OUR CONFERENCES
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Daniel Blackman
Daniel Blackman will be our keynote speaker for the 2022 EEA / SEEA Conference and Research Symposium. Daniel was appointed to serve as regional administrator for U.S. EPA’s Southeast Region (Region 4) in late 2021. He leads EPA efforts to protect public health and the environment for the region spanning Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. EPA Region 4 is committed to environmental education and advocates for engaging students in a continuum of activities ranging from awareness of the environment through understanding, stewardship, and civic action.
Daniel has dedicated his career to building more resilient communities with equitable economic opportunity, greater access to education, and a healthy environment for all. He spent more than a decade advising Georgia policymakers on energy-related matters and served as chairman of the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club and ACLU board member.
Prior to his appointment as regional administrator, he worked closely in Region 4 on issues including water infrastructure, clean air, and land/emergency management policies that impacted the southeast and amplified environmental justice policies. His work in addressing groundwater contamination at nuclear plants and its impact on public health and safety has given him the opportunity to testify numerous times before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and his commitment to working throughout the southeast to push for legislation that addresses toxic ash left behind from burning coal has given him the opportunity to play a key role in the transitioning the U.S. to clean energy.
Daniel is the son of immigrants from Barbados and an alumnus of Clark Atlanta University. He and his wife Jeanelle are the proud parents of four children and reside in Georgia's Forsyth County.
Daniel has dedicated his career to building more resilient communities with equitable economic opportunity, greater access to education, and a healthy environment for all. He spent more than a decade advising Georgia policymakers on energy-related matters and served as chairman of the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club and ACLU board member.
Prior to his appointment as regional administrator, he worked closely in Region 4 on issues including water infrastructure, clean air, and land/emergency management policies that impacted the southeast and amplified environmental justice policies. His work in addressing groundwater contamination at nuclear plants and its impact on public health and safety has given him the opportunity to testify numerous times before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and his commitment to working throughout the southeast to push for legislation that addresses toxic ash left behind from burning coal has given him the opportunity to play a key role in the transitioning the U.S. to clean energy.
Daniel is the son of immigrants from Barbados and an alumnus of Clark Atlanta University. He and his wife Jeanelle are the proud parents of four children and reside in Georgia's Forsyth County.
CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS & FIELD TRIPS
Thursday September 29: Half-day Workshops
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GA Adopt-a-Stream Chemical Monitoring
This workshop will teach basic water chemistry and how to conduct various chemical tests (including dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, and temperature) using hand-held field equipment. We'll be in the classroom to go over background information on water quality parameters and water chemistry, and in the field to learn how to conduct the tests. Finally, a written test will complete your certification.
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Smithgall Woods Project Learning Tree
Take a field trip to nearby Smithgall Woods to participate in this mini workshop, highlighting activities from the newest edition of the Project Learning Tree (PLT) educator guide. You will receive materials to engage in several activities, demonstrating how becoming a PLT educator can benefit your organization’s program offerings.
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GA Project WET: Climate, Water, and Resilience
Why does climate change matter? What is responsible for climate change and how do we know? What can we do? Join us for this engaging mini-workshop and participate in interactive lessons that engage student understanding about the impacts of climate. You will also receive a copy of Project WET's Climate, Water, and Resilience Activity Guide.
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Natural Science Illustration
Get to know your botanical, animal, and mineral through close observation (using magnification tools) noting shape, form (highlights, shadows, reflected light), and texture through traditional lighting, rough sketch, refined sketch, and final rendering. Research noting the scientific name, including classification, family, genus, and species. While most supplies will be provided, you'll receive a small, required supply list.
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Thursday September 29: Field Trips
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Unicoi Lodge Adventure Activities
Unicoi State Park and Lodge offers unique adventure activities to fill your morning and/or afternoon. These include archery (1.5 hours), air soft gun range (45 min.), axe throwing (45 min.), and fly fishing* instruction on Smith Creek (1 hour). Activities will operate continuously throughout the morning and afternoon so you can easily move from one activity to the next. All necessary equipment will be provided.
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*Fly fishing participants must present a valid GA fishing license and trout license. This is not included in the cost of registration.
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Anna Ruby Falls Geology
The ecology of North Georgia is unlike any other. North Georgia, especially Anna Ruby Falls, is home to a unique climate, cool, clean fresh water, and even some endangered species. But what makes Anna Ruby Falls so different? During this guided hike, geologist Dr. Bill Witherspoon will discuss the various rock types and topography at the site and how they have influenced the North Georgia region we see today.
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Unicoi State Park Birding Walk
Join Melanie Furr, Georgia Audubon's director of education, on this guided bird tour of Unicoi State Park. The northeast GA mountains provide a very different habitat from the state’s southern bald-cypress swamps and coastal marshes. Species found in this region include the ruffed grouse, blue-headed vireo, common raven, winter wren, veery, chestnut-sided warbler, black-throated blue warbler, black-throated green warbler, Canada warbler, and dark-eyed junco. Binoculars will be provided.
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Sautee Nacoochee Center Tour: Exploring Local Culture and Environment
Once the site of the Nacoochee Institute, a private school, the Sautee Nacoochee Center has been a thriving center of culture in the community for 40 years. Our tour of the campus will include the Folk Pottery Museum and art galleries that offer local juried art. You'll enjoy a hands-on experience making a decorative “face jug." We'll also learn about the environmental history of the center and its current Environmental Heritage program.
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Unicoi Lake Kayaking
Join Mike Kahle, chair of the Council of Outdoor Learning, for an educational kayak adventure on 53-acre Unicoi Lake. We'll meet at the beach to start the program, which will include boating safety, nature interpretation, and the benefits and considerations for incorporating boating into programs at your site. Boat rental registrations will reserve your spot in a single or tandem kayak.
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Sautee Nacoochee Center Tour: Healing Environments Using Native Plants
Explore the relationship between personal health and nature. Visit two gardens, the Native Peace Garden and a private garden, the “Nature Gallery,” that provide spaces for peaceful reflection. Plant selections on both sites are primarily plants native to northeast Georgia. Enjoy the refreshment of connecting to woodland gardens while learning the stories of these special places.
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Saturday October 1: All-day Workshops
Time |
Cost |
Participant Limit |
9 AM – 3:30 PM |
$50 w/conference registration $100 w/o conference registration* |
20 |
Learn about basic monarch biology and ecology, monarch citizen science, Journey North, Project Monarch Health, Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, Monarch Watch tagging, and creating pollinator habitats. Monarchs and More: An Inquiry and Arthropod-Based Curriculum is the basis for the workshop’s monarch butterfly studies and schoolyard ecology explorations. Curricula are divided into grade-level lessons (aligned with Next Generation Science Standards) for K-2, 3-5, and middle school, with a strong interdisciplinary approach incorporating concepts and skills in science, math, reading, writing, art, & social studies.
*Does not include access to Conference events on Thur., Fri., or Sat. morning; Saturday lunch will be provided at workshop.
Time |
Cost |
Participant Limit |
9 AM – 4:30 PM |
$70 w/conference registration $100 w/o registration* |
16 |
Advanced Training for Environmental Education in Georgia (ATEEG) is a nationally accredited, professional certification program for formal and non-formal educators seeking to earn environmental education (EE) certification. Certification creates an opportunity for you to gain professional recognition in the EE field, build your networking opportunities, and be recognized as an EE leader in and outside Georgia.
All candidates must attend and participate in three core courses (CC), beginning with CC1 - Foundations for Environmental Education. This workshop follows a new, hybrid format combining in-person instruction and online work with instructors via webinars, videos, and some self-paced activities.
To earn full credit for completing CC1, you must participate in both in-person and online components. The workshop cost shown here covers the in-person component only. The online component of the course will cost $100 and will not be due until after the in-person session. Dates and times for the online sessions will be arranged with participants after the in-person workshop.
You're encouraged to reserve rooms at Unicoi Lodge with the discount code provided when registering for the conference. This is your opportunity to get started earning nationally recognized EE certification! Concepts and work presented by ATEEG are approved and based on the Guidelines for Excellence from the North American Association for Environmental Education.
All candidates must attend and participate in three core courses (CC), beginning with CC1 - Foundations for Environmental Education. This workshop follows a new, hybrid format combining in-person instruction and online work with instructors via webinars, videos, and some self-paced activities.
To earn full credit for completing CC1, you must participate in both in-person and online components. The workshop cost shown here covers the in-person component only. The online component of the course will cost $100 and will not be due until after the in-person session. Dates and times for the online sessions will be arranged with participants after the in-person workshop.
You're encouraged to reserve rooms at Unicoi Lodge with the discount code provided when registering for the conference. This is your opportunity to get started earning nationally recognized EE certification! Concepts and work presented by ATEEG are approved and based on the Guidelines for Excellence from the North American Association for Environmental Education.
*Does not include access to SEEA events on Thur., Fri., or Sat. morning; Saturday lunch will be provided to workshop participants.
Join the EEA team! We are hiring a Communications and Events Specialist. Learn more and apply HERE
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Environmental Education Alliance, Inc.
P.O. Box 801066 | Acworth, GA 30101 EEA does not does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in its program , activities, or employment. For more information on EEA's non-discrimination commitment click here . Grievance officer may be contacted at [email protected] |