Most of us don’t really celebrate the Winter Solstice, other than to breathe a sigh of relief that after Dec 21 the days will start, ever so slowly, to lengthen. Many cultures celebrated the solstice as mid-winter—the time when they knew the sun and its warmth would now return. For me, it is a time for reflection—maybe because it is the darkest time of the year, which lends itself to contemplation.

I was prompted to reflect on my work over the years after I learned I would be given the Walter E. Jeske Award at NAAEE’s annual conference in November. The Jeske Award Is NAAEE”s highest honor, given for service to NAAEE and leadership in environmental education. It is a recognition of lifetime achievement. We all work every day to bring education about the environment into our classrooms, after-school programs, summer programs, parks, community organizations, and more. We volunteer our time and make donations to support the environment. It is gratifying when our colleagues notice and give public recognition when, in fact, we were just following our passion. A prestigious award was certainly not on my radar.

Knowing that recognition is important, I would like to applaud each of you for the work you are doing because of your passion for education and a dedication to making the world a better place. I am reassured that there are so many of you in Wyoming striving to protect our beautiful state and bringing outdoor learning to both residents and visitors. WyAEE will continue to support you in whatever way we can, and we celebrate the new year with a renewed dedication to our mission: to strengthen and amplify the work of environmental educators.

Best wishes for the new year,
Susan McGuire – WYAEE Executive Director