Member of the Month

July 2021 Member of the Month

Scott recently shared his story with us about the value of WAEE membership.

When I started teaching at Trempealeau Elementary School back in 1975, I had a pretty good background on what was expected of a teacher (my mom was one of the best elementary teachers ever) and also had a pretty good knowledge of the natural world (my dad was an avid outdoorsman, hunted, fished, and had a great respect and love of the natural world). I wanted to pass that on to my 5th graders, but didn’t really know just how to best go about doing that. Teaching in Trempealeau, WI, along the Mississippi River and home to the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge and Perrot State Park, it seemed crucial that I instill a love and appreciation of the natural world that surrounds them.

That’s where WAEE came in. In the early 1980s I attended one of the WAEE Fall Conferences and it was incredible! I came back with several great activities so I implemented them as soon as I could. I instantly became “hooked” on WAEE and started regularly attending their three main annual events – Fall State & Midwest Conferences, Winter Workshops, and the spring workshop held at the Wausau School Forest. I hardly missed any of these from the mid-80 through my retirement in 2008, and continued beyond that, as I went on to teach Environmental Studies at UW La Crosse from 2009 to 2017. I came home from every conference with new ideas and couldn’t wait to implement them. 

After seeing my enthusiasm and hearing about how fun and educational these events were, several staff members at the school also became involved in WAEE, attending these workshops with me. With that core of people and using the many, many activities and ideas we picked up at WAEE events, Trempealeau became even more involved in environmental education. We took the kids camping at Perrot, seasonal trips to the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge, hiked the bluffs and down to the river, dissected road kill deer, learned about and sampled wild foods, started an annual Environmental Awareness Day, started a school-wide recycling program including aluminum cans that brought in over $100,000 by the time I retired and it still continues today. All that money is earmarked for EE at the school. All this would not have happened without the guidance we received from WAEE events.

Getting involved and becoming a life member in WAEE was easily the smartest thing that I did as a teacher. My success in the elementary school and at the college level would never have happened had it not been for their help and guidance along the path of my career.

May 2021 Member of the Month

Jeanette Kelly is the Citizen Science Director and Education Manager at Beaver Creek Reserve. She is a Wisconsin native, but after college she traveled around the United States working with birds. After working in the ornithology field for quite some time, she learned her real passion was educating youth, adults about birds and their significance. She was the Education Director at the Raptor Education Group Inc. (REGI) in Antigo, and helped start their education program there. After being at REGI, she decided to make the move to the west side of the state and work at a small nature reserve called Beaver Creek. Since working at Beaver Creek, Jeanette has expanded and strengthened their bird banding programs, blue bird house project, and the education department. Day by day Jeanette continues to improve Beaver Creek with her kindness and passions. She is a leader in her workplace, caring so much about her staff, volunteers, and the public. Thank you Jeanette for sharing your love for nature with others!

March 2021 Member of the Month

Congratulations to Tiffany Lodholz, our WAEE’s March Member of the Month. Tiffany Lodholz was born and raised in Wausau, WI. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2000. After graduating, she worked for 10 years at the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault as the Disabilities, Aging, and Rural Program Coordinator and the Senior Program Manager. She then worked as the Water Quality and Quantity Coordinator for Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network and the Grants Coordinator for Marquette County Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth before joining High Marq in 2017. Tiffany has served as the President of the Wisconsin Friends of John Muir since the organization's inception in 2013. And as High Marq's Field Naturalist, each week Tiffany plans and executes an engaging outdoor learning experiences for the students. During the pandemic, she has been providing those experiences for both in-person and at-home learners. Throughout the process, Tiffany has modeled the flexibility, growth, and reflection that we hope to see from our students. Thank you for all you do for EE and your students!

January 2021 Member of the Month

Congratulations to Huda Alkaff, our WAEE’s January Member of the Month. She is the founder and director of Wisconsin Green Muslims, has spent two decades working as an advocate for environmental justice, initiating Muslim and interfaith educational programs focused on energy and water conservation. Her passion is to envision and design community environmental education programs. Huda received the 2018 Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Eco-Justice Award and the RE-AMP Network Superstar award. Thank you for all your hard work! 

August 2020 Member of the Month

Congratulations to Licia Johnson, our WAEE’s August Member of the Month. Growing up in the woods of Northern Wisconsin, she always loved being outside. Licia graduated from Carroll College in May 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Conservation and Geography. After working a few seasons out in WA state at an EE facility, and teaching at Trees for Tomorrow in Eagle River, she joined the North Lakeland Discovery Center team in spring 2007 as a seasonal Environmental Educator and in December 2007 she was appointed as a permanent staff naturalist and program director. In addition to teaching, Licia is the coordinator for the Center's outreach programs, manages the nature center’s live animals and exhibits, coordinates the region's acoustic bat monitoring program, and oversees the many gardens. She served on the Board of Directors for WAEE and received the Non-formal educator of the year award in 2018. This year she received an award from the state for my work in citizen science efforts. Thank you for your commitment to environmental education!

July 2020 Member of the Month

Congratulations to Deb McRae our WAEE’s July Member of the Month. Deb is the Director of Wehr Nature Center and after over 20 years, she is retiring this month. Deb is known to “make things happen” with whatever resources are available to serve the greatest number of people and to lead a great team. She has also initiated impressive efforts to make the Wehr Nature Center more accessible to visitors and volunteers with disabilities over the past 10 years. Thank you for your dedication and hard work!

June 2020 Member of the Month

Congratulations to Amy Workman, our WAEE’s June Member of the Month. Hiking and fishing with her dad growing up - Amy knew since middle school that she wanted to work in the outdoors and share that love of the outdoors with others. She introduces herself to students as "a lifelong learner and educator dedicated to connecting youth and adults with science and the natural world."

With over 18 years of education experience, ranging from being the environmental education coordinator at a bilingual charter school in Monteverde, Costa Rica to the Outreach Educator for UW-Extension, Amy has done it all. She even served on our board for 8 years. Amy now teaches high school science and is encouraging her students in their love for the environment and science in general.Thanks for your energy Amy!

May 2020 Member of the Month

Congratulations to Lynn Karbowski, our WAEE’s May Member of the Month. You have probably met Lynn already as she serves as the half-time WAEE administrator. In this role, she provides support to the board and the membership. She does this through managing conference and workshop logistics, creating and sending WAEE Updates, managing memberships and the SECC umbrella, and so much more! Lynn has been providing positive and professional support for WAEE for years! Thanks for all of your work behind the scenes. We are so happy to have her on the team!