Katie Boehnlein
teacher - writer - adventurer
Environmental Education is...
Above all, environmental education opens up new worlds for people through its lifelong process of questioning humans’ place in the world. Though its eventual goal is to foster stewardship and engaged citizenship, environmental education begins with immersive experiences that transcend traditional classroom walls. These experiences engage all the senses to awaken the student’s natural wonder and curiosity about their home.
Wendell Berry once said, “Ask the questions that have no answers.” His statement resonates deeply with the goals of environmental education; a spirit of inquiry is essential for becoming increasingly aware of the complex systems that surround us. Berry’s encouragement to ask questions also hints at the messiness of this type of learning. Teachers may go into an experience armed with a detailed lesson plan but often the great world teaches us much more than we could have ever planned. Showing our students that we can learn from what is around us is such a valuable lesson for a person of any age. Students may leave a place-based lesson knowing more about the biology and natural history unique to their area, but they have also learned a slew of other essential life lessons: how to work within a group, how to be resilient in any weather, and that places are worth caring about.
After having meaningful, place-based immersions, the goal of environmental educators is to then foster engaged citizenship. Environmentally literate people ask, “Why is this important?,” “Why do my actions matter?,” and “How do my beliefs and actions affect all things, both living and nonliving?” Students of any age, regardless of his or her status as a registered voter, can engage in discussions of responsibility, realizing their interconnectedness with the world around them. It is the role of the environmental educator to facilitate these conversations in an unbiased manner. I believe in environmental education because it encourages teachers and students to work together to tackle real-world environmental problems.
Learning is a life-long endeavor and environmental education is an inclusive way in which to engage students with the learning process. People of all learning styles can engage in interdisciplinary environmental topics and develop diverse academic skills such as scientific questioning, critical thinking, and collaborative problem solving. Learning through the lens of environmental literacy is collaborative, reflective, opinion-generating, and actively creative. I know that my place as an educator is to be a catalyst for future leaders and stewards of our world. I am eager to foster lasting relationships with young people who question their world, seek the solitude of natural spaces, think critically about the use of resources, and are empowered by their own creativity and wonder. Learning is all about doing things together, and what’s more fun than putting soles to soil, planting seeds in a garden, or having a teacher’s permission to climb trees and discover a personal connection with a place?