes, a rich variety of workshops, presentations, symposium panels, discussions, bright spots, and posters, along with great opportunities for networking, growth, and change.

AEOE will be hosting a California meetup for attendees from our state. We hope to see you there!

Visit conference.naaee.org to learn more and register!

Introducing Diana, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!Diana Sherwood is an award-winning educator and environmental ad...
08/13/2026

Introducing Diana, one of AEOE's incoming Board members!

Diana Sherwood is an award-winning educator and environmental advocate with a background in arts, education, and social justice. She has led innovative programs across LA, including heading K–12 at the Theodore Payne Foundation, where she led the program’s expansion and reach into all communities throughout Los Angeles. There, she created the Foundation’s first-ever college internship in environmental education, LAUSD Environmental Education Teacher Professional Development Institute, launched Youth-Teach-Youth and city-wide field training programs. She has collaborated with organizations such as the Jane Goodall Institute and The Nature Conservancy in programs to support the environment, empower students, and promote environmental awareness. Whether through urban naturalist programs, youth initiatives, or community collaborations, Diana focuses on highlighting the living world around us and engaging others—through their own discovery—to appreciate our place in it. Diana currently serves as one of 15 LAUSD naturalists, bringing outdoor education experiences to more than 60,000 students throughout Los Angeles County each year.

Learn more about our incredible team: aeoe.org/Staff-&-Board

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2930 Domingo Avenue, Suite 3028
Berkeley, CA
94705

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