RRU ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION PROGRAM NEWS

June 2010So much has been happening that I thought I’d get out another issue of the MEEC news before the start of the sumer residency. However, it is with great sadness that I report that Drs. Jennifer Good and Elin Kelsey won’t be returning to RRU this summer. Jennifer has been with the MEEC program from the start in 2003, and Elin joined us in 2004. We’ve watched their children come in to the world (Ezri) and grow (Kip and Esme) and will miss them and the wonderful contribution they brought to the MEEC program and to the lives of those that learned with and from them. On the other hand, we are really happy to welcome Dr. Liza Ireland and Peta White (a doctoral student at the University of Regina) who will be taking the first residency off into new directions!

SSHRC - Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's scholarship

I am really happy to congratulate three members of the 2009 MEEC cohort on winning the prestigious SSHRC masters scholarship: Alla Guelber, Graeme Mitchell, and Elisa Lee. My congratulations too for those of the 2009 cohort that put a great deal of effort into their proposals, but were not successful in winning the prize. The work done on simply creating the SSHRC proposal is work well-worth doing in preparation for your thesis exploration.

Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program...

Shelagh Smith (MA, 2005 cohort) wrote “I just finished teaching the capstone course for the horticultural therapy diploma program at Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo. My master’s degree helped me get that job. And in September I start teaching the horticultural therapy certificate program at VanDusen Botanical Gardens in Vancouver.”. The certificate program consists of four courses

spread over one year. “Horticultural therapy (HT) is a profession and a practice in which gardening and other nature-related activities are creatively adapted and facilitated by a trained professional to address the therapeutic needs of individuals and groups of people. HT is a successful therapeutic modality in healthcare and social service facilities, schools, correctional centres and community settings.”

Shelagh also wrote “I’m sending you the link to an article that made me think of you. It briefly describes the Milgram study you taught us about, then goes on to describe recent research at Stanford’s CCARE: the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. While the research seems to focus on compassion towards people, there are a couple of mentions in the article about extending compassion towards all beings, which strikes me as a useful antidote to environmental destruction. This research also has the benefit of being of a positive nature and ethically viable!

http://www.shambhalasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3521&Itemid=0

http://compassion.stanford.edu/about/

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Photos courtesy of Peter Norman MEEC alumni on Google Maps

Exploring Environmental Thinking and Doing

Laura Cameron (2009 cohort) recently delivered a workshop through Mission (BC) Lifetime Learning (http://www.lifetimelearningcentre.org/). She notes that “the workshop was created as a part of my Masters program course requirements this past fall.  The workshop is unique and the first of its kind - and I hope will be a positive beginning of many more to come.  I designed this workshop to respond to the need to address the emotionalism that comes with observing environmental destruction.  The workshop objective is: To provide a learning environment where learners can: explore creative art work and circle work in facilitating self-awareness and social awareness of environmental thinking and doing; interact and connect with environmentally-minded community members and; learn and experience skills essential in dealing with environmental adversity including psychological responses to environmental degradation and loss.”

MEEC at EECOM

I wrote the little piece below for RoadSPiel, RRU’s internal weekly newsletter, after the recent EECOM conference held in May at the Simon Fraser UNiversity campus in Burnaby BC.

“There are many things that give a teacher pleasure: a well-written student assignment, active discussions and meaningful conversations, occasional thanks. But of all the things that might make a teacher’s heart swell, nothing tops, at least to me . . . seeing your students become active participants in their field and watching them emerge as leaders and as valued colleagues.

The recent conference of the Canadian Environmental Education and Communication Network, held at Simon Fraser University, provided an opportunity to see many current students, alumni, associate faculty and thesis advisors from the Royal Roads University Masters of Arts in Environmental

Education and Communication (MEEC) program acting in leadership roles.

In terms of leadership, Patrick Robertson (MA, 2004 cohort) both delivered workshop presentations, was deeply involved in the organizing committee, and was awarded the 2010 EECOM Outstanding Governmental Individual award. Patrick is now a Faculty Associate in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University and will no doubt find his way into a doctoral program and teach prospective teachers in the not too distant future!

Another leader at the conference was Johan Stroman (MA, 2004 cohort), who gave two presentations, was on one panel and had a poster session as well. Other MEEC presenters included Ann Stewart (MA, 2003 cohort) of the Bamfield Marine Science Centre, Erin Desautels (2008 cohort) of the City of Surrey, Teresa Rowley (2008 cohort) a teacher at the TREK program at Prince of Wales Secondary in Vancouver, Graeme Mitchell (2009 cohort), a teacher at Stelly’s Secondary School in Saanich, Nadine Lefort (MA, 2005 cohort), now working with the Sierra Club of BC, Tai Munro (MA, 2005 cohort), now a PhD student at the University of Alberta, Alicia Taylor (2008 cohort), Alla Guelber (2009 cohort), a research associate at the University of Calgary… whew! And I hope I didn’t miss anyone!

These folks, and other MEEC students and alumni who attended but didn’t deliver presentations, gave Royal Roads University a wonderful presence at the EECOM conference ensuring the School of Environment and Sustainability manager Kathie Sammons had a good number of prospective students stopping by her table to talk about enrolling in the MEEC program.

Another soon to be MEEC alumni, Karen Stephenson (2008 cohort), was also presenting aspects of her research over three workshops at the Canadian Unitarian Council Annual Conference and Meeting, held in Victoria this past weekend. Karen will be starting a PhD program in Religious Studies at the University of Alberta this fall.

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For a teacher, moments where we see our students become our colleagues and our leaders are the harvest we all hope to reap. This past week, I harvested a hundred-fold.”

Published in Unlimited Magazine

Alla Guelber (2009 cohort) recently published a very nice piece entitled “The quest for meaningful work”, in Unlimited Magazine (http://www.unlimitedmagazine.com/2010/05/the-quest-for-meaningful-work/) This article grows out of her recent workshop, Meaningful work: Green jobs + social innovation (http://www.albertaacts.ca/MeaningfulWork).

Street dogs???

Andrew Holownych (2009 cohort) recently wrote:

“The other excitement in life over here, is that I am putting my MEEC skills to use, with a real problem over here in Taiwan; street dog overpopulation. Have you heard of this? In general, there are a few hundred thousand stray dogs and cats living in mostly suburban and rural areas. The reasons for this are complicated, but are attributed to unrealistic expectations of animal care, abysmal conditions at "shelters", lack of properly trained by dog catchers, and cultural attitudes towards nonhuman life. This means a lot of dogs are "dumped" on the side of the road, and a large number have not been spayed or neutered. So people keep buying cute little puppies, but when the puppy grows up to be bigger the owners drive off to the countryside and... ciao puppy!

My friend recently started a group called M.A.N.A. (Many Animals Need Assistance) to address this issue and I'm now leading it with her. So far I've been able to apply my research skills, finding journal articles on the issue. Also, my systems course has led me to see relationships, and nested systems within the larger framework. This will hopefully lead to finding leverage points to make lasting change. I have also encouraged the "management" group to use Google docs and other forms of

online collaboration... which I learned during first year. My newest mission is to organize the care and adoption of 6 puppies that were left at the front gate of a university run by Buddhists. Now with the help of some students, the front-gate guards, and some people in my organization, these 6 pups may just find a happy home!

MAEEC alumni on Google map...

I’ve made a Google map that has all the alumni, their email addresses, thesis titles and abstracts. If I’ve put you in and you don’t want to be there, let me know and I’ll take you off! If you’d like me to add things, let me know... there are now more than 100 of you on the map!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=116476013975268262581.00047043bd484a0d26fc0

Convocation on Friday

It is with great pleasure that we congratulate those graduating this week:

Certificate in Environmental Education and Communication

Deanna  Karen  RobertsManon  Marie  TremblayJessica  Lynn  Michelle  Young

Diploma in Environmental Education and Communication

Laura  Yates

Masters of Arts in Environmental Education and Communication

Howard  John  CappadociaRebecca  Dawn  HennKaren  Wing-­‐See  HsuDorothy  Marie  KelkerMichael  Jonathan  KlassenSharman  Reinhold  LearieEmily  Joy  LeLacheurLaurie  Jean  ParkerAlison  Dawn  Perrin

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NicoleGe  RicherSharon  Marie  RyanShelley  Dawn  SerebrinMaGhias  Josef  StarznerRebecca  Anne  World

Streaming on the radio...

Kim Klassen (MA, 2006 cohort) wrote “...you can listen to my radio show, The EcoCentric, on Kootenay Coop Radio, stream it live from the web.  My show is every Tuesday 1-2pm (but I do share the hour with 2 other hosts, so MY show is every third week) and it re-broadcasts every Sunday from 9-10am.  I had Kimberley Armour [MA, 2006 cohort] as one of my first interviews!  I hope to have you sometime too as well, if you would be so obliged! :)  Hope you are doing well, and hope it's been a sunnier spring over there than here in the Kootenays!”

You can catch up with Kim and her team at http://www.cjly.org/index.php?/radio-show/show/ecocentric/. There are probably many of you that would make great interviewees!

Interviewing the interviewers...

Colin Harris (2008 cohort) is wrapping up his thesis work after having had some pretty spectacular research interviews. He writes:

As for my interview with [CBC’s] Peter Mansbridge, it was fun! He was very welcoming and made me feel quite comfortable in his corner glass office looking out onto the many, many folks who work on the National and Newsworld.  He gave me a tour after the interview and showed me where the shows were filmed.  All in all, I was impressed with his willingness to be interviewed, and although somewhat guarded, provided some insight that will be valuable to my thesis.

I know you're not a tv guy, so you might be interested to know I've also had the pleasure of interviewing Bob McDonald from Quirks and Quarks and Paul Kennedy from Ideas.  Both very animated characters!  So yes, fun to interview some broadcasters who I've enjoyed listening to over the years!  Coming up is

Diana Swain which I'm looking forward to and the request is in for Rex Murphy... so we'll see!”

NAAEE in Buffalo NY

I have heard from some of you (Colin Harris, Lilith Wyatt) that you intend on being at the North American Association for Environmental Education conference this September. I’ll be presenting two sessions at the conference, and hope to see more of you there! If you are going to be there and/or presenting, let me know!

Family etc. news

Howie Cappadocia (MA, 2006 cohort) tells me that he is taking his Principal qualifications for his work within the Toronto Catholic Diocese Public Schools, although he says “they keep asking me to apply (I’m not sure that I want to…I have too much fun doing what I am doing).” He also says that his wife is expecting to deliver their second child on 4 July (or so)! Best wishes to your growing family, Howie!

Andrew Holownych (2008 cohort) tells me “So it looks like I may be staying in Taiwan just a little longer than "planned". I was originally going to come back to Canada after the third and final residency, but now i shall be staying till at least February 2011 because........... my wedding will be in October! Yes, I finally proposed to Emily, my Taiwanese partner a few weeks ago. Looks like I'll be getting more and more Taiwanese in the future!”

And then a few days later, I received another email: “A even more recent update.... i'm now married! Check out the pictures attached! it was a short engagement. we just did the official registering, and will have the wedding reception in October.”

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Congratulations to you and Emily, Andrew!!

Julie Clark (MA, 2004 cohort) and Johan Stroman (MA, 2004 cohort) met at RRU and are now planning their wedding. Some folks come to RRU to get a degree, and end up with much more...

Roy Jantzen (MA, 2003 cohort), who teachers at Capilano University, is also getting married this summer, to Heather Avison...

Helene Fleury (MA, 2006 cohort) writes from Smithers BC “We are well. Dean is building a Tree house for Sacha--we just got cedar shakes for the roof from a friend. Should be a really cool hangout place when it's done. We were just in Tofino and Kelowna and will be heading to Quebec for my mom's 80th later this summer. Camping every other week-end too. Sacha loves being outside and particularly likes ants these days, but not so much bumble bees...”

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Convocation June 2010

From left to right:

Laurie Parker, MA

Mike Klassen, MA

Sharman Learie, MA

Alison Perrin, MA

Rick is wearing dark pants for a change

Rebecca Henn, MA

Dorothy Kelker, MA

Shelley Serebrin, MA

Nicolette Richer, MA (and Hazelle)

Ricks response to Milt’s silly hat!

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