Maine Environmental Education Association

We're deep in data collection and analysis for the upcoming Community-Based Outdoor and Environmental Learning census! Read about the census at https://www.onionfoundation.org/posts/how-teach-me-outside-is-updating-a-groundbreaking

Thanks to the Onion Foundation for featuring this research!

The Census for Community-Based Outdoor and Environmental Learning is a project of Teach ME Outside, an initiative with Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance - MMSA and MEEA. Learn more at http://teachmeoutside.org/

Congrats to D Johannesen of Telstar High School for receiving the 2026 MEEA Eberhard Thiele Environmental Educator Award!

D is a leader in climate education in Maine. They recently supported her environmental policy students to work with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Center for an Ecology-Based Economy to create an inland flooding community science project. Every step of the way, D guided her students to explore their own interests to take on new unanticipated project extensions, like developing signs and flood readiness checklists.

“D has a really unique way of being able to empower and uplift kids themselves to feel confident and comfortable working with adults in new ways maybe that they're not used to,” says Sara King, who works with D as part of the Maine Forest Collaborative.

Let us know in the comments how D has supported you!

We are looking for more applicants for the summer/fall Changemakers Fellowship! Two positions open until filled. Apply today at https://www.meeassociation.org/fellowships-and-organizers

We LOVED attending the Being with the Seasons Phenology Summit this Saturday! We learned about the study of how plants and animals respond to seasonal changes, ideas for weaving Wabanaki Studies into phenology activities, birding, native plants, and more!

Thanks to Maine Audubon and Portland Arts & Technology High School (PATHS) and the countless science, humanities, and cultural experts who developed resources and models for K-12 classrooms and outdoor destinations immediately available to them throughout the school year.

You can learn more about the full event at https://maineaudubon.org/news/being-with-the-seasons-phenology-summit-professional-development-for-educators/

Email Jane Affleck at [email protected] to learn more about how to bring phenology to your school or community!

Photo credit: Maine Audubon

Congrats to Melissa Prescott, Heather O'Leary, and all of the educators of MSAD 44's Wabanaki Studies Professional Learning Community (PLC) for being awarded MEEA's Excellence in Environmental Education Award!

Educators partnered with Mahoosuc Land Trust to support the Abenaki Foodways Project, an initiative started by South Hero Land Trust in collaboration with experts from the Odanak and Wôlinak Abenaki First Nations. The project engages students in Wabanaki foodways, gardening, and culture, including Three Sisters planting and cooking traditions.

This garden is now a site for place-based Wabanaki Studies learning, where students can participate in planting, harvesting, seed saving, photography, and interdisciplinary connections across science, math, history, and art.

In November, these educators also organized a two-day Culinary Arts workshop for middle and high school students, led by Martin Gill (Abenaki), Jasmine Thompson-Tintor (Panawahpskek/Penobscot) and Jacques Watso (Abenaki). Students engaged with Wabanaki foodways through cooking, storytelling, and cultural exchange.

As this garden partnership begins a second season, the PLC team hopes to sustain it annually, supporting ongoing collaboration across grade levels and subjects, and continued relationship-building with Wabanaki educators and community partners.

Congratulations!

Head to https://teachmeoutside.org/ to find an outdoor education partner in your Maine community! Watch this video to learn how.

Discover Partners in Your Community! The Maine Environmental Education and Outdoor Learning Resource Directory is a dynamic and searchable tool that parents, educators, and community members can...

Congrats to Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition for winning MEEA's 2026 Environmental Partner of the Year Award! Read the full story at

Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition receives award from Maine Environmental Education Association Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition is the recipient of an award by the Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA). The Annual Awards recognize outstanding contributions to environmental education throughout Maine. Award winners were honored at a celebration on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at Pilgrim Lo...

📣📣📣 Job alert for nature lovers and community minded youth in Maine! 🌱🌎

Apply by June 10 for the Changemakers Fellowship at the link on our page. Two part-time flexible 200 hour positions open!

$3,800 stipend plus $500 to organize your own community action project

What do you want to organize for your community action project? Let us know in the comments! 🌎