So … what’s the difference between horticulture and botany? Botany is a broad field of science concerning the study of plants, and within that field is horticulture, an applied science dealing with the growing and maintaining of plants. Both can be utilized to spark interest, foster creativity, and grow student engagement. Why should you include […]

When I sat down to write this blog I was immediately overwhelmed with the work to be done and how many factors need to be addressed in bringing conservation education into the classroom. We thankfully have national standards that address global warming and humans’ effects on the planet’s ecosystem, but we need more specific, in-depth focus […]

Visual media is a vital tool used within education for its capabilities in increasing knowledge and triggering change in attitudes and behaviours. From images to infographics, short videos, or even long documentary features, visual media is a conservationist’s gold in educating the world about conserving threatened wildlife. My vision for Primate Wonder is no exception. […]

Anyone who knows me well knows about my time “in the forest.” In all reality, this forest was not a forest, but in fact several nature reserves spread throughout California. I saw, lived in, and studied a range of habitats, from profoundly golden grasslands, to an alpine meadow at 11,000 feet that featured the world’s […]

At the beginning of each semester, I usually have at least one undergraduate student approach me at the end of the first class to say, “I’m not good at science, but I need to take this class to graduate.” Historically, in their academic career this may be true; however, in reality their science classes might […]

I am a freak about shutting off the water when it’s running. I rush through my shower. I turn off the tap as I soap my hands. I shut it off when I’m washing the dishes, and I might even shut it off when you’re washing the dishes, which I understand is probably meddlesome and […]

At my urban public kindergarten, our teacher had us plant radish seeds in clear plastic cups so we could observe white roots snaking through tiny clumps of earth and the leaves breaking the surface, and then finally, voila, food could be plucked. A critical foundation was taught through that exercise: Life is a miracle. Growth […]

I don’t remember the year I heard about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals—whether it was 2017 or 2018. I do remember that I was hanging out somewhere at an educational technology conference after a day of sessions, listening to a colleague excitedly explain the progress her students had made in an on-going class project. […]

With every passing year, I wonder more often: What is school actually for? And by that, I really mean two questions: What should school be meant for? And… what is it meant for, as currently constituted? These sorts of questions, for me, come up often, as I work as an educational therapist—an academic support coach—working with students with […]