Becky Clearwater of Missouri Ecological Services, and Dr. Safiya Samman, FS Director of Conservation Education. - FWS photo

Speaking on environmental education in A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold said, “The objective is to teach the student to see the land, to understand what he sees, and enjoy what he understands.” From April 10-12, Becky Clearwater represented Missouri Ecological Services at the 2007 Conservation Education Conference in Madison, Wisconsin to participate in a three-day workshop titled, “Kids Outside- Nurturing a Land Ethic.”

As a result of Missouri Ecological Services’ exceptional relationship with Mark Twain National Forest, Administrative Officer and WOW Board Member Becky Clearwater was invited to attend this national workshop hosted by the U.S. Forest Service. Clearwater, who represented Missouri Ecological Services at the conference said, “I came to the conference curious about what other people are doing in terms of conservation education, and I left the conference inspired by what I learned.”

Director of the Conservation Education Program, Dr. Safiya Samman, said the conference provided “informative sessions and unparalleled opportunities to network with old friends, and build new relationships.” Guest speakers at the conference included Gina McCarthy, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Curt Meine, writer and conservation biologist, and Brian Day, Executive Director for the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).

Jim Hubbard, Deputy Chief of the Forest Service for State and Private Forestry, expressed the role of conservation education in reflecting on the three-day conference, “I believe that conservation education is vitally important for the future of our country- You can’t buy our way out of any environmental crisis through public works- important as they are. More important than what we buy as a nation is what we learn through conservation education.”