Council Collaborates with NCSE

The Council is collaborating with the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) on the 9th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment: Biodiversity in a Rapidly Changing World. Held December 8-10, 2008, in Washington, DC, the conference is an opportunity for dialogue with leading scientists, policy makers, industry leaders, educators, environmentalists, and other solutions-oriented innovators to develop and advance science-based solutions to challenges the changing world poses to biodiversity.

Spotlight: Nick Kulibaba

Newly Elected ELC Board Member, Washington, DC

• Why is the work of the Environmental Literacy Council important to you?
  The work of ELC is, for me, an opportunity to ensure that the objects of my greatest professional passions—biodiversity conservation, sound environmental stewardship and a sustainable economy—can be responsibly conveyed as, perhaps, an inspiration to those who will succeed us over time.


• What are you working on right now?
  As always, I’m working on a multitude of things:
  - Helping IUCN and the MacArthur Foundation to get the global climate change center off the ground
  - Working with a major clothing manufacturer/retailer on implementation of their corporate social responsibility strategy
  - Working closely with ELC staff to kick-start the next phase of our fundraising efforts
  - And NOT forgetting that it’s fall, which means clean-up chores on my little farm


• Favorite class when you were a kid?
  One of the most enlightening classes I ever had was a Freshman high school course in “Comparative Ideologies,” focusing on the philosophical differences that were the underpinnings of the Cold War. It was a real adventure in intellectual growth in which we were trusted to discern the many layers of thought and experience that forge the world political systems.


• Last book you read?
  The Smaller Majority by Piotr Naskreeki. The book focuses on species—arthropods and insects, fish, reptiles, amphibs and the like, all of which are “smaller than your finger.” The photographs are beautiful and quite astonishing and the text is both informative and pure fun.


• Last place you travelled?
  A few weeks ago I had a wonderful weekend in the Shenandoah Valley with my “Indian crowd,” most of whom had grown up as missionary kids or government dependents in India. While Virginia might not be very exotic, it was a weekend in which we all spoke in our best Hindi, Punjabi and Telugu accents, ate South Asian food and waxed rhapsodic about our own experiences during the days when the Raj was fading into the twilight.

Spotlight: Kathleen Berry, Council President

Canon-McMillan High School (Retired), McDonald, PA

• Why is the work of the Environmental Literacy Council important to you?
  Many times teachers are awash or at sea with a need for an organized source of science information that is easily accessible. I think ELC is the island of science-based material teachers are looking for regarding environmental issues.
  
• What are you working on right now?
  I am finishing the design for a graduate course entitled "Basic Elements of Science Teaching."
  
• Favorite class when you were a kid? Earth Science
  
• Last book you read? A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
  
• Last place you travelled? Vermont

Council Quoted on TV's "Rocky Geared Up"

The Environmental Literacy Council is quoted regarding forest succession after a wildfire in the latest episode of the television show "Rocky Geared Up." The episode airs on the Outdoor Channel, Friday August 28 @ 1:00 PM EST and repeats Saturday August 29 @ 4:30 PM EST. To learn more about forest succession or to download our Firestorm curriculum, see the Forests section of our website.

Internet Scout Report calls the Council's Teaching Resources "a real find."

The Environmental Literacy Council's Teaching Resources were spotlighted in the August 22, 2008 Internet Scout Report. Published weekly since 1994, the Scout Report is one of the Internet's oldest and most respected publications. The team's professional librarians and subject matter experts say "visitors should not miss" the "creative" and "engaging" Environmental History Modules. [Read the full Review] [Visit our Teaching Resources]

Environmental Literacy Council Now Listed at iGive.com

Who hasn't uttered the words, "I wish there was something I could do to help"? Now you can. Start shopping! That’s right, go head and buy something for yourself –– a new CD, the latest bestseller, everyday essentials like pet food or vitamins, even a computer. Every time you shop at one of the over 680 name-brand stores in the iGive.com Mall, we receive a donation of up to 26% of each purchase you make -- at no additional cost to you.

Join www.iGive.com/enviroliteracy and then shop till you drop. We’ll appreciate it!

Environmental Literacy Council now listed at GoodSearch.com

What if the Environmental Literacy Council earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our Facebook Cause to Help Build Environmental Literacy? Well, now it can! GoodSearch.com donates half its advertising revenue to the charities its users designate. All you have to do is download the GoodSearch toolbar or add GoodSearch to your existing search options. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up for the Council! Looking to do a little online shopping? GoodShop.com donates up to 37% of each purchase from hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, and Best Buy to your favorite charity.

To sign up, go to http://www.goodsearch.com/ and enter "Environmental Literacy Council" as the charity you want to support. And, be sure to spread the word!

Council Participates in the Global Young Leaders Conference

As part of the 2008 Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC), Council Member Dr. Gail Charnley recently spoke with future leaders from around the world about the need for critical analysis and for considering both benefits and costs when making environmental decisions. The annual GYLC program brings together outstanding young people to build critical leadership skills in a global context and the opportunity for students to exchange ideas with some of the world's top business leaders, policy officials, diplomats, and academics.

Spotlight: Roger Sedjo, Council Chairman

Director, Forest Economics & Policy Program, Resources for the Future, Washington, DC

• Why is the work of the Environmental Literacy Council important to you?
  Environmental education is important, especially in K-12, for the future of democratic decisionmaking and leadership.


• What are you working on right now?
  I have a new book out through RFF Press called Perspectives on Sustainable Resources in America which updates readers about the current challenges involved in managing America’s natural resources, especially in light of the increasing emphasis on sustainability and ecosystem approaches to management. Other topics I've been working on lately include cellulosic biofuels, avoided deforestation, and transgenic trees.


• Favorite class when you were a kid? Math


• Last book you read? Empire of Gold: A History of the Byzantine Empire (really)


• Last place you travelled? India

Council Partners with Take a Child Outside Week

Initiated by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Take A Child Outside Week is an international program designed to help break down obstacles that keep children from discovering the natural world. By arming parents, teachers and other caregivers with resources on outdoor activities, our goal is to help children across the country develop a better understanding and appreciation of the environment in which they live. Looking for resources in your area? Please visit the Council's State Resources section.

The Year of Science 2009

The Council recently joined the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) in celebrating the Year of Science 2009. The year-long event aims to engage the public in science, improve understanding about how science works, why it matters, and who scientists are.