Border Environmental Educators from Mexico and the US attend NAAEE Conference

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The North American Association for Environmental Education held its conference in October in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The geographic location of this year's conference made it possible for environmental educators from the border region, as well as the rest of Mexico and Latin America, to attend the conference, with more than 50 Spanish-speakers in attendance.
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One of the activities focused on this audience was a special session for discussion environmental education in the border region. Participants explored opportunities for collaboration and funding, as well as ideas about the recently created Border-Wide Environmental Education Coalition, specifically about what the structure and function of the group should be.
Participants discussed maintaining a coalition originating from the efforts of communities and non-profits in the border, looking for a common ground between the Border 2012 Program and the Coalition, where the free spirit of the Coalition is respected. The group also mentioned that the Coalition should be a tool for communication and informal collaboration, outside of the parameters of a "Task Force".

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Collaboration in environmental issues in the border region is constantly growing, as shown by the Border 2012 Initiative and the recent creation of the efforts of the Border Environmental Education Coalition. The New Mexico conference presented an opportunity for people to connect face-to-face and plant the seed for a collaborative relationship in the long-term.

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This session was only one of the various offered about environmental education efforts along the border and in Mexico. Others included a presentation of the Environmental Education Council of the Californias, as well as a keynote presentation by Tiahoga Ruge, director of Mexico's Center for Education and Training for Sustainable Development (Cecadesu).

Photo courtesy of NAAEE, photo credits: Debra Spillman, Spillman Photography.