I am super excited! I have been offered an opportunity to attend and participate (credentialled NGO Observer) in the 2021 United Nations COP26 meeting. This international climate change meeting is THE place where climate policy and climate action happen. I will be supporting the U.S. ACE Coalition (Action for Climate Enhancement) while participating in events in Glasgow, Scotland during the first two weeks of November. 

I believe that in order to solve the climate crisis we must activate PEOPLE through education, training, and public participation. I will join a delegation of individuals and organizations working on community driven climate solutions including climate change education, training, public awareness, public access to information, public engagement, and international coordination at COP26.

The U.S. ACE Coalition Delegation to COP26 will build on the U.S. ACE Framework and other previous U.S. ACE community work to advocate for stronger, more just, and more intersectional ACE work at the national and international level. The Delegation will host side events, press conferences, and networking events at COP26 to feature ACE work in the U.S. and promote ACE as critical to climate solutions. 

This huge learning opportunity will allow me to meet inspiring international leaders from around the world who are fighting for systems change in climate change education and a for a future we all want to be part of.
I will also get to share my unique perspective, expertise, leadership, and passion for climate change education. It's plausible that this experience will turbocharge my passion for environmental work and career in environmental education. 

While in Glasgow, I will also meet up and engage with the World Association for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Climate Change Programme leaders and hopefully the Laudato Sí Movement too. ​

This is all a very last minute opportunity that has come my way and yet it does not include funding to cover my travel, expenses, and carbon offsets for two weeks ($3,000 budget). I thank you for considering sponsoring me and this important work. You may send along a sponsorship of any size through PayPal.Me  or Venmo @sarahrosejohnson. 
Thank you in advance for your continued support of climate change education leadership!

Throughout the COP26 Meeting I will be posting updates and reflections on these social media channels; so please follow/like these pages: 

• on Instagram @wild_rose_education
• on facebook @WildRoseEducation
• on Twitter @​​WildRoseEducate

Perhaps you too are traveling to Glasgow for the COP26? If so, let's see about trying to connect. Find me on WhatsApp with my phone number. Send me an email and I'll share my number. 

Thursday, February 4, 2021
3:30pm-4:30pm MST
All formal and non-formal educators welcome
​Waitlist Registration here

This month's Climate Change Educator Meetup will include a presenters Frank Niepold, Jen Krester, and Kristen Poppleton (see below) who will provide an overview of the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) strategic framework for the United States, some concrete examples of ACE in action and how participants get involved. 

• Frank Niepold, Senior Climate Education Program Manager and Coordinator, NOAA Climate Program Office
• Jen Kretser, Director of Climate Initiatives - The Wild Center
• Kristen Poppleton, Senior Director of Programs - Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy​

This is a regular monthly virtual meet up of climate change educators from across Colorado and beyond. We're excited to invite many others (you) to our February meeting. If you're interested in being part of this informal professional group, after the February meet-up you'll be invited to join our Mighty Network online platform. 

The Youth Water Leadership Program was selected and awarded a 2020 Award for Excellence in Environmental Education: Innovative EE Program from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education. 

You will be going on a river and riparian exploration near your home on your own. While out in the riparian ecosystem, you will be working on identifying common riparian plant species and recording your findings on iNaturalist. 
Follow these steps to use iNaturalist

1. Visit https://www.inaturalist.org and create an account
2. Join this project https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/home-river-bioblitz-youth-water-leadership-program
3. Download the iNaturalist app to your smartphone
4. Go explore a local river and riparian area near your home 
   1. Make at least 12 different plant observations
      1. Feel free to also record other species - birds, animal tracks, insects, etc.

You're going to need to use plant field guides to help you identify riparian plants in your region. A few online resources include: 

• Field Guide for the Identification and Use of Common Riparian Woody Plants of the Intermountain West and Pacific Northwest Regions  (NRCS)
• Colorado Wetland Field Guides and App (CNHP)

Download the GLOBE Observer app to your smartphone. 

• Smart phone
• Email address and password​

Get Started - Start Making Observations

1. Download the Globe Observer App to your smart phone
2. Create a unique account (you'll need an email address for this)
3. Join Wild Rose Education's Home River Bioblitz observation team using this referral code  -  GLIDRIKN (that's an i not a 1). 
4. Take the tutorial within the app on your phone for the Clouds and Land Cover protocols. 
5. Start taking observations everywhere you go!

A great group of formal and non-formal educators participated in the award winning Project Learning Tree curriculum workshop taught by Colorado Forest Service Danielle Ardrey and recently retired Shawna Crocker. The workshop was sponsored by the Northwest Regional Council of the Colorado Environmental Education Plan. 

Wild Rose Education piloted an innovative approach to provide a Leave No Trace Trainer Course for the new Aspen Mountain Guide School students this fall. The 11th and 12th grade students spent the entire month of September during their regular class time learning and practicing the 7 Principles of LNT and the ethics of minimal impact use of public lands. They then worked in small groups to research and then teach mini-lessons on special uses such as mountain biking, camping bear country, hammock camping, winter travel, hunting, fishing, and rock climbing. All the participants are now trained by LNT and have the skills and knowledge to teach LNT Awareness Workshops. 
Aspen Public Radio covered the workshop with this recent news story.
Special thanks to Tim Borden, LNT Master Educator for co-instructing the course and to Aspen Valley Land Trust for the use of the Chapin Wright Marble Basecamp.

The Youth Water Leadership Program hosted the Community Action & Problem-Solving Process Teacher Workshop  facilitated by Earth Force and offered graduate credit from the Colorado School of Mines for over 15 educators at the Third Street Center in Carbondale, Colorado on August 5, 2019. Educators attended from Grand Junction, Cedaredge, Leadville, Aspen, Basalt, Carbondale, Parachute, and Glenwood Springs. 

Participants were introduced to Earth Force’s award-winning Community Action and Problem Solving Process. The Earth Force Process is a six-step approach that combines the best of action civics, environmental education, and STEM to provide a framework of action for teachers seeking to engage students in hands-on community environmental action projects. This professional development gave educators the opportunity to understand how incorporating youth voice, student-driven inquiry, democratic decision-making and place-based authentic problem-solving into their classrooms prepares students for life-long environmental stewardship, civic engagement, and collaborative action. Participants gained a better understanding of how to engage students in learning that makes a difference, for students and communities. All were encouraged to participate in the upcoming Healthy Rivers Youth Water Summit and to publish their students' work on the Youth River Voices blog. 

​All this made possible by these generous 2019 Youth Water Leadership Program sponsors. 

​Fifteen educators from across Colorado convened for a River Ecology and Water in the West courses during the 3nd annual Western Rivers Teacher Workshops during the 2019 Western Colorado University's Summer Teacher Institute. In addition to five days of instruction in the field and classroom, participants learned to use ESRI story maps and Google My Maps to share special watershed topics and create walking field trip maps from their school. 

• view Walking Field Trip Maps
• view Watershed Topic Story Maps

Plans are underway for the 2020 Western Rivers Teacher Workshops at Western Colorado University. If you would like to be added to the educator alert email list, let us know, and we'll keep you up to date on upcoming registration deadlines.

During the 2019 spring semester, Wild Rose Education's intern Jessy Stevenson worked remotely from Missoula, Montana to collaborate on the development of a new deliberative forum guide addressing the challenges of increasing demands on our nation's rivers. 
Using proven tools from the National Environmental Issues Forums, Kettering Foundation and the National Issues Forums, Let's Talk Rivers framework was drafted, edited by national experts in the field, tested in Carbondale, Colorado, and then finalized. 
The internship included the opportunity for Jessy to learn how to name and frame an issue, conduct background research and draft a deliberative forum guide to use with groups. 
The intended use of this guide is for use by trained deliberation moderators with groups of public, university students, and high school students. The guide can be adapted to reflect specific local and regional river issues, opportunities, and trade-offs. The guide will be utilized by teachers and students involved with the Youth Water Leadership Program during 2019 and in years to come as well as during the Western Rivers Teacher Workshops. 
Wild Rose Education was thrilled to work with such a talented and committed university student. Jessy Stevenson graduated on May 4, 2019 from the University of Montana's College of Forestry and Conservation with a B.S. in Resource Conservation, a double major in Environmental Studies, and a minor in Wilderness Studies.
Read her reflection on this project at the Youth River Voices blog. 
Special thank you to the River Management Society for creating an opportunity to meet and connect with Jessy Stevenson during the annual Symposium. Also special thank you to Bora Simmons (North American Association for Environmental Education), Michele Archie (Harbinger Consulting Group), Kellie Gorman (Yampatika), Hillary Mason (University of Denver), Connor Bailey (Wilderness Society), Dan Kahl (University of Kentucky), and Carla Atkinson (University of Alabama) for their support and edits. 

All this made possible by these generous 2019 Youth Water Leadership Program sponsors. 

​Monday, August 5, 2019 8:00 am-4:30 pm
Third Street Center, Carbondale, Colorado
$20/participant 

Join Wild Rose Education's Youth Water Leadership Program and Earth Force for a one-day educator professional development event! Participants will be introduced to Earth Force’s award-winning Community Action and Problem Solving Process. The Earth Force Process is a six-step approach that combines the best of action civics, environmental education, and STEM to provide a framework of action for teachers seeking to engage students in hands-on community environmental action projects. This professional development gives West Slope educators the opportunity to understand how incorporating youth voice, student-driven inquiry, democratic decision-making and place-based authentic problem-solving into their classrooms prepares students for life-long environmental stewardship, civic engagement, and collaborative action. Participants will gain a better understanding of how to engage students in learning that makes a difference, for students and communities.
 
Participating educators will receive an Earth Force Educator Guide to the Community Action and Problem-Solving Process, a TIPS Cards reference set, web-based classroom resources, and a digital archive. Earth Force in partnership with Wild Rose Education, provides trained educators ongoing teacher support from class visits to stakeholder outreach, at no cost. 

This workshop is made possible by these generous 2019 Youth Water Leadership Program sponsors. ​